From the best-selling author of Why We Get Fat, a groundbreaking, eye-opening exposé that makes the convincing case that sugar is the tobacco of the new millennium: backed by powerful lobbies, entrenched in our lives, and making us very sick. Among Americans, diabetes is more prevalent today than ever; obesity is at epidemic proportions; nearly 10% of children are thought to have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. And sugar is at the root of these, and other, critical society-wide, health-related problems. With his signature command of both science and straight talk, Gary Taubes delves into Americans' history with sugar: its uses as a preservative, as an additive in cigarettes, the contemporary overuse of high-fructose corn syrup. He explains what research has shown about our addiction to sweets. He clarifies the arguments against sugar, corrects misconceptions about the relationship between sugar and weight loss; and provides the perspective necessary to make informed decisions about sugar as individuals and as a society.

Mother Jones is an award-winning national magazine widely respected for its groundbreaking investigative reporting and coverage of sustainability and environmental issues.

Over the last thirty years, we have seen an increase in rates of cancer, neurodegenerative disease, reproductive disorders, and diabetes, particularly in developed countries. At the same time, since the end of World War II approximately 100,000 synthetic chemical molecules have invaded our environment--and our food chain. In Our Daily Poison, award-winning journalist and documentary filmmaker Marie-Monique Robin investigates the links between these two concerning trends, revealing how corporate interests and our ignorance about these invisible poisons may be costing us our lives. The result of a rigorous two-year-long investigation that took Robin across three continents (North America, Europe, and Asia), Our Daily Poison documents the many ways in which we encounter a shocking array of chemicals in our everyday lives--from the pesticides that blanket our crops to the additives and plastics that contaminate our food--and their effects on our bodies over time. Gathering as evidence scientific studies, testimonies of international regulatory agencies, and interviews with farm workers suffering from acute chronic poisoning, Robin makes a compelling case for outrage and action.

Learn the shocking truth about how gluten cereal grains effect our health Could gluten be contributing to your fatigue, stress, bloating, and ill health? Long before Grain Brain was a bestseller, Dangerous Grains was the first book to examine in depth the hazards of gluten cereal grains. James Braly, M.D., a renowned food allergy expert and Ron Hoggan, M.A., a respected patient advocate, reveal the negative impact of gluten grains. Discover the benefits of a gluten-free diet in relieving and preventing the ailments associated with celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, and more than 200 chronic illnesses, including: Cancer Autoimmune diseases Osteoporosis Brain disorders Intestinal disease Chronic pain Digestive disorders Infertility and problematic pregnancies Tracking the genetic and evolutionary history of humans and grain consumption, Dangerous Grains can help you understand how grains can affect your health, and whether you are at risk for gluten-influenced illnesses.

In this engaging inquiry, originally published in 1989 and now fully updated for the twenty-first century, Warren J. Belasco considers the rise of the "countercuisine" in the 1960s, the subsequent success of mainstream businesses in turning granola, herbal tea, and other "revolutionary" foodstuffs into profitable products; the popularity of vegetarian and vegan diets; and the increasing availability of organic foods. From reviews of the previous edition: "Although Red Zinger never became our national drink, food and eating changed in America as a result of the social revolution of the 1960s. According to Warren Belasco, there was political ferment at the dinner table as well as in the streets. In this lively and intelligent mixture of narrative history and cultural analysis, Belasco argues that middle-class America eats differently today than in the 1950 because of the way the counterculture raised the national consciousness about food."—Joan Jacobs Brumberg, The Nation "This book documents not only how cultural rebels created a new set of foodways, brown rice and all, but also how American capitalists commercialized these innovations to their own economic advantage. Along the way, the author discusses the significant relationship between the rise of a 'countercuisine' and feminism, environmentalism, organic agriculture, health consciousness, the popularity of ethnic cuisine, radical economic theory, granola bars, and Natural Lite Beer. Never has history been such a good read!"—The Digest: A Review for the Interdisciplinary Study of Food "Now comes an examination of... the sweeping change in American eating habits ushered in by hippiedom in rebellion against middle-class America.... Appetite for Change tells how the food industry co-opted the health-food craze, discussing such hip capitalists as the founder of Celestial Seasonings teas; the rise of health-food cookbooks; how ethnic cuisine came to enjoy new popularity; and how watchdog agencies like the FDA served, arguably, more often as sleeping dogs than as vigilant ones."—Publishers Weekly "A challenging and sparkling book.... In Belasco's analysis, the ideology of an alternative cuisine was the most radical thrust of the entire counterculture and the one carrying the most realistic and urgently necessary blueprint for structural social change."—Food and Foodways "Here is meat, or perhaps miso, for those who want an overview of the social and economic forces behind the changes in our food supply.... This is a thought-provoking and pioneering examination of recent events that are still very much part of the present."—Tufts University Diet and Nutrition Letter

