From: www.BasilAndSpice.com
Author & Book Views On A Healthy Life!

Book Review: The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth (Fair Winds Press, 2007) by Jonny Bowden, Ph.D.

Sometimes I think we're living in the dark ages rather than during a period of enlightenment. Practically all of our population can read and is educated, and should be well aware of the advantages of nutrition, exercise, and healthy living. Unfortunately, recent studies have indicated that the current situation is the exact opposite--American obesity is leading us all down the road to an overtaxed health system. Each year we see our government implement laws to improve our health. The key however is not our government. As citizens, our duty is to take control of our own health.

The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth by Jonny Bowden gives an overview of what we should be consuming on a daily basis. Citing recent research and experts in their fields, Bowden covers:

* Vegetables--turnips, greens
* Grains--quinoa, brown rice, oatmeal
* Bean & Legumes--edamame, garbanzo beans
* Fruits--kiwi, cherries, cranberries
* Nuts, Seeds, and Nut Butters--almond butter, sunflower seeds, walnuts, flax seed
* Soy Foods--natto, miso, tempeh
* Dairy--milk, yogurt
* Meat, Poultry, Eggs--organic, grass-fed, free running
* Fish & Seafood--salmon, omega-3, wild, tuna
* Specialty Foods--fermented
* Beverages--coffee, tea
* Herbs, Spices, and Condiments--parsley, oregano, apple cider vinegar
* Oils--coconut, sesame, olive
* Sweeteners--blackstrap molasses, honey

Bowden's book covers origins of foods, their benefits, and even offers a glossary of unusual terms. The end of each chapter mentions an expert and his or her top ten foods as well.

Did you know:

Medium-chain triglycerides in coconut oil kill the bacterias causing strep throat, pneumonia, and sinusitis?

Ginger may out-perform Dramamine in preventing seasickness?

Oregano has 42 times more antioxidant activity than apples?

Snacking on sunflower seeds offers protection against heart disease?

Eating eggs may protect against breast cancer?

Kids should eat wild salmon to boost their brain development?

Unless you're a nutritionist, you certainly still have something new to learn about how foods help keep us sharp, toned, and disease-free. Educate yourself by reading Bowden's The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. You'll not only help yourself, but you'll put your children on the road to health for life.

5 Stars

Brilliant book for anyone wishing to know more about what they put in their mouthes, and it will certainly open your eyes to what is considered healthy and what not, as there may be a few surprises in there for some people.

This is one of the best books I've bought in a long time. You could probably get the raw information contained in this book off the Web with a little bit of work, but the book has huge value from the sheer energy with which it presents eating healthily. The book is beautifully produced, with lavish color photographs of each food -- page 24, for example, sports a kingly stalk of beautiful fresh green broccoli standing upright against a glossy white page, soft shadow angling off to the left, next to the sentence, "Broccoli is vegetable royalty." And Jonny Bowden writes with infectious enthusiasm about the health benefits of all the foods, so that you really feel that that handful of blueberries you're eating will keep your memory strong into old age, and that the quinoa you're cooking gives you a leg up on everyone else in terms of nutrition value in your grain.

The one ding I'll give to the book is that it has not taken into account any considerations of the environmental impact of the food recommendations given. This turns out to be a surprisingly minor issue, but it leads to things like (for example) a recommendation of orange roughy as a good fish choice, which may be true in terms of pure health but is not ecologically sustainable.

But the book earns a solid five stars nevertheless. A hard-boiled egg and oatmeal with frozen berries for breakfast! Yeah!

For me, this is the best book Jonny has written. Packed with info in an easy to understand format, I reference this regularly, and have sent copies to family. Lets you know what foods to eat for optimum health, and the reasons why. If you believe that eating a healthy diet limits you to a few bland, unappealing foods, read this and learn otherwise. Eating for health can be fun and delicious. Typically health books are not the type that you pick up and can't put down, but this one is. You will not be disappointed.

