Whole Foods Lifestyle - books that encourage whole foods lifestyles

Do you have a favorite book to recommend? Let us know and we'll add to this list.


Whole Foods Companion (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1931498628/3fatchionadie) This revised and expanded edition updates key nutritional information in six categories: Fruits, Vegetables, Grains , Legumes, Nuts, seeds, and oils, Herb, spices, and other foods. Each entry includes nutritional value, general information, buying tips, culinary uses, and, when appropriate, health benefits, lore and legend, by-products, and descriptions of the more popular varieties. In the face of staggering confusion and conflicting claims about the nutritional value of different foods and herbs, this book is a detailed and invaluable guide to natural foods. It is a perfect companion to cookbooks and should be required reading for chefs everywhere. No mere collection of dry nutritional information, Whole Foods Companion also explains the origins and naming of different foods and relays some of the legends and traditions with which they have been associated.


Wellness Foods A to Z (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0929661702/3fatchionadie)Written by an internationally recognized UC Berkeley nutrition expert, this comprehensive encyclopedia covers more than 500 foods—in a quick-reference A to Z format.


What to Eat (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0865477043/3fatchionadie) by Marion Nestle. Nutritionist Nestle's newest volume aims to help the American consumer determine what best to eat to improve or to maintain good health. Pursuing what she hopes is a unique and beneficial approach, she surveys a supermarket on a food-by-food basis, noting for each category what nutritional benefits are claimed and what really are the advantages and dangers in consuming any grocery offering. She documents how food industry concerns have perverted nutritional and origin labeling, dismayed that economics has once more trumped open information.

SuperFoods Rx (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060535679/3fatchionadie) Steven Pratt's 14 foods that the author says provides the nutrients we need to prevent disease, improve physical and mental functioning, and delay the impairments of old age. We also have many members that have lost weight while following this plan.

Do magazines count? "fresh" magazine is a UK publication, and the whole focus of the magazine is fresh cooking, fresh living. The recipes are primarily whole-foods based, utilize a lot of superfoods, and the articles are geared towards organics, nutrition, and health.

Our local bookstore carries it - other bookstores can often order it in if they don't regularly stock it. :)

The Healthy Kitchen by Andrew Weil and Rosie Daley (http://www.amazon.com/Healthy-Kitchen-Andrew-Rosie-Daley/dp/B000OLP5T6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1218749799&sr=8-1) Filled with information about organic foods, reading labels, vegetarian dishes, information on whole foods, and most importantly recipes to use these ingredients.
Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0743266420/3fatchionadie) by Walter Willett While I wouldn't say this book is about whole foods exclusively it is a wonderful book about making healthy nutritional choices. It is quite technical so if it is too much reading try his new book Eat, Drink, and Weigh Less (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1401308929/3fatchionadie). I don't think this book is as informative as his first and he does play into the "diet" hands a bit. But I guess that is what people want. I also know that it is a better option to read the second book than to read neither book.

Eating Well magazine For the most part the recipes in this magazine have only whole food ingredients. The magazine also has wonderful articles about nutrition, foods, and nutritional news. For example the June/ July 2006 has a great article about how a whole community in Finland transformed their lifestyle to become more healthy. The article also included information on how some Amercian communities are doing the same. Hopkins, Minnesota...Columbia, Missouri.... Upper Valley, Vermont/ New Hampshire

I am loving The Omnivore's Dilemma (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0143038583/3fatchionadie) by Michael Pollan. It's not so much of a how-to for eating healthy foods, but an investigation of the entire food industry, from small organic farms to "industrial organic" to conventional food industry. I got it from the library and liked it so much that I bought my own copy to read and share.

I recommend Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. It's somewhere between low carb and Paleo, so not really for vegetarians.

I just got it and have tried 1 recipe. So far, so good.

ETA: It's not a book, but www.whfoods.com is a great resource. Lots of recipes and nutrition info.

I second the Omnivore's Dilemma and What to Eat recommendations..very good books. After reading them, I subscribed to the Nutrition Action Newsletter, which is published by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (http://www.cspinet.org). I describe it as a Consumer Reports for Food. Some typical topics are hidden calories in restaurant food, label reading in the grocery store, and health issues in the news.

I just bought The World's Healthiest Foods by George Matelajan. It's close to 900 pages of great information. I like the way he explains why a certain food is good for you, then tells you how to choose and store it. He also tells you the healthiest way to cook it so that the nutrients aren't destroyed. He has recipes, tips and serving suggestions as well. One thing I learned, if you let onions and garlic sit for 5 minutes after chopping, the nutrients are more readily available. Who knew? It's easy to read, too. I'll be referring to this book a lot.

