Food: What the Heck Should I Eat? (The Dr. Mark Hyman Library, 7)

First, this book is very readable, even enjoyable. That is something that most nutrition & health books aren’t. I have multiple auto-immune diseases, including ulcerative colitis, and my dad had Alzheimer’s. I’d also gained 90 lbs of fat from medications that changed my metabolism so I couldn’t take it off. A good part of it was inflammatory belly fat from prednisone. I knew the low fiber diet is been told to eat for my UC wasn’t helping matters. After Dad died in 11/2018 I became vegan. It did help my UC but I have malabsorption both genetically and from the UC itself. Getting enough protein and other nutrients was hard. But my gastroenterologist did slow down the rate I was getting immunosuppressants. (Yay!) Yearly last year I started a mostly plant based Keto after hearing Dr. Will Cole talk about his book Ketotarian. (I can’t recommend it enough.) I lost so much weight; moreover, I lost the belly fat! It changed my metabolism that all the meds messed up. I continue to lose weight by eating a little more fat and healthy carbs in moderation. The problem was I still felt like grass fed meats, eaten occasionally, would boost my nutrient and protein intake. All of these modalities seems to be in opposition. I was as confused about what to eat as every other person who wants or needs to eat for better or optimal health. “Food” not only guided me through the healthy food maze but married all my different beliefs into one very well research idea. I’d not been off the mark at all but still got so much great information in how to implement it all. He has lists great resources to make this all doable. So, yes to a mostly plant based diet. Yes to adding more fat back into your diet to make you lose weight. Yes to keto if you need it. And, yes to adding back some grass fed meat. No to processed Frankenfoods, pesticides and most dairy but my GI doctor doesn’t want her patients eating them anyway even the vegan ones. For anyone afraid of eating this way, the food is even more delicious than the processed foods you’ve gotten used to. The flavors are incredible. Think of it as going to Thanksgiving dinner and most of what you put on you plate are the side dishes!

If you're overweight and/or want to live a healthier life, Buy This Book! Dr Mark explains simply n scientifically. It has worked for me. You feel so much better after the 10 day detox. Thumbs up.

Plenty of good information that makes sense. But much is also predictable - eat organic, avoid sugars and artificial everything and there is a personal agenda of read his other books, work with his nutritionists, etc. That said it is a good basic if you aren't feeling just right or need to loose weight. The author teaches important basics and cuts through all the nutritional arguments and mumbo-jumbo. It's a great way to kick start a resolve to make some changes and does include some healthy recipes that do actually look good. He gives a lot of information for diabetics. The book is divided up by the various food groups (making it a good resource) but what I've never seen is a section on supplements. But after a book full of eat these nutrient rich foods, it's a long list of supplements. It is worth the read and it's a book I'm sure I'll reference frequently. If you don't buy into the plethora of diets - vegan, Paleo, etc - you will probably enjoy what he has to say.

Great intro to Hyman's "Pegan" diet, and you’ve got to love a reasonable middle ground. The Pegan diet seems logical, scientific, and doable. Let’s face it, most of the universe acknowledges that the food pyramid is majorly broken and our stores sell more garbage than real food and nutrition. It’s so hard to figure out what we should be eating, especially if we have specific goals for our diets. I hadn’t read any of Mark Hyman’s books before, but I was intrigued by the Pegan diet premise and his emphasis on functional medicine. The traditional medical community has failed so many people that I know. They keep treating the symptoms and make no effort to find the causes. So we’ve had to do so much on our own. I’ve read many books and articles on paleo and autoimmune protocol, not to mention I've read about and tried vegetarian in the past. Frankly, I’d love eating vegetarian if it didn’t make me sick as a dog. Well, okay, that and the fact that I was born a carnivore reaching out for a T-bone steak. My daughter and I have celiac disease, food allergies, and multiple autoimmune diseases, and only two of our doctors have even talked about diet. Sticking to the paleo diet is just so incredibly hard when you can’t eat so much of what’s on it. We keep having to modify things to have a variety to eat and it feels as if we’re disobeying the rules. Dr. Hyman makes a lot of sense, so I’m going to stop feeling guilty about some of the things that we include in our diet, such as buckwheat, limited dairy, and lentils. Reading about the Pegan diet gives me hope that there’s a reasonable middle ground that’s clean enough and doable enough that our family can stick to it. Some of the foods he recommends that you not eat are things that we can’t eat anyway so that’s actually a win for us, finally, LOL. Dr. Hyman may have designed a diet that my family can live with. We’re about to find out! I received an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) from the publisher on NetGalley. (Although I was approved on NetGalley after I had already purchased this book, read it, and reviewed it, I'm including that information here for full disclosure.) My opinions are my own.

Dr Mark Hyman is one of the few consistently accurate experts on evidence-based nutrition, who is a badly needed, fearlessly strong, voice against Big Food. And an even stronger voice advocating for the health of our country. I trust him because he does not shill fake information to make money. He is not a sell out. He’s the real deal. His evidence-based reference section is 30 pages long, & about 19 references per page. Perfect for arguing science to those who insist that reading only headlines, & social media, are accurate sources of nutrition information. It is clearly indexed on 12 specific food groups (meat, poultry/eggs, milk/dairy, fish/seafood, vegetables, fruit, fats/oils, beans, grains, nuts/seeds, sugar/sweeteners & beverages). In each food group he discusses the science, what the experts got right & wrong about the food group, what we still don’t know for sure, things you should know about the food group & what you should eat/avoid in that food group. After those sections, he further patiently spells out what to keep out of your food. In case you haven’t already gotten the idea in Part II. He goes into a 10 day detox diet, & provides a meal plan & fabulous recipes. His recipes are the best; They’re delicious & healthy. Tonight I’m making his herb-marinated chicken breasts. I pre-ordered & got the book the day it dropped. Already I’ve highlighted & bookmarked half of it. I used it today @ work, while teaching my diabetes class, to answer a question about raw milk (p. 89). Dr. Hyman, thank you for another great book. You keep out-doing yourself. And I use your Blood Sugar Solution recipes weekly.