My sister introduced me to this book and I enjoyed the information. It's great to be able to know which foods are healthiest and it also includes information regarding which foods are best to buy organic.

Although this is not a cookbook, it would have been great if a basic recipe would have been included with each food, perhaps from one of the experts quoted in this book. I would love to try all these foods but lack the knowledge on how to prepare most of them, especially the vegetables.

Other than that, this was a very informative book.

Really great and simple premise, the sections are well thought out and informative while not running on. It's obviously not an end all for all people as certain people work better with certain foods, but it's a great starting point or refresher for everyone.

The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth is one of the best books I've ever read and very educational. Excellent reading and it confirms a lot of the foods I have been eating for quite sometime. I always learn something new and it was very entertaining also.

Excellent for the serious health nut and very educational for anyone who really wants to learn how to keep a healthy body running at it's best.

I bought this book as a gift for my father and he told me that it is wonderful.

Got this book at the recommendation of a co-worker. It is a very interesting read, with good information in it, and I recommend it to people interested in learning more about nutrition, however I do have some issues with the book. One is that since it just covers good things (the 150 Healthiest) he kinda gets picky showing why you should have this one on the list instead of one that may have made 151. A better book may have been the 75 healthiest and 75 LEAST healthy foods so that you could make the big choices, not just the little optimizations if you are already eating well. A second complaint is that he takes too much stock in: 1) Its what we ate in the Paleo era, so it must be good and 2) It has been a folk cure in XXX for a hundred years so it must work. Overall I am glad I purchased the book. Be aware though that it does not tell you anything about how you should eat, only documents these 150 foods and their value. If you want insight into what to eat I recommend (HIGHLY) "Eat this Not That" by Zinczenko and even his ABS Diet book.

This book changed what I eat and the way I think about the food that I eat. I am a 30 year old woman who was raised the culture of constant dieting. Although Bowden doesn't offer a diet solution if you eat the foods he recommends in the book and cut out the "fast-acting carbs and sugar in breads, cereals, pastas, desserts, cakes rolls, cracker and fast food" (pg. 18) you will lose weight. AND once you get over the 3 day hunger hump, it's not that hard! I've lost 5lbs within the first two weeks and I am never hungry. I use this book as a constant reference into what I am eating. If I feel like a need to "cheat" I don't have to cheat, I usually eat (sugar free) dark chocolate or strawberries with splenda both of which are one of 150 healthiest foods.

This is an amazing compilation of some of the best foods we can put into our bellies. It's really a glorified cookbook, but it's great. Learn how to incorporate these wonderful, nutrient-rich foods into your daily diet and get the top ten list from many experts.

Recommended!

This is a well-researched, easy-to-read encyclopedic book of 150 healthy foods with pictures. The author describes why each of the foods is healthy and what beneficial nutrients are in the food. He also tells you what the food can be used to treat or prevent. There are starred entries for particularly healthy foods. The book has an informative glossary as well as an extensive index so you can find the food by its name or by what it can treat. The foods include some personal favorites such as almonds, yogurt, and blueberries, as well as some surprising foods such as peanut butter, raw milk, butter, eggs, chocolate, coffee, and various meats.

The 150 foods are arranged into logical categories in the chapters. The book's Contents are:
Chapter 1 Vegetables
Chapter 2 Grains
Chapter 3 Beans and Legumes
Chapter 4 Fruits
Chapter 5 Nuts, Seeds, and Nut Butters
Chapter 6 Soy Foods
Chapter 7 Dairy
Chapter 8 Meat, Poultry, and Eggs
Chapter 9 Fish and Seafood
Chapter 10 Specialty Foods
Chapter 11 Beverages
Chapter 12 Herbs, Spices, and Condiments
Chapter 13 Oils
Chapter 14 Sweeteners
Glossary, Index

This well-researched book offers detailed information on healthy foods as well as fun facts about many of the foods. It even discusses some food controversies. It is an interesting read and may encourage you to eat healthy foods you may not currently be eating. It is a great book for helping you to understand why it is important to eat healthy foods. I recommend this book along with a great companion book, THE THE 3:00 PM SECRET: Live Slim and Strong, Live Your Dreams

I have to say this book is one of the better ones I have read about Nutrition and the foods we should consume. A lot of great information and lots of helpful tips!

