PEERtrainer Health

At PEERtrainer we recommend that you build a "health bookshelf" over time. The reason is that if you are at all engaged in improving your diet and health over time, you will have questions. We advise that you learn to draw as many of your own conclusions as you can.

The reason for this suggestion is that there is a lot of conflicting advice out there. From our perspective, many "experts" have a great deal of helpful information about their core area of expertise, but are often closed to the ideas of others. They often cling closely to the "rightness" of their position and simply lose perspective.

Jonny Bowden, who holds a PhD in nutrition, is one of those experts who does not fall into this category. We keep writing about him, because we keep using his books as references. If you see something that interests you that is written by him, from our perspective it will be a good fit for your library.

The 150 Healthiest Foods On Earth is one book that we refer to often. At the most basic level, it is helpful to have a guide of all the "healthy" stuff in one place. If you spend any time going through the book, you are going to get some great ideas that may trigger you to act.

We are big believers in the concept of "what you focus on is what you will get." This book is well designed, easy to read, with plenty of pictures. You are not going to get tired reading it.

Incorporates The Input Of Other Experts

Bowden does a great job of including the input of a wide variety of other nutritional experts in his book. This is also a remarkable trait of his, because so many "experts" out there are very isolated and insular and think their view is the only relevant one.

For example, on his entry on Pineapple, Bowden cites Dr. Andrew Weil when he states that the fruit "is effective in treating bruises, sprains, and strains by reducing swelling, tenderness and pain."

Shows You The Specific Health Benefits Of Certain Foods

Our favorite is his entry on Arugula, where Bowden reminds us that ancient Egyptians and Romans considered Arugula to be an aphrodisiac. Based on clinical trials conducted at PEERtrainer headquarters, we have concluded that they might be on to something.

He also does a very good job of revealing lesser known nutrition facts of certain foods. For example, Shrimp are high in Vitamin D and Selenium. But they are also loaded with a substance called "astaxanthin" which is a powerful antioxidant. It is a red-orange pigment related to beta-carotene and lutein, but is more powerful in many ways.

It is important to note that researchers are just starting to crack the puzzle of what is in certain foods to promote health. Books like this one help you get a grasp on what is currently known.