This book is intended for those interested in US food habits and diets during the 20th century, American history, American social life and customs.

Ask children where food comes from, and they’ll probably answer: “the supermarket.” Ask most adults, and their replies may not be much different. Where our foods are raised and what happens to them between farm and supermarket shelf have become mysteries. How did we become so disconnected from the sources of our breads, beef, cheeses, cereal, apples, and countless other foods that nourish us every day? Ann Vileisis’s answer is a sensory-rich journey through the history of making dinner. Kitchen Literacy takes us from an eighteenth-century garden to today’s sleek supermarket aisles, and eventually to farmer’s markets that are now enjoying a resurgence. Vileisis chronicles profound changes in how American cooks have considered their foods over two centuries and delivers a powerful statement: what we don’t know could hurt us. As the distance between farm and table grew, we went from knowing particular places and specific stories behind our foods’ origins to instead relying on advertisers’ claims. The woman who raised, plucked, and cooked her own chicken knew its entire life history while today most of us have no idea whether hormones were fed to our poultry. Industrialized eating is undeniably convenient, but it has also created health and environmental problems, including food-borne pathogens, toxic pesticides, and pollution from factory farms. Though the hidden costs of modern meals can be high, Vileisis shows that greater understanding can lead consumers to healthier and more sustainable choices. Revealing how knowledge of our food has been lost and how it might now be regained, Kitchen Literacy promises to make us think differently about what we eat.

What's really in your food? Award-winning investigative journalist and clean food activist Mike Adams, the "Health Ranger," is founder and editor of Natural News, one of the top health news websites in the world, reaching millions of readers each month. Now, in Food Forensics, Adams meticulously tests groceries, fast foods, dietary supplements, spices, and protein powders for heavy metals and toxic elements that could be jeopardizing your health. To conduct this extensive research, Adams built a state-of-the-art laboratory with cutting-edge scientific instruments. Publishing results of metal concentrations for more than 800 different foods, Food Forensics is doing the job the FDA refuses to do: testing off-the-shelf foods and sharing the findings so the public can make informed decisions about what they consume or avoid. In Food Forensics, you'll discover little-known truths about other toxic food ingredients such as polysorbate 80, MSG, sodium nitrite, pesticides, and weed killers such as glyphosate. Adams reveals stunning, never-before-reported details of heavy metals found in recycled human waste used on crops and in parks, and he explains how industrial pollution causes mercury, lead, and cadmium to end up in your favorite protein powders. This book will forever change your view of food safety, regulation, and manufacturing. When you know what's really in your food, you can start making changes to protect yourself against serious diseases like cancer, all while maximizing your natural immune defenses against infection and disease.

With this expanded revision of the 1982 classic The Sugar Trap, Beatrice Trum Hunter, noted writer on food issues, brings readers invaluable help for avoiding ''the sweetener trap.'' She exposes facts about today's many sweeteners from aspartame to stevia, sucralose, and xylitol. With careful research and well-weighed advice, Hunter explains why it is important to limit all added sugars. With awareness, readers can do it, despite misleading labeling, sly marketing tactics, and vague federal recommendations for sweetener intake that reflect research bias and strong pressures from sweetener interests.