Excellent book! It contains good information about what makes the foods healthy and why they made the top of the list.

A book with many and varied opionions and well written and researched. It has changed my eating habits somewhat.

The title says it all. Very easy read (and sometimes humorous) with some suprising facts about the foods we eat. The book breaks food down into food groups (example, vegetables, grains, etc.) and then goes through the 'power list' alphabetically with full descriptions of each along with a short blurp on how to eat the food and what it should taste like. I will definitely be working in more of the super 'stars'. You should know this is NOT a recipe book but rather a guide to the best of the best foods (for your health) on the planet.

At 52, I'm relatively new to the actual practice of lifestyle nutrition, and a bit of an intellect by nature. I love this book. It is really helping me change my diet permanently. What started as a weight loss campaign has broadened into a well-grounded foundation for enjoying good food as it was meant to be eaten. Nutrition information is a cluttered and confusing world, Bowden brings order, perspective, and inspiration to living well and healthy, particularly for middle age and beyond.

Well, given the rave reviews, I was disappointed. It's not that this isn't a good quality book. I can see that a fair amount of work has gone into this compilation of foods and their information. In trying to encapsulate a set number of foods, I feel the substance of this book has been thinned out.

It makes for good reading material if you feel like sitting down and finding out that you've been doing it wrong for so long because you can't get your hands on organic free-range salmon, or how such and such a food is good for preventing prostate cancer, but if you need an easy index to look up whether the salad you're about to eat is going to contribute to your daily intake of calcium which has been lacking lately, then you might find your lettuce will be soggy by the time you get back to your meal.

There is no set formula for each article, which was a good and bad move at the same time. It's good, because obviously different foods have a different point of interest, such as the vast variance in nutritional value according to preparation & growth, or the reasons people have maligned that food in the past, so why waste time on things that are irrelevant or a non-issue to that food, right? But it's also bad, because without a uniform summary of each food to accompany the article, whether or not something is really irrelevant or insignifcant, or just wasn't noteworthy enough to spend time on, isn't clear. If an article doesn't mention iron content, for example, does it mean that food has no value for people needing to increase their iron at all?

So this book is interesting to perouse and flick through, in order to educate oneself about foods, but a lot of it will end up just as trivia, rather than hard & fast facts and figures needed for someone's serious, concerted and above of all organised effort to achieve healthy eating. It doesn't need to be boiled down to merely a calorie-counting book, but I do feel it lacks balance.

My suggestions for improvement would be a simple table breaking down the nutritional value of each food, so it's useful both for browsing and for quick reference. It doesn't even have to be in milligrams per gram - it could simply indicate "good" or "high" or "low" for certain key dietary requirements, much like World's Healthiest Foods does in their book and website. Also, the article needs to be more formalised, so that each article covers the same aspects, not just a vague collect of features & benefits that one has to wade through to glean specifics.

All in all, I guess I shouldn't have changed my mind from buying the World's Healthiest Foods by George Mateljan, however I'm not too sore about it, because I'm sure that if I own both books, I will find they compliment each other and fill in what I miss from each one. On its own, though, this book holds little practical worth to me.

This book gives nutritional information on foods that I need to incorporate into my diet as well as how to best prepare the foods for maximum benifit. It also helps me plan my shopping based on my personal needs.