Pros: nicely organized, easy to understand, addresses all food groups and from different aspects (health, environment) Cons: nothing new here, slightly contradictory at times First off, I am a fan of Dr. Hyman. I think this book is well done and very informative, especially if you are new to reading about nutrition or current scientific findings on the subject. I do think it’s worth noting his diet is more along the lines of Paleo, so if you’re vegan you won’t like this book. Many times he states the pitfalls of vegan diets but he does talk extensively on the importance of vegetables. Most, if not all, of this information is available on his social media or through other paleo/Whole food blogs. Lastly, he contradicts some times. For example, stating you need 30g of protein 3x a day but then saying he only eats meat as a condiment, legumes rarely and plants should be 50-75% of our plate. I find it difficult to eat this much protein if limiting both legumes and meat and also focusing on low carb vegetables. Another example is the back and forth on beans in general, one paragraph they’re packed with nutrients, another paragraph they’re anti-nutrient and off just full of too many carbs. Another example, dairy: he goes back and forth on the pros and cons so much that you’re left still not knowing if you should eat it. So that’s why I took off two stars: info already available online and it’s conflicting at times. Otherwise, it’s well done. I recommend it if you aren’t vegan and if you are absolutely in the dark on current nutrition/food quality.

This book is perfect. I call it my “food bible”. Dr. Hyman has been practicing medicine for many years. He is very smart and he does not have a strict, one sided view of nutrition. He is able to see the good and bad in a food. He has the ability to explain nutrition in a way that is simple to understand. He uses examples of studies and sites them all, so anyone can look up and read those studies, as I have on many occasions. He’s not trying to sell you a magic pill weight lost book. He just gives you the facts about food; you’d be surprised what you learn. He knows that everyone is not built equal and explains for example why SOME people should avoid beans and legumes and if you decide to eat them, how they should be prepared. This book has opened my eyes to things about food I didn’t know and reminded me about thing a I did know with the added bonus of WHY. I have branched out from this book to look up studies, read other books and listen to pod casts about nutrition. It has been a catalyst in changing my family’s life for the better. Thanks to Dr.Hyman I have shared this information with several family members and friends and have had my aunt lower her triglycerides and increase her HDL and my friend has lost weight, increased energy and sleep. I strongly feel Dr. Hyman’s book and pod casts have empowered me to make the most important changes ; improvements in my life. Nothing is more important than our health.

I really appreciated the organization of this book. Dr. Hyman does a great job at compartmentalizing every aspect of food. By separating food into multiple categories and helping you identify how to shop, read labels, cook, prepare and be aware of the foods that we purchase, eat and feed to our families; this book truly provides a one stop shop to a better lifestyle. Dr. Hyman has done an excellent job in his well cited, heavily resourced, and straight-and-to-the point approach to food and what the heck we should eat! The brutal honesty and intense exposure of big companies create a true resource for every consumer, we all deserve to know what is in the food we eat and it is terribly shocking to hear the reality behind it. A great read if you are struggling with trying to figure out how to eat the best food for yourself, or your family! I love the quote he ended the book with as well; “True health isn’t just about losing a few pounds or the absence of chronic disease, it’s about feeling good, showing up, giving your highest gift to the world.” Eat Well and Be Well!

arrived well but i havent been able to read it yet. Everybody talks about this amazing book hopefully it will be good

With so much conflicting advice out there regarding foods that you should be eating and food that you shouldn't I was attracted by the title of this book as it rang true and sounded like it intended to get to the bottom of it all. I like the way the book is organised with a summary after each chapter so you can remember what the key points were. I found many of the reports extremely interesting and learnt a lot of things I simply hadn't known before. I have recommended the book to others, especially those who are struggling with their weight. A really useful go-to resource in my opinion and well worth a read. I will revert back to this book time and time again.

Das Buch hilft mir bestimmt weiter, alles sehr einfach und gut erklärt. Habe jetzt auch viele Antworten auf meine fragen. Hier wird alles erklärt , wenn man Zweifel ist und durch das Internet so unsicher wird. Leider is das Buch nicht neu da sind viele Kratzer auf das Cover. Schade neue Bücher sind immer bis hier im Plastik Folie gekommen. Das is sehr enttäuschend. Wenn ich ein gebrauchtes kaufen wollte dann hätte ich auch das option eins für weniger zu kaufen. Das mach mir etwas wütend.

Mind opening! I cannot stand the self-help, extreme marketing language that pervades American books on diets and healthy living, but this book, at least, combines that with solid science and judicious advice. A very helpful guide that provides you with a basic framework for navigating through so much conflicting information on precisely what the heck should we eat!.

I love this book and am finding it extremely informative and useful. Even though I don't eat meat (just some fish and occasionally chicken) this book has given me what I needed to perfect my dietary habits.