Dear all,

I recently discovered this great forum! Now here's my first question.

If you had to recommend one book on good food, which one would it be? Let's call it nutrition 101. What I have in mind is a book which would give me understanding rather than just lists what to eat and what not. Why eat certain things and avoid others?

I know a lot of material can be found on this website (it's a mine of information, thanks!) but I spend a lot of time each day behind the computer writing two theses simultaneously...so I prefer :read:.

Hope to hear your suggestions!

Welcome to the forum. :)

My first suggestion would probably be the sticky threads right here - lol - but I can understand your need to get away from the computer (I'm on it all day as well). :)

How detailed and complicated do you want this to be? If you want to read a lot of the science behind it, and if you're smarter than I am, you might like Alan Aragon's book (http://www.alanaragon.com/my-book.html). I recently bought it. It's very good, but a lot of it went over my head, which is why I made the "if you're smarter than I am" comment. :) Still, even though I was required to read over a few chapters more than once, I found it to be a great read.

I picked up Chris Aceto's Championship Bodybuilding (http://www.amazon.com/Championship-Bodybuilding-Chris-Acetos-Instruction/dp/0966916808/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1202536450&sr=8-2) a few years ago. It's not bad. This one is much less detailed, though it was also much easier to read.

For those just getting started I often recommend Body-for-LIFE (www.bodyforlife.com (http://www.bodyforlife.com)). I feel it's a great book for beginners. It fails to address many of the issues and concerns of the more advanced bodybuilder, but a lot of these details don't really need to be addressed if you're just starting out. If you are honest then I feel this book will put almost any newbie off on a great starting path. However, it might not be quite detailed enough for you.

I believe this question came up recently, so I'd suggest you also search through the forums a bit as there have been some recommendations made to others.

I've been so intrigued by my own transformation, and those of others, that I'm conisdering getting a degree in Nutrition or Kinesiology. You may want to check out what book your local community college or university uses and check it out from their library, if possible.

I think Alan Aragon is a good recommendation for an author. I haven't read any of his books, but of the more advanced bodybuilding nutrition articles I've read, his comments have always seemed to me to be the best researched and backed up by science.

Also keep in mind that there's a slight difference between optimum nutrition for health, and optimum nutrition for body composition.

If you'd like to find out about optimum nutrition for health, simplified into its most important elements, I'd recommend Superfoods Rx (http://www.amazon.com/SuperFoods-Rx-Fourteen-Foods-Change/dp/0060535679).

(Note: there's a new edition called the Superfoods Rx DIET (http://www.johnstonefitness.com/store/shop.php?c=books&n=1000&i=1594867402&x=The_Superfoods_Rx_Diet_Lose_Weight_with_the_Powe r_of_SuperNutrients), which I wouldn't recommend because I think is somewhat poorly positioned and its claims are exaggerated.
Quote:"Rather than concentrating on the balance of protein, fat, and carbohydrates, The SuperFoodsRx Diet utilizes the incredible benefits of micronutrients - vitamins, minerals, bioflavonoids, fiber, antioxidants, and other phytochemicals - to burn calories."
That doesn't really make sense. I don't think it could beat any advice that Alan Aragon could give you.

This book got also comes very highly recommended by students in the nutrition field. If it wasn't so expensive, I'd order it for myself, but I'm a little worried that it might be over my head
Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism (http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Nutrition-Human-Metabolism-InfoTrac/dp/0534559867/ref=sr_1_1/104-6358478-9671903?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1190866966&sr=1-1)

I really liked "You on a diet" by Doctor oz. He explains a lot on how your body reacts to foods that you eat - brain, liver, kidneys, stomach, ect. . . He talks about how your body fights to process bad foods and how it process good foods like EFAs, healthy proteins, healthy carbs. I love it. The pictures are VERY helpful too because he puts everything in a cartoon.

Nutrition Concepts and controversies
By Frances Sizer and Eleanor Whitney

It covers it all. Text book in a style you can read. :cool: