Julia Phillips reviews of Lifestyle, Health and Nutrition Books

Food and meal planning are very much a matter of personal choice. Lifestyle, stress and individual taste all play a huge role in the day to day food choices we make. One book or one food programme will not suit every individual, so I have selected below a few of the current food and health publications which have proved popular with my clients, family and friends. Click on the categories for your particular area of interest - this area will be updated!
Julia Phillips

Food Allergy and Intolerance

Child Nutrition and Health

Cancer Management

Mental Health

Weight Management and Weight Loss

Balanced and Healthy Eating

Digestive Health

Women's Health

Sports Nutrition

Special Dietary Need

Julia's views are completely independent, and she is not persuaded financially or otherwise to recommend any product, publication or service.

The Complete Guide to Food Allergy and Intolerance
Prof Jonathan Brostoff and Linda Gamlim

This provides an explanation of the symptoms and reasons for allergies and intolerances, along with classic and potential treatments. It considers the role of food intolerance, and can help you get started on an elimination diet, if appropriate. It provides very clear instructions, supported by case studies. Examples of problem foods such as peanuts are listed in the appendix, along with foods that may potentially contain peanuts and there is guidance on how to understand food labelling. Very informative and useful as a reference.

Smart Food for Smart Kids
Patrick Holford and Fiona McDonald Joyce

Part One provides an introduction to smart foods - relevance to brain health, the importance of essential fats, how to reduce sugar and increase vitamins and minerals. Part Two will help you become more "Shopping Savvy" and introduces ways of making cooking healthier. The recipes are easy to follow and supported by verdicts from testers (parents and children) along with notes that highlight the nutritional value. A meal planner is included along with helpful notes on foods that should be avoided. Recommendations are underpinned by the Glycaemic Index approach - keeping children well fuelled for longer - fantastic! Recipes do use Xylitol at times, not always available from the supermarket, but can be bought via mail order or via health food store. If you do not wish to use Xylitol, talk to me about ways to replace it.

Everything You Need to Know to Help You Beat Cancer
Chris Woollams

This is a fantastic book, and has become one of the fastest selling cancer books. It includes up to date information on cancer prevention and treatments, including a section on specific cancers and "the coming cancer cures". It addresses lifestyle, nutrition and environmental factors - providing information for anyone with cancer and wishing to protect themselves against cancer. Highly recommended, this book is not overwhelming and may well help educate every reader in some way.

Optimum Nutrition for the Mind
Patrick Holford

Reminding us of the principle "You are what you eat", Holford examines the nutrients involved in mental health - those nutrients that fuel the brain for optimum performance and boost our IQ. He considers those factors that may be considered harmful or ageing to the brain - such as alcohol and stress. The medical and nutritional treatment of a number of mental health conditions is presented: conditions that affect the young (such as autism, Down's Syndrome, eating disorders), through to those that affect old age (Parkinsons and Alzheimers for example). This book provides a positive step forward for anyone dealing with any aspect of mental health - turn to the section that is relevant to you and prepare to have your eyes opened.

Fat Around the Middle
Dr Marilyn Glenville

Glenville is one of the UK's leading nutritional therapists, and this book addresses the experience of many women as they find themselves becoming more "apple shaped". Glenville explains the complex set of interactions which lead our bodies to gain fat around the middle (belly) area, what we can do about it (consideration is given to Exercise, Diet and Stress for example) and the benefits of changing your shape. Plenty of suggestions on how and what to eat, a small selection of recipes and a case study showing how to achieve fat loss by changing eating habits.

The Food Doctor Everyday Diet Cookbook
Ian Marber

If following a specific system of points or calories is not for you, this book may well prove to be of interest. Marber presents the benefits of the "10 Principles of the Food Doctor Everyday Diet" in an easy to read way, with a Question and Answer section for each principle. He provides an inspirational, broad range of nutritious options for each meal and snack of the day, including Breakfasts, Food Fast, Cook Now Eat Later and Family Food. One of my personal favourites - the colour photos certainly whet the appetite! Lovely vegetarian and fish recipes.

The Holford Low-GL Diet
Patrick Holford

An excellent, well structured book on how to lose and maintain weight using the Glycaemic Load (GL) values of food. After explaining why some other diets may not work for you, Holford gives five simple principles by which weight loss can be achieved, covering points such as fats, allergies and blood sugar control. The Action Plan is sufficient to get you started and the tables of GL values are included in the appendix. If you exercise, Holford looks at which types of exercise will support weight loss and gives guidance on how a GL diet can be adjusted in view of the number of hours activity per day. An excellent, easy to follow book, dispelling any myths about GL.

The Holford Low-GL Diet Cookbook
Patrick Holford and Fiona McDonald Joyce

This book follows Holford's previous publications on the theme of the Glycaemic Load approach to weight loss, energy and health. Following a good introduction to the topic, Holford provides a comprehensive range of recipes and snacks, based on the GL points system. Some of the recipes are certainly more sophisticated than may suit your needs, but with the exception perhaps of Xylitol, most of the ingredients can be found at your local supermarket. In my experience, the GL approach requires more attention to detail, time and focus than that of some other health writers such as Ian Marber. However if GL works for you (whether it be weight loss or energy levels), you may find this selection provides more ideas and variety (with a colour format) than the Holford Low-GL Diet.

