Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes
Impeccably well-researched and surprisingly engaging for such a technical text. Caused me to lose the last of whatever faith I might have had in the USDA. Gives a very simple and compelling logic as to why the proliferation of food pyramid propaganda and obesity correspond so neatly. Carbohydrate drives insulin drives fat. And inflammation. And diseases of civilization. And dental cavities. You get the picture.
The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf
This book is an easy-to-read and engaging (thanks to Robb’s quirky sense of humor) introduction to basic human biology, how digestion works, and how different foods affect us, for better or for worse. It is a well-organized, comprehensive overview of human nutrition, and a compelling argument for an evolutionary-based human diet.
Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon
This is my favorite cookbook/reference book combination. It contains a wealth of nourishing recipes, along with explanations as to why certain foods (organ meats, for example) are so healthy, and why some methods of preparation (lacto-fermentation, for example) enhance the nutrition of foods.
The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan
I never knew that so much of our food is made from corn. The first section of this book, on industrial agricultural, was highly disturbing to me. It makes me glad that I am growing a corn-free garden and eating non-CAFO animals. And I also love this book for introducing me to Joel Salatin, the chicken-raising, post-organic, Christian libertarian environmentalist. He is my hero. And if you are more of a video person than a book person, check out his TED talk here. And never eat another feces-covered, factory farmed, salmonella, E. coli egg again.