Food for Health (Time-Life Health Factfiles) - Softcover

There are many factors which affect our health and well-being; some of these include the environment in which we live, our genetics and the type of healthcare we receive. The most significant factor, according to author Dr John Briffa, is our lifestyle--and in particular our diet.

Growing evidence shows that the food we eat can directly relate to how well we feel. It can enhance our health or have consequential effects depending on the type and quantity of food we consume, just as in the saying "we are what we eat".

This enables us to take some control over our health because we have the responsibility of choosing what we eat. This handy factfile can provide the reader with the background needed to help make healthy food choices and reduce the risk of ill health in the future.

The book is consumer friendly and is divided into six sections, each of which deals with a different body function and how it contributes to health and well-being. Some of the topics include energy, the heart, the digestive system, weight control and the immune system.

Each chapter explains the role diet can play on that particular part of the body and also mentions food habits that can enhance or hinder health. There is a final section on shopping and cooking which provides useful nutritional advice on the different food groups and the quantities we should be consuming from each. It looks at the types of cooking methods which aid healthy eating, while also offering examples of how to flavour foods without increasing their salt content.

The final pages of the book outline two-week healthy eating menus which are appetising and economical. The book is easy to understand and provides comprehensive nutritional information that can help everyone to adopt a healthier lifestyle. --Louise Coyle