You are what you read.

"You are what you eat" is the old adage that applies to our bodies. But our personal philosophies, morals, and beliefs--as well as our health--are shaped by what we read. Since Nutrition Action doesn't have a book review section, I'd like to alert you to several interesting reads.

* While a vegetarian diet offers many benefits to our health and to the environment, a more omnivorous option is eloquently advocated by University of California journalism professor Michael Pollan in The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals (Penguin Press, 2006).

Pollan gently skewers typical agribusiness--giant pesticide-sprayed corn farms that produce feed for cattle that end up as fast-food burgers, as well as raw material for the high-fructose corn syrup that sweetens the accompanying Cokes. He also delivers a well-aimed poke at Big Organic--the corporate growers that fill the shelves (and coffers) at Whole Paycheck (oops, I mean Whole Foods).

Pollan showers encomiums on the small farms that humanely and ecologically raise cattle, pigs, and chickens and sell their meat, milk, and eggs locally. Yet the book largely ignores the damage those foods do to our health.

* For a beautifully illustrated cookbook that's chock full of scrumptious, healthy recipes that emphasize plant foods, pick up the 306-page The New American Plate Cookbook (University of California Press, 2005), which is published by the nonprofit American Institute for Cancer Research.

From appetizers to desserts, you can choose from the simple (Chilled Strawberry Soup) to the simpler-than-you'd-think (Heirloom Whole Wheat Bread) to the for-when-you-have-time (Portobello Mushroom Jambalaya with Chicken).

* In Diet, Life Expectancy, and Chronic Disease (Oxford, 2003), Loma Linda University School of Public Health professor Gary E. Fraser summarizes the research--including his own of Seventh-day Adventists--that eating less meat and more fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains reduces blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and the risks of heart attacks, cancer, and obesity. Fair warning: it's not an easy read.

* The authors of Animal Factories, an inspiration to many a vegetarian, are back with the thoughtful and thought-provoking The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter (Rodale, 2006). Princeton University bioethics professor Peter Singer and writer Jim Mason gently nudge readers toward a diet that is more respectful of animal welfare and the environment. While the authors clearly prefer that people avoid all animal foods (except some shellfish), they provide sensible advice on choosing fish, meat, dairy products, and eggs that is least offensive to a sensitive conscience.

* When one of the most famous cookbook writers, Mollie ("Moosewood Cookbook") Katzen teams up with a renowned Harvard nutritionist, Walter ("Nurses Health Study") Willett, you can expect a fine book ... and you get one. Eat, Drink, & Weigh Less: A Flexible and Delicious Way to Shrink Your Waist Without Going Hungry (Hyperion, 2006) uses a weight-loss pitch to attract attention, but the recommended diet is excellent for anyone, plump or lean.

Katzen supplies delicious, interesting, and often quick recipes (Roasted Cauliflower, Five-Minute Green Beans, Bulgur-Pine Nut Pilaf), though some could run high in salt. And Willett provides an authoritative basis for consuming a diet heavy on the vegetables, fruit, whole grains, cooking oils, nuts, and beans to reduce the risk of heart disease.

Michael F. Jacobson, Ph.D. V

Executive Director

Center for Science in the Public Interest