Table of Contents Acknowledgments vi Preface 1 1. Animal, Vegetable or Mineral: Food and Health 5 Diet and Nutrition Confusion 5 Nutrition Science, Nutritional Experts and Reputable Sources 9 Nutrients 12 U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 15 Food Labels 18 Food Justice 20 Best Ways to Prepare Food 23 Cooking Oils 25 Superfoods 26 Yogurt 27 Blueberries 27 Cranberries 28 Tomatoes 28 Dark Chocolate 29 Coffee, Caffeine, Tea and Theophylline 30 Red Wine 31 Cinnamon 32 Turmeric and Curcumin 33 Complementary and Alternative Medicine, Integrative Health and the Placebo Response 33 2. The GI Tract Is Not in the Army: Digestive System and Health 36 Anatomy and Physiology 36 Digestive Organs and Some Key Functions 39 Hormones 45 Nutrition and Upper Gastrointestinal Disorders 48 Nutrition and Lower Gastrointestinal Disorders 50 Inflammation 51 Food Allergy 53 Colon Cleansing 55 Microbiome, Prebiotics and Probiotics 55 3. It''s a Whale of a Time: Weight Control and Calories 58 Weight Control 58 Fat and Obesity 60 Weight Control and Calories 63 Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), Body Mass Index (BMI) and Healthy Weight 64 Strategies for Weight Loss 67 Bariatric Surgery 68 Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and ­Binge-Eating Disorder 68 Cachexia 70 4. How Sweet It Is: Carbohydrates--Sugar, Glycogen and Fiber 73 Dietary Carbohydrates 73 How the Body Uses Carbohydrates 74 Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome 83 ­Carbohydrate-Related Diets 86 Ketogenic Diet 88 Paleo and Ancestral Diets 90 Sweeteners and Added Sugar 92 Sugar Substitutes 94 5. Those Are Love Handles: Lipids--Fats and Cholesterol 97 Dietary Fats 97 Diets Related to Fat and Cholesterol 104 Butter or Margarine? 106 Chickens and Eggs 108 Nuts, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Diet and the Mediterranean Diet 110 Almonds and LDL 112 Garlic and Blood Pressure 114 Fish Oil Supplements 114 6.

Packing a Punch: Proteins 116 Dietary Proteins 116 Meatless Monday and Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) 122 Cooking and Cancer 126 More Muscle, More Mass: Anabolic Steroids 127 Quinoa and Soy 129 Mediterranean Diet 130 Atkins Diet 132 Vegetarian and Vegan Diets 132 Blood Type Diet 134 Amino Acid Supplements 136 7. Alphabet Soup and Dietary Mining: Vitamins and Minerals 137 Micronutrients 137 ­Water-Soluble Vitamins 138 Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 141 Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) 143 Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) 145 ­Fat-Soluble Vitamins 147 Vitamin D, Calcium and Osteoporosis 148 Vitamin K 154 Major Body Minerals 154 Trace Body Minerals 156 Salt 157 Iron 159 Magnesium 160 8. The Sustenance of Life: Water, Fluid Balance and the Environment 162 Water 162 Planetary Water 166 Milk 169 Cow''s Milk Alternatives 172 Breast Milk 173 Agricultural Biotechnology and Genetically Modified (GMO, GM) Food 174 Poisons in Our Food 177 Sustainable Farming Practices 179 9. The Skinny: Other Popular Diets, Fads, Wonderments and Myths 182 Popular Diets 182 Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig and Nutrisystem 183 South Beach Diet 183 Raw Food Diet 183 Mediterranean Diet 184 ­Gluten-Free Diet 184 Fasting 186 Blood Pressure Lowering Diets--High Dairy Diet and DASH Diet 188 Grapefruit Diet 188 Cabbage Soup Diet 189 Zone Diet 189 The Freshman Fifteen and Quarantine 15 190 Noom and Health Apps 191 Supplements and Herbal Remedies 192 10. Weight a Minute: Eating Well for Life 199 Aging and Diet 199 Beverage Alcohol 200 Milk Thistle 205 Aspirin 206 Exercise 207 Mustard for Cramps 210 Pomegranates 211 Eggplant 212 CBD 212 Sleep and Sleep Aids 213 Balanced Diet 219 Bibliography 221 Index 245.