I am really enjoying Whole Grains Every Day Every Way by Lorna Sass (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0307336727/3fatchionadie).

Here's the write up from Amazon

In this incredibly thorough, A-to-wheat berries guide to whole grains, Sass (Cooking Under Pressure) begins with a thoughtful and extensive primer on whole grains, including detailed profiles and basic cooking instructions for each. She covers no fewer than 20 kinds of rice (Bhutanese red, black Japonica) and just as many types of wheat before launching into recipes for soups and salads, main courses, side dishes, breakfast foods and desserts. The dishes are surprisingly tempting and varied, and the entries are more sophisticated than one might expect in a whole grain book. Thai Chicken Soup with Chinese Black Rice; Quinoa and Calamari Salad; Corn Polenta with Sausage and Peppers; Popcorn-Crusted Catfish; and Wild Rice Medley with Braised Chicken in Balsamic-Fig Sauce. And the sweets and desserts, like Chocolate Chip-Hazelnut Cookies, Popcorn-Almond-Caramel Balls, and Tarragon-Scented Rustic Nectarine Tart, prove that incorporating whole grains into the diet can be downright decadent. (Nov.)

I recommend anything by Christina Pirello (http://www.christinacooks.com/merchandise.html). I use my “Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Whole Foods” cookbook quite a bit. Before the recipes it’s got some really great introductory chapters about nutrition. She also has a cooking show on PBS.

Her personal story (http://www.christinacooks.com/mystory.html) is really interesting. She reversed her leukemia with diet. Officially her doctors called it “spontaneous regression”, but she didn’t have a bone marrow transplant or chemo and she has been cancer free ever since. Some might call it coincidence, I say food (the right food of course) has more healing power than we give it credit for.

Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060852569/3fatchionadie)is pretty great too, and it has the advantage of being a memoir.

I subscribed to the Nutrition Action Newsletter, which is published by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (http://www.cspinet.org). I describe it as a Consumer Reports for Food. Some typical topics are hidden calories in restaurant food, label reading in the grocery store, and health issues in the news.

OMG! I thought my dad and I were the only subscribers!!!! My dad will "subscribe" me to things (Newsweek, Vegetarian stuff, etc...) and I thought is was junk mail until I read it... always insightful :)

I read Nutrition Action Newsletter cover to cover each issue. I love the no-nonsense style of that magazine.

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The Body Sense NAtural Diet by Lorna R. Vanderhaeghe

It focuses on organic foods and a natural way to lose weight and create a lifelong healthy living lifestyle!

Lots of info on natural supplements, foods, and exercise you can do at home!

Jonny Bowden's The 150 Healthiest Foods On Earth, and Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense Of Food are a couple of favorites. I also like to read these websites: Natural News (http://www.naturalnews.com/) Mercola.com (http://www.mercola.com), and The World's Healthiest Foods blog. (http://whfoods.org/?utm_source=rss_reader&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss_feed)

Also, there is a new magazine called Clean Eating. (http://www.cleaneatingmag.com/minisite/ce_index.htm) It's pretty good.

I'm going to check out some of the other food books you mentioned.

I second Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon

Is anyone else reading or planning on reading In Defense of Food by Michaal Pollen, the author of The Omnivore's Dilemma? I just started it and it is just as good, if not better, the TOD. I'll give you a complete rundown of it when I'm finished, but I highly recommend it.

I just finished and found it very thought provoking and informative.

i just found a magazine called Clean Eating, and I love it!

Mark Bittman's new book Food Matters is supposed to be great too.

And Dr. Pratt - the Superfoods guy - has a new book just out called Superhealth. I've just started it.

And Dr. Pratt - the Superfoods guy - has a new book just out called Superhealth. I've just started it.

Tell me what you think. I read it over at the bookstore, and thought the organization was TERRIBLE. It's incredibly redundant. He organizes by different goals - heart health, skin health, whatever. But of course, lots of foods contribute to multiple areas. So he covers them again in each section. I didn't really see any one overview covering all the foods in one place in an easy way.

Also, the China Study (http://thechinastudy.com)by Dr. T. Colin Campbell was very interesting.

Julie - so far I agree with you about the disorganization. Also he references superfoods a lot, as though anyone who picks up this book already knows what they are. SHould be a short overview I'd think. But I'm still only partway through, but I'm skimming in places....

I also like Clean Eating.

I am currently reading Ultrametabolism by Dr Mark Hyman (he has also written Ultraprevention and some others). He was the medical director at Canyon Ranch and I was introduced to his book while staying there last year. He advocates whole food eating and talks a lot about the number of toxins in our environment and food and eating to counterbalance them.

