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Willett, Walter C. - Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy, rev. ed.
Mon, Jan. 2nd, 2006 06:54 pm(subtitle: The Harvard Medical School Guide to Healthy Eating)
From the back of the book, it seems like Dr. Willett has some pretty impressive credentials -- he's the chairman of the Dept. of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health and a professor of medicine at the Harvard Medical School. Anyhow, I say this because I don't read books on diets/nutrition/how to eat in general, largely because I have great doubts as to the accuracy of certain diets. So this seemed pretty trustworthy, and I think![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
fannishly picked it up from advice from her nutritionist.
The info all seems pretty good, and it corresponds to what I've read in Food Politics and Fat Land, particularly with regard to the USDA and the many faults thereof. Willett revises the USDA pyramid so that daily exercise is at the very base, followed by whole grains and plant oils (at most meals). Then vegetables and fruits (2-3 times a day), then nuts and legumes (1-3 times/day), followed by fish, poultry and eggs (0-2 times/day). Finally, there's Dairy or calcium supplements (1-2 times/day), and then red meat, butter, white rice, white bread, white pasta, potatoes, sodas, and sweets in the "use sparingly" category. He's also got moderate alcohol intake and multiple vitamins for insurance to the side of the period.
From a food science point of view, it was also really interesting going through the various chapters on fats, proteins, veggies and fruits, and all that stuff, just because I probably paid very little attention in biology because I have no idea what half the stuff does. I also like how Willett cites several studies for the benefits and disadvantages of certain foods, such as assorted vitamins and omega-3 oil, because I keep reading stuff in the paper or hearing things from my mom, and it seems to change every day. So it's good to know where all his information comes from. He also does a good job weighing the pluses and minuses of different things, but still gives enough information for you to make the decision yourself.
I am also happy because there are a whole lot of recipes in the back for whole grains! (apparently whole grains are my New Thing, although I should probably wait to try them to see if I will like them a lot. But... I like oats...) Plus, the barley and mushroom quasi-risotto (the barley is a substitute for arborio rice) looked very tasty and I want to try it. He also has good tips in the end on how to actually use all the info in the book to eat better.
So, on the strict food science level, good book, very interesting.
On the other hand, if you have any sort of issues with your weight at all (somehow, I suspect no one is perfectly at ease, despite trying very hard to be), the first few chapters will probably scare the hell out of you. It did for me, and I generally tend to think that I have a fairly good attitude toward food and weight and all that stuff. Basically, Willett goes for the overwhelm-with-scary-information technique and throws lots and lots and lots of reasons as to why being overweight is bad and how we all need to lose weight and exercise for at least half an hour a day. And, you know, I am sure it is all true and that it is all very good for you. And I am very sure that it leads to tons and tons of health benefits.
But personally speaking, I would rather have peace of mind. After reading the first few chapters, I basically promptly freaked out about my weight and decided that I needed to overhaul all my eating and exercise habits and lose twenty pounds and keep it off and give up tons and tons of food. And dude, I like food! Obviously, while this is the decision that Willett is aiming for with this book, it wasn't really something that made me happy and mostly just made me stress out and make unreasonable goals for myself, which totally doesn't work.
I mean, I am going to try to take up some of his things, but while I do realize that he is right about weight control and the like (or at least, it seems like he is from several things I have read and from things he cites), heart disease is in the future and being stressed and depressed and unable to fall asleep is now. Mental health is a good thing. I wish someone would write a book that takes this stuff into account, particularly when most anti-depressants cause weight gain. Yeah, it is probably bad for my health, but on the other hand... I like my brain when it functions, you know? And I'm sure for many people, weight worrying is a surefire way to trigger lots and lots of issues.
So... recommended if this is something that you want to know about, because it seems well informed (I am not a subject-matter expert) with good tips, but with a warning that the first few chapters may give you a near heart attack and stress you for ages. Or, maybe not!
From the back of the book, it seems like Dr. Willett has some pretty impressive credentials -- he's the chairman of the Dept. of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health and a professor of medicine at the Harvard Medical School. Anyhow, I say this because I don't read books on diets/nutrition/how to eat in general, largely because I have great doubts as to the accuracy of certain diets. So this seemed pretty trustworthy, and I think
fannishly picked it up from advice from her nutritionist. The info all seems pretty good, and it corresponds to what I've read in Food Politics and Fat Land, particularly with regard to the USDA and the many faults thereof. Willett revises the USDA pyramid so that daily exercise is at the very base, followed by whole grains and plant oils (at most meals). Then vegetables and fruits (2-3 times a day), then nuts and legumes (1-3 times/day), followed by fish, poultry and eggs (0-2 times/day). Finally, there's Dairy or calcium supplements (1-2 times/day), and then red meat, butter, white rice, white bread, white pasta, potatoes, sodas, and sweets in the "use sparingly" category. He's also got moderate alcohol intake and multiple vitamins for insurance to the side of the period.
From a food science point of view, it was also really interesting going through the various chapters on fats, proteins, veggies and fruits, and all that stuff, just because I probably paid very little attention in biology because I have no idea what half the stuff does. I also like how Willett cites several studies for the benefits and disadvantages of certain foods, such as assorted vitamins and omega-3 oil, because I keep reading stuff in the paper or hearing things from my mom, and it seems to change every day. So it's good to know where all his information comes from. He also does a good job weighing the pluses and minuses of different things, but still gives enough information for you to make the decision yourself.
I am also happy because there are a whole lot of recipes in the back for whole grains! (apparently whole grains are my New Thing, although I should probably wait to try them to see if I will like them a lot. But... I like oats...) Plus, the barley and mushroom quasi-risotto (the barley is a substitute for arborio rice) looked very tasty and I want to try it. He also has good tips in the end on how to actually use all the info in the book to eat better.
So, on the strict food science level, good book, very interesting.
On the other hand, if you have any sort of issues with your weight at all (somehow, I suspect no one is perfectly at ease, despite trying very hard to be), the first few chapters will probably scare the hell out of you. It did for me, and I generally tend to think that I have a fairly good attitude toward food and weight and all that stuff. Basically, Willett goes for the overwhelm-with-scary-information technique and throws lots and lots and lots of reasons as to why being overweight is bad and how we all need to lose weight and exercise for at least half an hour a day. And, you know, I am sure it is all true and that it is all very good for you. And I am very sure that it leads to tons and tons of health benefits.
But personally speaking, I would rather have peace of mind. After reading the first few chapters, I basically promptly freaked out about my weight and decided that I needed to overhaul all my eating and exercise habits and lose twenty pounds and keep it off and give up tons and tons of food. And dude, I like food! Obviously, while this is the decision that Willett is aiming for with this book, it wasn't really something that made me happy and mostly just made me stress out and make unreasonable goals for myself, which totally doesn't work.
I mean, I am going to try to take up some of his things, but while I do realize that he is right about weight control and the like (or at least, it seems like he is from several things I have read and from things he cites), heart disease is in the future and being stressed and depressed and unable to fall asleep is now. Mental health is a good thing. I wish someone would write a book that takes this stuff into account, particularly when most anti-depressants cause weight gain. Yeah, it is probably bad for my health, but on the other hand... I like my brain when it functions, you know? And I'm sure for many people, weight worrying is a surefire way to trigger lots and lots of issues.
So... recommended if this is something that you want to know about, because it seems well informed (I am not a subject-matter expert) with good tips, but with a warning that the first few chapters may give you a near heart attack and stress you for ages. Or, maybe not!
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