I continue to be sceptical about any book that purposes to suggest the best foods to eat without consideration of how they are grown. Yes, that makes things very complicated. But it's rediculous to suggest that ANY blueberry, regardless of how old it is or where it's grown, is better than, say a fresh blackberry grown on mineralized soil. Despite the best efforts of agribusiness to make it appear that way, food is not a factory product. A carrot is not a carrot is not a carrot. They vary.

Just once I'd like to see an acknowlegement that there are thousands of other healthy foods out there, and that each of us comes equipped at birth with a remarkably accurate "nutrition tester" - our mouths. High flavor usually = high nutritive value, once you rule out artificially contrived "high flavor" (processed snacks, hot dogs, etc.) Not always, but yes, usually. So pile on the herbs and eat it fresh-picked!

Well, if I am going to start eating more heathfully (and that IS the plan), then I need to make well-informed food choices--and this book is a big help in that. The author analyzes foods by category: fruits, vegetables, grains, beans and legumes, nuts and seeds, soy foods, dairy, meat and poultry/eggs, fish and seafood, "specialty" foods (like sea vegetables and whey protein powder), beverages, herbs and spices and condiments, oils, and sweeteners. It even comes with a CD that I haven't watched yet. This one gets four starts instead of five, just for the fact that nutrition books aren't fascinating,

Although we've all been told to eat 5 to 9 fruits and vegetables a day, this book actually INSPIRES you do do so because Bowden's writing style is so engaging and easy to read. While there are other books on the market with basically the same message (eat more fruits, vegetables, and fish) this book tells you WHICH fruits, vegetables, and fish give you the most bang for your buck, nutrition-wise. Ever since I bought this book a couple of weeks ago, I've been consciously eating many of the foods described in it, and I feel better already. Reading this book almost makes one feel as though you've got your own personal coach who encourages you to eat what you should be eating, which definitely makes this book worth the money. Like I said, even though we already know what we're supposed to be eating, sometimes one needs the INCENTIVE to do so, and this books provides just that.

if one cares about whatever enters the body through the mouth, one must read this book.it displays the writers knowlege of the value of eating , it gives a veraiety of scientific back ups and the best is his belief in eating right
= living a good life

This is a well researched, easy to read encyclopedic book of 150 healthy foods with pictures. For each food Jonny describes why it is healthy, what particularly healthy nutrients are in the food, and what the food can be used to treat or prevent. The book has an extensive index so you can find the food by its name or by what it can treat. The foods include some of my personal favorites - almonds, peanuts, yogurt, blue berries - as well as some surprising foods - peanut butter, raw milk, butter, eggs, chocolate, coffee, and various meats.

The book's Contents:
Chapter 1 Vegetables
Chapter 2 Grains
Chapter 3 Beans and Legumes
Chapter 4 Fruits
Chapter 5 Nuts, Seeds, and Nut Butters
Chapter 6 Soy Foods
Chapter 7 Dairy
Chapter 8 Meat, Poultry, and Eggs
Chapter 9 Fish and Seafood
Chapter 10 Specialty Foods
Chapter 11 Beverages
Chapter 12 Herbs, Spices, and Condiments
Chapter 13 Oils
Chapter 14 Sweeteners
Glossary, Acknowledgements, About the author, Index

This well-researched book offers detailed information on his healthy foods as well as tidbits of fun facts about many of the foods. It is an interesting read you will enjoy perusing as you are encouraged to eat healthy foods you may not currently be eating. I recommend this book along with a great companion book (that changed my life) THE 3:00 PM SECRET: Live Slim and Strong, Live Your Dreams

This book is THE BEST! The table of contents allows you to easily look up the spcific foods you're interested in. It's an easy read. It feels like the author is simply speaking to you in a very frank and direct manner. The foods that are listed in the book (for the most part) are just very normal foods. It's nothing you haven't heard of before but the book teaches you WHY it's important to incorporate these foods into your daily life. Once you understand WHY these foods are vital and how they can help you you'll be motivated to eat better and live a healthier lifestyle.