Fit For Life by Harvey & Marilyn Diamond
The American Vegetarian Cookbook From the Fit for Life Kitchen

Can I add one? Fat Flush Plan by Ann Louise Gittleman

I love Clean Eating also.

One book that I immediately thought of when I saw this thread is "Eat This and Live" by Don Colbert. It's very imformative and it's a beautiful book.

The Eat-Clean Diet and Clean Eating Magazine by Tosca Reno is absolutely awesome! Recipes, monthly menu plans and corresponding shopping lists.

I would have to recommend any book by Dr. John McDougall (the New McDougall Diet, McDougall Program for Maximum Weight Loss), Dr. Joel Fuhrman (Eat to Live), or Neal Bernard. I would also highly recommend reading T. Colin Campbell's The China Study - you will never look at our Western diet the same ever again!

The Eat-Clean Diet and Clean Eating Magazine by Tosca Reno is absolutely awesome! Recipes, monthly menu plans and corresponding shopping lists.

I love both the magazine and book. Tosca also has an Eat Clean cookbook with quick, healthy whole foods. She's also releasing another cookbook in October. Through these magazines and books, I've lost 45 lbs. :carrot:

I also love Clean Eating Magazine and Tosca Reno's cookbooks. A staple on my counter right now is her new one, Tosca Reno's Eat Clean Cookbook.

Add a new one to the List:

"Master Your Metabolism" by Jillian Michaels. Not only about wholefood/organic eating..but adapting your whole lifestyle that way.

Definitely all of Tosca Reno's books!
I know they're not specifically 'whole foods' but eating clean is close enough!
The recipes in her new Eat-Clean Diet Recharged are AH-MAZING!! I highly recommend it :)
I also love Clean Eating mag...mmmm...I get hungry just looking at the pictures!

I love the book "The Healing Power of Whole Foods" by Beth Loiselle. 1993 softcover. ISBN #0-9637478-0-0

"The Slow Down Diet: Eating for Pleasure, Energy, & Weight Loss," by Marc David.

The final page of the book:

* Before you test the chemistry of your body, taste your tears.
* Before you take a drug, meditate, reflect, and pray.
* Before you limit yourself with a diet, expand yourself with love.
* Before you lose a pound, gain an insight.
* Before you exercise, be still.
* Before you attempt to cast out a bad habit, thank it for its teachings.
* Before you harm yourself in thought, word, or deed, pause.
* Before you allow someone dominion over your body, awaken.
* Before you seek advice, remember your wisdom.
* Before you speak, make sure it's an improvement on silence.
* Before you're intimate with another, touch the sacred.
* Before you fall ill, catch yourself.
* Before you lapse into fear, choose light.
* Before you believe in a world absent of a Creator, give birth.
* Before you remember your divine purpose, celebrate its imminent arrival.
* Before you eat, give gratitude.
* Before you sit for long hours, dance
* Before you arise, bless everything.
* Before you sleep, do the same.
* Before you live another day, agree to be here in your fullness.
* And before you breathe another breath, choose eternity, choose love, choose now.

"Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" its a great non-fiction book about a family trying to grow all of there own food and utilize local farms for there food. There are a few really great recipes in the book too! Illustrates also interesting info. about agriculture. Good Read!

I loved Michael Pollan's "The Omnivore's Dilemma"! It got me started with organic foods... I also just ordered his "In Defense of Food" book - it should come in tomorrow :D

I really enjoy Super Natural Cooking by Heidi Swanson. The book, more than anything, shows you how whole foods can be incorporated into your daily cooking routine, and how they can pair with other ingredients in the kitchen. I also love The Flexitarian's Cookbook. LOVELY recipes!

http://www.amazon.com/Super-Natural-Cooking-Delicious-Incorporate/dp/1587612755/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1279089307&sr=1-1

I have to third Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon and Real Food: What to Eat and Why by Nina Planck. Nina is responsible for starting a lot of the farmer's markets in England. Both great books!

I LOVE Dr. McDougall and all his books, I always have way more energy and lose weight on his plan.

The book "Ultimate You: A 4-Phase Total Body Makeover" by Joe Dowdell CSCS and Brooke Kalanick, ND, MS is a book that advocates changing over to an organic plant-based and organic, hormone-free protein diet, as well as getting rid of plastics that leach hormones into our foods. It's a great book! I'm trying it again...

The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf was a life changer for me. He also has a ton of free info on his blog and does a weekly podcast too.

Everyday Paleo, this is a good cook book, especially for Moms and families.

Why We Get Fat by Gary Tabues, it is not a "whole foods" book but does have a lot of related info.

Forks Over Knives is a quick read with lots of information. TONS of recipes.