The GL Diet
Nigel Denby

Although it lacks the colour and depth of Holford's and Marber's publications, this book provides a good overview of how to move on from a GI diet using recipes, a Shopping Guide and Eating Out Guide. A good selection of recipes and helpful food lists.

The GL Diet Cookbook
Nigel Denby

This particular book enables you to plan a weight loss programme without counting calories or GL points. Denby provides a basic template for planning meals along with a sample plan for meat eaters and vegetarians. There are plenty of recipes for those who are in a rush or those that prefer to cook at a more leisurely place. Denby considers Forget Me Not Fats, Groovy Grains and Friendly Flours and explores the controversial subject of polyols (such as Xylitol and Sorbitol), which are now found in some low GI/GL products.

The Food Doctor Healing Foods for Mind and Body
Ian Marber and Vicki Edgson

This book provides a broad range of nutrition information to help you improve your overall well-being. I have found the list of Top 100 Foods particularly useful, (colour photos can "say" more than words), the Cooking Methods section is invaluable and the nutrition advice is presented in such a way that small changes really do become possible. Useful sections include: Energy and Emotions (including Good Food, Good Mood, Managing Stress, Managing Depression), Ailments and Remedies (Digestion, Immune System, Inflammatory Conditions, Heart and Circulation, Cancer). One to consider if you would like to learn about how to improve how you feel physically and mentally.

New Optimum Nutrition Bible
Patrick Holford

This book is an absolute must for anyone caring about their health. Holford separates myth from fiction, tackling subjects such as The Fats of Life, The Protein Controversy, Sugar - the Sweet Truth and Conquering Cancer. Whether you are reviewing your nutrition from a prevention, maintenance or therapy perspective, Holford tackles the many key questions and provides detailed guidance on how to put together a balanced diet. Vitamin and mineral supplements are put under close scrutiny, their synergistic and antagonistic effects are explained and a nutrient fact file describes the effect, deficiency signs, Optimum Daily Amounts and nutritional sources of the main vitamins and minerals. If GL, EFAs and Homocysteine are all a mystery to you, get this book and learn how you can optimise your diet to feel well, now and in the future.

A good investment.

Good Gut Healing
Kathyrn Marsden

This is a light hearted but highly informative book on all topics related to the bowels and digestion. If you want to understand what happens to the food you eat, the benefits of removing offending foods from the diet, and get answers to ongoing digestive problems (such as Bloating, Gas, Candida, Constipation, IBS and Lactose Intolerance), this book may well be of interest. As a minimum you may well find yourself smiling as you turn the pages and even increasingly interested in your waste products!

The Natural Health Handbook for Women
Marilyn Glenville

This is an extensive reference guide to the natural treatment of conditions such as endometriosis, infertility, PCOS, pregnancy, miscarriage and the menopause. It provides definitions, symptoms and causes or factors for conditions and provides options for orthodox, complementary and nutritional medicine. Plenty of self-help tips and written in a sympathetic and reassuring style.

Fuelling Fitness For Sports Performance
Dr Samantha Stear

This sports nutrition guide considers the basics of nutrition and considers what athletes need to do to prepare for competition. Topics include preparing for events in the preceding week and the day itself, the value of supplementation, hydration strategy. Specific considerations such as endurance sport, weight and aesthetic sport, disability sport and the needs of diabetic/vegetarian/adolescent/female athletes are addressed. There are plenty of meal/snack/kitbag snack suggestions and clear examples of how to work out the range of daily protein/carbohydrate needs. Presented in full colour and easy to follow.

Marathon from Start to Finish
Sam Murphy

This is a complete guide to getting started in training for a marathon, suggestions on choosing footwear, running kits and other essentials, training programmes including full colour images of warm up routines, tips on staying injury free, how to stay motivated and monitoring your progress. The nutrition content includes selection of isotonic drinks, hydration strategy, the impact of alcohol and nutritional preparation for the event itself. Thorough and comprehensive with plenty of colour images and an exhaustive list of further information including web resources, running clubs, injury prevention and running camps.

Cooking without made easy
Barbara Cousins

Written by a practising nutritional therapist, this book provides masses of delicious recipes free from gluten, sugar, yeast and dairy. Barbara first tells her own story of how her own interest in nutrition began, presents some client case histories and gives an introduction to some of the ingredients, along with a list of suppliers. Recipes are presented as Starters, Soups, Salads, Main Dishes, Meat Dishes, Fish Dishes, Vegetarian Main Dishes, Desserts and Cakes/Biscuits. Lots of suggestions on how to substitute foods that are not tolerated and how to makes things more or less sweet or flavoured. Two favourites of mine are the Apricot Slices (using molasses instead of sugar) and Country Apple Cake.