Food and Nutrition

An eye-opening examination of food and nutrition that reveals the truth about what we eat and why it matters, while helping readers distinguish between science and disinformation and inspiring eaters to create healthy and sustainable diets for all. From plant-based meat to ultra-processed foods, GMOs to grass-fed beef, our newsfeeds abound with food and nutrition advice-and a lot of it just isn't true. From sensational headlines to social media anecdotes, misinformation doesn't make it easy for eaters just trying to get a healthy meal on the table. Meanwhile, congested food environments fuel incessant consumption, making everyday diets more like an all-you-can-eat buffet-and not in a good way. There is an urgent need for evidence-based guidance that nurtures good health, well-being, and green eating, and Harvard- and Columbia-trained scientist and food lover Dr. P.K. Newby heeds the call. In Food and Nutrition: What Everyone Needs to Know®, Newby cuts through the confusion, addressing 158 bite-sized questions on why what we eat matters, farm to fork and far beyond. With wisdom and wit, Newby shines a spotlight on today's food challenges while showing that the whole diet is greater than the sum of its parts, and one size doesn't fit all. The book applies an ecological lens, delving into the interconnected aspects of health, environment, economy, and society, reminding that food isn't just medicine, nor is individual nutrition its only offering. This second edition dives deeper into the global agrifood system, revealing striking new data on plant-based diets, longevity, and sustainability; food and mental health; diet, COVID-19, and immunity; megafactory farming and climate change; and ultra-processed foods and chronic disease. Newby's passion for all things food shines through it all, as does her belief in the power of the human spirit, science, and technology to create healthy and sustainable diets for ourselves, our future, and for the planet we share. The food revolution is now. Ready to pick up your fork?

P.K. Newby, ScD, MPH, MS, is a Harvard- and Columbia-trained scientist and thought-leader whose multidisciplinary background creates a richly textured view on why what we eat matters, farm to fork and far beyond. Dr. Newby is an expert on diet, chronic disease prevention, and sustainability, bringing deep knowledge and sound scientific evidence into today's critical conversations-and fights misinformation in all the ways she can. Dr. Newby has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed scientific publications as well as multiple books and e-books, including National Geographic's Superfoods (2015) and Foods for Health (2014). She previously served on the faculties at Tufts, Boston University, and Harvard, where she won multiple research, teaching, and leadership awards. Newby's passion for nutrition stems from a life-long love affair with food, from cooking, baking, and gardening to working in the restaurant industry. She was one of the "best undiscovered cooks" on ABC's The Taste (2015), where she created plant-based, globally-inspired cuisine rooted in her Healthy Hedonism philosophy. In 2019, Dr. Newby launched her second company, Food Matters Media, with the mission to build a kinder and more just food system that promotes health, longevity, and sustainability while protecting people and the planet and all its inhabitants.

- Preface: Confused About What to Eat for Good Health and a Green Planet? The Truth Is Out There - Acknowledgments - Part I. Introduction: The State of Food, Nutrition, and Our Environment - 1. Setting the Stage: Who Grows Food, What Are We Eating, and Why Is Science So Important? - 2. Diet and Disease: New and Continuing Public Health Threats - 3. Big Food Costs: Environmental Damage, Resource Depletion, and Climate Change - Part II. Dining Throughout Human History: Science, Technology, Eater, Environment - 4. How Revolutions, Discoveries, and Inventions Shape Our Diets: Paleo to Present - 5. Contemporary Food Production and Processing - 6. Pop Nutrition and Buzzwords: Fact or Fiction? - 7. Diet Drivers in Today's Food Environments: Why, How, When, and Where We Eat - Part III. Nutrition 101: Essential Building Blocks, Ecological Context - 8. Water: Hydration, Fluoridation, and Plastic Contamination - 9. Vitamins, Minerals, and Phytochemicals - 10. Carbohydrates, Sugar, and Fiber - 11. The Facts on Fats and Environmental Impacts - 12. The Truth About Protein and Amino Acids - 13 Alcohol and Health: Cheers!? - Part IV. Food, Glorious Food: The Powers and Pleasures of Plant-Based Diets - 14. Spilling the Beans on Coffee, Tea, and Chocolate - 15. Vegetables and Fruits: Devour the Rainbow - 16. The Whole Truth: Cereal Grains, Grass, and Gluten - 17. Beautiful Beans and Other Plant Proteins - Part V. All About Animal Foods: Mega-Factory-Farm to Fork and Beyond - 18. Making the Meat You Eat: There's Nothing Natural About It - 19. Meat and Eggs: Are Some Choices Better than Others? - 20. Milk, Dairy, and Yogurt: Nutritional Benefits and Risks - 21. Fishy Matters: Wild Caught, Farmed, and Health Considerations - Part VI. The Food Revolution: Creating Healthy and Sustainable Diets for All - 22. Solving Food and Nutrition Problems: Strategies, Goals, and Gaps - 23. Best Evidence for Losing Weight and Living Longer - 24. Step Up Your Food Game and Stay in the Know - 25. The Intertwined Future of Food and Nutrition - Notes - Selected References - Index