The Food Bible: The Ultimate Reference Book for Food and Your Health (Paperback)

It provides what I consider sensible, realistic information about food and diet (i.e. it doesn't assume that we all want to ingest thousands of herbal remedies, but does assume that we want to think a bit more about what we eat). It lists sources of lots of vitamins and minerals, it suggests diets for various conditions, and it has great recipes (the ones I have tried are very tasty and it is really easy to calculate points if you are doing Weightwatchers like me as it has calories and saturated fats listed for each recipe) The food tables at the back are also useful indicators of what foods are good to eat and what nutritional benefits there are in many different foods.

I find this much more useful than both Prescriptions for Nutritional Healing and Hazel Courteney's 500 Health Hints - these both assume that you are the type of person that wants to take lots of unproven herbal / homeopathic supplements etc., keeps telling you to completely give up things like caffeine, and talks about things like 'spiritual emergencies' - all things that are just not my wavelength!

If you like sensible, non new-agey advice, then The Food Bible is much more likely to suit your needs.

I am inherently suspicious about books that call themselves 'Bibles' since in my experience it usually means that you are going to be given some preacherly advice which you don't particularly want to hear. However, I am happy to report that The Food Bible does not preach or try to convert readers to chew their brown rice one hundred and fifty times but offers the latest well researched advice on what food the body actually needs to maintain optimum health. This is a chunky book with lots of colour illustrations, clear charts and useful tips. In my opinion this paperback is extremely good value. The Food Bible is a book that invites dipping into rather than being a straightforward read. It is divided into sections, including, Food for different stages in life such as the teenage years or middle-age, Food for Weight control with various diets and my favourite, Food as Medicine. I can now eat as many mangoes and sweet potatoes as I like secure in the knowledge that I am helping prevent arthritis.The Food Bible is not only a useful reference guide for someone who wants to know what to eat to create a healthy heart diet, or is wondering what foods help induce sleep but it also has a good recipe section. Each recipe is accompanied by a visual key informing you what vitamins, the number of calories and which minerals you will be getting for instance when you eat a bowl of as lentil and coriander soup. The feel-good factor which comes from the combination of self-righteousness at eating healthily and satisfied taste buds is irresistible. This is the sort of Christmas present I would have liked to have been given but wasn't. Never mind the best presents are usually the ones you give yourself!

Try it - you may just learn things!

Anyone with food related conditions/allegies will also find this invaluable.