Heads Up: New Healthy Living Books

These are the last books I’m going to talk about until I start talking about my own for a while. (Well Fed 2! Well Fed 2! Well Fed 2!) But these are recent additions to the “Get healthier and know yourself better” canon, so I wanted to let you know about them.

What follows are not reviews of these books, i.e., I’m not providing a concise overview of their merits and foibles because I haven’t read them cover to cover — too busy recovering from book production and, if I’m honest, napping. The information below is more like, “Heads up, friend! These healthy living books are available and might be interesting to you.”

Cholesterol Clarity: What the HDL is Wrong with My Numbers? by Jimmy Moore with Eric C. Westman, MD

What It’s About
Jimmy Moore is the “Low-Carb Man,” and while we don’t always see eye to eye on the ideal amount of carbs we should eat — I firmly believe women and anyone with hormonal challenges probably needs some sweet potatoes now and then — we always agree that real food is the right choice. I like Jimmy’s podcast Livin’ the Vida Low-Carb a lot because he invites a wide range of guests to share their point of view. Shameless plug: I was on his show in 2012, and I’ll be talking to him about Well Fed 2 in just a few weeks!

Enough about me. Let’s talk about Jimmy. Jimmy’s quirky, friendly, and supportive of the paleo community, even when we disagree. He’s branched out and recently authored a book designed to help regular people better understand cholesterol tests — including LDL, HDL, and triglycerides — and what those numbers really mean.

Defining Quote from the Book
“We are all unique individuals with different needs and yet we are treated like lemmings by the medical profession when it comes to our health…. If you wan to be healthy, it’s up to you to make it happen! Educate yourself, and then act on what you learn. You must be the final arbiter of your own health.”

What’s Inside
The book is divided into 21 short chapters that tackle individual topics like “Forget Cholesterol – It’s the Inflammation,” “Why Low Fat Ain’t All That,” and “What your Basic Cholesterol Results Mean.” Its easily-digestible format means you can read it cover-to-cover, or jump among the topics that are most relevant to you. Jimmy created a panel of 29 experts to contribute to the book, including names familiar from paleo conferences like Paul Jaminet, Robert Lustig, Gary Taubes, and Mark Sisson. Throughout the book, these experts weigh in like a Greek chorus with a “Moment of Clarity” and Dr. Westman chimes in with “Doctor’s Notes” to support the primary text. There’s also a handy glossary and a few pages of recommended resources.

All of these tidbits work in conjunction with the main text — written in Jimmy’s conversational tone — to demystify what can be a controversial, hard-to-understand topic. If you’re looking for a real-world way to understand complex medical terms and tests, you might want to check out Cholesterol Clarity.

Paleo Cookbook For Dummies by Dr. Kellyann Petrucci

What It’s About
Kellyann and I co-authored Living Paleo For Dummies last summer, and this is her follow-up, focusing on tasty recipes that help readers put into practice what they learned in Living Paleo For Dummies. This collection of 135 recipes includes contribution from me and a bunch of other respected paleo recipe creators, including:

• Mark Sissson of Mark’s Daily Apple
• Michelle Tam of Nom Nom Paleo
• Arsy Vartanian of Rubies and Radishes
• George Bryant of Civilized Caveman Cooking
• Nick Massie of Paleo Nick
• Jason Crouch of Paleo Pot
• Audrey Olson of Primal Kitchen
• Alissa Cohen of AlissaCohen.com

Defining Quote from the Book
“I wrote this book to help you discover the Paleo principles, getting you the best nutrition possible and showing you all the ins and outs on everything from what foods to buy (and what to toss) to where to get your food to how to cook the tastiest meals. The recipes you find in this book are from the absolute best Paleo culinary experts out there. All have different flairs and special touches…. These recipes will entice you with their flavors and simplicity while providing you the best nutrition on the planet.”

What’s Inside
The first six chapters cover the basics of paleo, including tips for stocking the kitchen, shopping, and doing a 30-day reset, all with the Dummies format of handy sidebars, lists, tips, and reminders. Then it’s right into the recipes, which are divided into Soups, Salads, and Snacks; Main Dishes, Sides, and Desserts; Slow Cooker Options and Kid-Friendly Dishes; and my favorite part from when we wrote our Dummies book: The Part of Tens. The book ends with Ten Favorite Paleo Foods and Ten Essential Tools for a Paleo Kitchen. Also worth noting: the recipes were all reviewed by Melissa and Dallas Hartwig of Whole9 and the Whole30, so many of the recipes are approved for use during a 30-day reset. If you’re new to paleo and want to explore the different recipes and cooking styles of some of the most popular paleo chefs, this is an easy way to do it.

The fine print: I received a complimentary copies of these books, but all opinions are mine. If you use the links above to purchase books through Amazon, I earn a small commission.