Food Rules by Catherine Shanahan

This is a very handy book to have on hand if you are trying to eat in a more traditional way. It breaks down a wealth of information into "rules" or guidelines that will keep you on the right track. Shanahan is a MD who specializes in the promotion of health and reversal of disease using traditional food. Her other book is "Deep Nutrition". If you don't want to wade through all the jargon in that book, "Food Rules" is a good primer to keep in the shelf.

The book starts out with a few pages on the "why" of traditional food eating. Then it plunges into 118 rules to guide you toward good, healthy eating. The rules are arranged into 4 parts. Part 1 helps you shop. Part 2 gives you advice about food and nutrition. Part 3 talks about how to eat mindfully. And Part 4 is helpful for those doctors visits and lab tests - what do those numbers mean? The appendixes include a traditional diet food pyramid, recommended staples, foods not to eat and a week of recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Ms. Shanahan makes eating traditionally very workable and easy to take baby steps with. This is a great reference and I'll be adding it to my bookshelf soon.