[.ca] American Dietetic Association Complete Food and ... (ISBN 0471229245)

Good starting point, but dogmatic at times:
This book provides an excellent presentation of the basics of nutrition as well as practical tips to improve health. With all the nutritional quackery floating around, this should be the first source you check to answer your concerns. That said, the author has a tendency to minimize evidence that contradicts the standard "FDA wisdom". For example, creatine is the only muscle-building supplement (other than illegal steroids) that has proved effective as a performance enhancer for weight lifters in independent studies. Ten years of studies show no serious side effects to taking creatine. The author argues that nobody should take creatine because there is a possibility adverse side effects will be discovered. That is true, but the same argument is used by irrational pureness religionists who condemn genetically modified foods because they might prove unsafe in the future. The same argument is used to justify all sorts of paranoia and pseudoscience. Rather than labeling creatine good or bad, the author should identify the proven benefits and potential risks and let the reader make a decision based on individual risk tolerance. Despite the occasional condemnation of things that are probably good, the author never recommends things that are probably bad (like Atkins and all the other quacks out there).

Lead a lifestyle of health and well-being through nutrition:
I have read the first edition prior to this one and it was such an informative book that I bought myself the second edition. Researching nutrition for years, I must say this has to be my favorite out of all other nutrition books I've encountered. Of course each book has its own purpose and flavor, but if you want a good entry book into health and overall well-being (for yourself and/or your family) driven by nutrition, this is the one you need. Through simple language and well-structured organization of the chapters, Duyff delivers a vast load of information mostly based on the Food Guide Pyramid, a guide used to quantitatively approximate the proportions of food consumed by categories. By no means is this a strict regimen of daily diet lists, however. The author covers the basics of food components to give a scientific/clinical basis for the nutrition guidelines suggested for good heath. You chose the specific foods yourself! The author also covers food shopping and preparations. Topics range from reading nutrition labels to preparation safety. Not only do you want to make sure you know the quality of food you are getting (by its chemical components) you also want to make sure your kitchen habits minimize your exposure to harmful bacterial contamination and other health risks. One of my favorite features of the discussions are the myth-dispelling and "ambiguous label claims" clarifications. After reading this book you will look at "what people say" in a completely different light. Also, if you want to know what supplements work and do not work, you will find it here. Special nutrition topics cover guidelines for people of different lifestyles. It includes ages from infants to the seniors. It even covers mothers and the special needs of women! Small sections discuss athletes, vegetarians, and allergies. Overall, to sum it up, I would say that this book is about using nutrition as part of your lifestyle to optimal health through disease prevention and enhanced physical energy (though these two seem to be somewhat synergistic). It is not about quick methods to loose weight or cures for ailments. If you want to lead a nutritious lifestyle based on physiological health and well-being, and you have the patience and persistence to stick to common principles for a long time, this book is definitely worth reading as well as keeping as a shelf reference.

Good in the way Pravda is good:
This book is an excellent basic source for nutritional information. For those who don't know all about the various nutrients and what their sources are and how your body uses them, this book is highly recommended. It probably gives as many details as a layperson needs or can handle without going further into the study of chemistry. Having said that, though, I must add that the book reads like government propoganda. The author seems to be a shill for U.S. government food policy. No doubts or concerns are ever expressed concerning the food supply system in the US, as you might find in the books "Fast Food Nation" or "Diet for a New America," etc. "Everything is OK" seems to be her attitude. Though every possible topic that I can think of is covered, some issues are dismissed with a happy, smiley, brushoff, making me long for an alternate viewpoint. Those who support organic farming would certainly have something to say about her summary dismissal of organic practices. There is no mention of how the food pyramid is created as much by lobbyists for the food industry as by nutritionists. Oft-repeated phrases such as "Enjoy plenty of (insert food item here)" read more like advertising copy than like a valuable reference book. If you can hold your nose and tolerate the government party line that is being shoved down your throat, then this book is an excellent reference, but keep an open mind and look for alternative viewpoints on things as well.

Finally, consumers can really "get" nutrition:
Bottom line, this is the best consumer nutrition book out, and it will be for some time to come. The information is sound and reliable. It's user-friendly, and it's complete. Any consumer can open it up to any page and get useful information. From a tidbit to a chapter, if it matters in nutrition, Roberta Duyff has included it, and presented it in such a clear manner. In a reference book of this type, a clear presentation of information is everything. This book's layout is logical and the topics are indexed with common sense. As a consumer but also a nutrition professional, I need reference information that I know is based on sound science. I appreciate the practical, friendly, and common sense manner in which Roberta Duyff delivers nutrition information to the reader. For that reason alone, this book is worth its weight in gold. In my office, this book stays easily reachable on my book shelf. My elderly parents also keep a copy and they use it. Brava to Roberta Duyff for this latest editiion of the ADA Complete Food and Nutrition Guide.

Almost Baked:
To be a reference, a book must have a decent index! So many publishers overlook this point. Having read through volumes of data, I remembered seeing interesting points but had a devil of a time locating them again. I had to literally leaf through the book a second time with sticky notes. Don't count on using this book as a reference. Do count on it for comprehensive nutritional information. (Just parse the dogma.) It is the best book I've read to date on nutrition: readable, thorough and pragmatic.