Cons: Chart gives all values in %DV, doesn't include fast foods
The Bottom Line: This book is an excellent reference if you base your diet on the governments Daily Value system. If you base your diet on counting calories/grams, you will be disappointed.
Kris.'s Full Review: Health Nutrient Bible : The Complete Encyclopedia ...
This book is divided into two parts. The first is a general overview of nutrition. The second part is a nutrition reference chart.
Part 1 - Food as Medicine: An A To Z Guide
In this section of the book, the authors discuss the impact food has on your health. Allergies, food additives, heart disease, menopause and weight issues are a small sample of the issues included.
Jack of all trades, Master of none
This section is interesting to read if you just want to learn the basics of nutrition. It is based on sound nutritional principles, and the style of writing is easy to follow. On the other hand, if you know a lot about nutrition you won't learn anything new. Because of the authors attempt to cover so many subjects, the book lacks comprehensive information about any particular issue.
Part II - Encyclopedia of Daily Values for Brand Name and Basic Foods
The Health Nutrient Bible contains a reference chart listing the amount of nutrients found in common foods. It is comprehensive, covering 340 pages.
For each food, it lists the following nutrients: Calories, Protein, Fat, Saturated Fat, Cholesterol, Carbohydrates, Fiber, Sodium, Potassium, Calcium, Iron, Zinc, Magnesium, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Vitamin B12, and Folic Acid.
All of the values, except calories, are given in %DV (Percent Daily Values). This is convenient for the vitamins and minerals, and this book is an excellent resource for that purpose. However, it makes it impossible to track the number of calories/grams you are eating from fat, protein, and carbs.
The book states that the Daily Values are based on 2000 cals/day for women and older people, and 2500 cals/day for men. It never clearly states which one of these numbers was used to determine the values in their nutrition chart. It also doesn't state what percentage of calories they assume you will want to ingest from fat, protein, and carbs.
I attempted to use the charts to track how many grams of protein I was eating, but it does not list the number of grams or calories. I was willing to do conversions, but that proved impossible because the book does not tell you what number the %DV is based on. I only used The Health Nutrient Bible for one day before I bought another book.
I also think the way the chart lists fat may be confusing to some people. Usually, when you see "10% fat" it means that 10% of the calories come from fat. In this book, "10% fat" means that it provides 10% of your fat for the entire day. Even though I know this, I still find myself looking at the seemingly small numbers and wondering "How can 100% pure olive oil only have 22% fat?" before I remember the idiosyncrasies of the book.
What Foods Are Included In The Food Charts
Both prepared foods and individual ingredients are listed.
For prepared foods, several different brands are usually listed. In addition, there are sometimes nutrient counts for generic or homemade versions.
For ingredients, there are usually nutrient counts for several different preparation methods.
Unlike some other books, unusual foods are included in the charts. Want to learn the nutrient counts of soy milk? Which is lowest in fat- bison, elk, or squirrel? You'll find it in this book.
Some alcoholic drinks are also included.
Unfortunately the chart does not include any fast foods or restaurants. Given the number of meals eaten outside the home, this is a major oversight that may disappoint buyers.
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