Great book, very fast shipping. Real pleased with the book and the service. Thanks, L. Whaley

This is the most interesting and amazing book I've ever read! What a wealth of good information and facts that can help you eat better and shop smarter. My husband and I have been reading two sections at a time, out loud, with our coffee every morning and have learned so much about choosing foods that build health and what to avoid so as not to ruin health. The writing style is fun and enjoyable, and when we're done reading it, we'll start all over again, since we'll have forgotten most of it by then. In the meantime if anyone wants a great informative read, this is the one.

If you are at all interested in nutrition, this book will fascinate you. It is beautifully researched and a veritable encyclopedia of the most interesting information on the foods that are most good for you. Even if you know a lot about the nutritive values of food, you will find tons of facts that you didn't know before -- why something is good for you, how it is good for you, how to buy it, prepare it and eat it to get the most from it. Moreover, it is beautifully designed, printed on really nice glossy paper and with great full-color photographs. Really a very very well-done book. Most highly recommended!!

This is the best book I have seen on the subject! I use it like a food bible. Everyone I have showed it to, has gone out and bought a copy!

I used the "look inside" feature to read the first two pages of this book and was startled to see that the author recommended that people with blood sugar concerns avoid sweet potatoes. The opposite is true! Sweet potatoes are low on the glycemic index. They are quite high in fiber and nutrients. After seeing such a glaring error, I wouldn't be able to trust the content of this book.

This book is amazing! It is filled with tons of useful information. The book is very user freindly and well organized. The pictures are beartiful! I consider myself well versed in nutrition and healthy foods (I am currently pursuing a degree in nutrition)and there was a lot of information that I knew, but there was also a lot that I was not aware of and I was so excited to learn more about these amazing foods. The book is well written and I felt like it was presented in an unbiased manner. I highly recommend this book to anyone who cares about what they put into their body. I love this book. I hope his natural cures book is as good as this one - I've been meaning to check it out. This book is worth it's weight in gold!

This is one of the best books I have ever purchased, it's fun of facts and details for anyone interested in eating a healthy diet rich with the abundance of minerals and vitamins etc.

I was very happy with this book. It came recommended by two friends of mine and I have recommended it to several friends who love it. We all have read it and use it now as a reference book. Eating right is very important and I found this book keeeps me on the right track. Thank you Amazon for the good price and delivery. RF

Most of the info is common sense, but there are a few surprises. Besides, this book is very high quality, with glossy pages and beautiful pictures (even ugly foods look appetizing). The appearance of the book alone is worth buying it. But you will learn alot too, and those photos will make you want to go out and buy those foods and try them!

The best book I have read in this subject matter. I have given this book to friends and family who eat very poorly and all of them have loved it. They have thanked me and are all trying to eat a lot better. Remember...you are what you eat. You won't go wrong in buying this book.

The information in this book has helped me refocused my thinking about losing weight.Instead of always thinking about calories and fat grams Johnny has helped me redirect my thinking to what's healthy and good for my body.I find I'm now choosing my foods based on this valuable information.In the process I've lost 10 pounds and have more energy and feel the best I have in years. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to refocus on their health but also lose weight and not fall into another "diet trap" The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why

The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why I enjoy this book so much that telling friends and family about it I have ordered more to share with friends and family.

"The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth" is a carefully researched, well written book. The author gives you the complete nutritional lowdown on each of the 150 foods included in the book. A number of the 150 foods have a star at the beginning of the article on them, signifying that according to Jonny Bowden they are nutritional superstars (the best of the best).

The book includes chapters on vegetables, grains, beans, fruits, nuts, seeds, and nut butters, soy, dairy, meat, poutry and eggs fish, specialty foods, beverages, herbs and spices, oils and sweetners. It is chock full of useful nutrition information for those wanting to use food to prevent or help heal various diseases.

The author is careful to accurately state the facts about the nutritional benefits of each healthiest food included in the book. Bowden always backs his assertions about the health beneifts of each food with the scientific research that supports the food's health benefits. He is also quick to point out where certain excellent foods have been hyped to work miracles that they can't possibly preform. Bowden calls a spade a spade. He also has a good sense of humor.

While there is no recipe section in the book, the author gives many suggestions for ways to "simply" use each healthiest food. His suggestions are very uncomplicated and really doable.

The book presents many major natural foods but some are not common in some countries. The descriptions are good in general. The paper quality is good. Pictures, font sizes and types are appropriate. The contents are well presented. The CD at the back of the book contains very little information, don't expect too much from it.

About 60% of the foods in this book I already knew were healthy for you, but that remaining 40% is what makes this book worth it. Whether you are a novice on healthy foods or you are an expert, this book is a handy and very easy to read reference.

It is wonderful to have in one collection all foods specified that you should include in your daily dietary regimen. Awesome book.

I love this book. Not only is it inviting, with it's glossy pages, big print and beautiful pictures of each food being discussed, it has valuable information in it that is easy to understand. I have done a lot of readying about how I should eat and I was shocked to find a book that agreed with every single thing that I have come to believe. Each section gets to the bottom line, and doesn't beat around the bush. It especially impressed me with what he said about eating grains, dairy or soy. That he had the guts to tell the truth. I was so thrilled to have confirmation on the things I have come to believe about healthy eating.

This is an incredible book. It is very accessible to the layperson and highly informative. I highly recommend it.

I have yet to receive this product! Please send it so that I may review it!

Jonny Bowden turned me on to nutrition (I'm currently working on a degree), and even if The 150 Healthiest Foods was utter crap I would still list its good qualities.



Fortunately, the book is quite good. Please don't dismiss it as one of those encyclopedic tomes full of food facts that never leave the bookshelves save for the occasional quick hit of information. Nor is The 150 Healthiest Foods a pretty, colorful picture book, even though the pictures are quite appealing.



Even if you're familiar with the foods listed here - even if you grew them and ate them and can recite every known fact about them - you will still learn a ton. Even when he delves into complex biochemistry, Jonny's accessible, engaging writing style manages to remain chatty and entertaining. He doesn't condescend or bore.



Some readers question why certain foods appear here and others don't. Jonny is whip-smart and researches extensively, and The 150 Healthiest Foods evolved from the latest, most thorough scientific research.



But my words don't do justice. Visit www.jonnybowden.com to read samples from this fabulous book, and get to know this remarkable man. He can change your life.

There are so many great reasons to eat your fruits and veggies, and Jonny Bowden breaks it all down for you. The writing is clear, informative and entertaining. My only "nit" is with the word "unbiased." Who are we kidding? Would you write a book if you DIDN'T have a bias? Luckily, he supports the health merits of the foods he lists with studies. Definately a great book to own for anyone who's trying to eat healthfully.

This is an excellent book on eating the healthiest foods and what they can do for you. It is colorfully and well laid out and written in simple terms that anyone can understand. It also comes with a complimentary cd by John Bowden talking about 5 of the best things you can to for a healthier lifestyle. I agree with everything he says and have made some healthy additions to my already healthy lifestyle. I love the book.

I found this book at my library and then got my own copy. I bought it because I find it to be a motivator to change my eating habits from chicken and vegetables to almost completely vegan. Now I am buying and eating foods I never considered and I keep myself motivated by finding information in this book. The layout of 150 Healthist Foods is well done, the information is fairly complete, but the author does not include much about proportion or an overwhelming amount of detail. At the moment I have not even looked at the CD that comes with the book. For more complete detail about a food, consult the internet. For every day use and to remind yourself to shop for nutrition, keep this book in easy reach.

This book is very easy to read and understand. It is laid out so you can find just about any of the 150 healthiest foods on earth. It gives you the info about each of them. Also tells what the top people in the field of nutrition eat themselves.
Super book!!