What do you think?
Rate this book
Food Rules: A Doctor's Guide to Healthy Eating
La buena salud no tiene por qué ser complicada. La mejor dieta para los deportistas profesionales es también la mejor dieta para perder peso, para la salud cardíaca, la prevención del cáncer y prácticamente para todo. Siguiendo la estela de aquellos chefs, periodistas y críticos gastronómicos que han colocado en el punto de mira la importancia de comer bien, conocer los orígenes de los alimentos y respetar las tradiciones, la doctora Shanahan añade a esta creciente revolución alimentaria la voz de una médica y científica experimentada. Con consejos claros y fáciles de recordar, Pautas alimentarias aporta información clave que incluso los pacientes de la doctora Shanahan que más se preocupaban por su salud habían pasado por alto y que podría también ayudarte a cuidar de la tuya.
176 pages, Paperback
First published May 5, 2010
356 people are currently reading
585 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Shanahan
10 books117 followersCatherine Shanahan is a board-certified family physician specializing in the promotion of health and reversal of disease using traditional food as a first line of treatment. She has studied biochemistry and genetics at Cornell University and ethnobotany at the National Tropical Botanical Garden in Kauai, Hawaii.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
July 27, 2021
کتاب مختصر و موجز نوشته شده و قرار بوده راهنمایی عملی باشد برای کتاب مفصلِ دیگرِ نویسنده. در نتیجه خیلی از مطالب سربسته و تنها به اشاره بیان شده. با این حال کتاب، در همین شکل فعلیاش هم، منبع بسیار بهدردبخوریست که خیلی از تصوراتتان را راجع به تغذیه و ارتباطش با سلامت و بیماریهای مزمن و متابولیک به کلی عوض میکند
April 7, 2012
In her first book, Deep Nutrition, Catherine Shanahan MD explains that what you eat changes your gene expression and that most diseases are caused by faulty gene expression, NOT permanent genetic changes and that what you eat can affect your family's genes for generations.
Deep Nutrition is so much more than just another Paleo diet book. In short, the author recommends that we eat real old-fashioned food. Eat good quality meats and don't take the fat off, eat good fats like olive oil and coconut oil, eat the usual meats but also organ meats, eat bone broths (chicken stock etc.), eat fermented and sprouted foods, eat lots of fresh vegetables and go easy on the fruit. Avoid at all costs sugar in all its forms as well as the dangerous unnatural fats; trans fats.
Deep Nutrition is a great book but it takes a bit of time to read and contains a lot of dense research, which not everyone has the time to engage with.
If all you want is simple and easy to take in information on what to eat and how to prepare your food, with a minimum of extra research and long explanations of things, then this book is the best of its kind out there by far!
It gives you information broken down into lots of short sections, and covers:
* Which fats are good for you and which should be avoided and why saturated fats are good for you
* Why soy products can be dangerous
* Why sugar consumption should be reduced and starchy foods eaten only in moderation
* Why MSG should be avoided
* Why eating more veggies is more important than eating more fruit
* Why good quality grass-fed meats are so important, and factory farmed meats can be bad for you
* Why low fat dairy products are not the best choice
* Why raw dairy products, fermented vegetables and kefir can be healthy additions to your diet
* Why fake healthy foods should be avoided and how to pick them
* Why adding salt to veggies and other dishes makes them taste better and is good for you
* Why eating bitter foods is good for you...and much more.
This book is a great choice for anyone that wants to start eating healthily, or more healthily, but doesn't have the time or inclination to read pages and pages of research. It has lots of tips for how to get kids eating healthily too and so is a good choice for parents.
I have only two problems with this book.
1. It could contain much more information on why some of us will do better avoiding all grains and dairy products. This is particularly important for anyone battling any serious illness and may impede healing progress.
2. The information on supplements in this book is misleading and incomplete. While there is a big grain of truth in the statement 'don't expect most supplements to do much' it is also misleading to leave it at that, and to ignore all the evidence we have that supplements are necessary for most of us and certainly when it comes to healing disease and the right supplements for the right person can often have amazing effects and is backed up by a lot of compelling evidence. (Lots more information on this is in many of my other reviews, I wont go into it all here.) The author is an expert on nutrition, but is not at all an expert on orthomolecular medicine or high dose vitamin C - it is far better to get information on this important topic from those who specialise in it and that have years of experience and familiarity with all of the relevant research. Improving diet and gut health is the first essential step in healing any disease, but the vast majority of us will also need additional nutritional support and diet alone is just not enough. This is particularly true when disease is severe.
But other than these two points the book is just about perfect, as was Deep Nutrition, which is remarkable. This book summarises so many of the best diet books into one tiny volume that just about anyone can read and follow.
Deep Nutrition is so important for everyone to read, but especially those that are thinking of becoming pregnant. It explains how positive or negative genetic changes can happen over generations based on the food we eat. Deep Nutrition is a great book and it is even better if read together with Primal Body Primal Mind by Dr Nora Gedgaudes. They each cover different ground to a significant extent but come to very similar conclusions. (Gedgaudes believes that dairy foods and grains may not be for everyone, particularly anyone battling illness. This is an important point.)
If you are physically able to read either or both of these longer books I highly recommend it. Really understanding the WHY of why some foods are recommended in this book and why some are not is just so helpful. It helps you explain what you are doing to others more clearly and for me it helps give me more motivation to stick to eating healthily. Reading about what trands fats acy=ually do to the body and to your hells is horrifying, for example. The books are also just genuinely fascinating and enjoyable reading.
If you are after some recipes for traditional foods such as sauerkraut, kefir, soaked nuts and organ meat dishes then you might like to buy Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. It is pretty great. Soaked and dried nuts digest so much better and the sauerkraut is delicious and also helps your digestion. Know Your Fats by Mary Enig is also good for more information about healthy fats and why saturated fat is actually good for you. The Weston A. Price Foundation site is also wonderful and packed with good information and articles.
The author has done a great job with this book and the diet she advocates (or something very similar to it) is a wonderful and essential first step in any healing program. Supplements and other things are necessary to healing as well if you have a severe disease, diet alone wont be enough, but having a nutrient dense diet with no nasties just has to be the first step in healing. The idea that all these new diseases are caused by old fashioned traditional foods such as meat, eggs and fats including saturated fats is just illogical nonsense. Our ancestors thrived on traditional foods and so do we.
This is by far the superior 'Food Rules' book! The basic food advice is the same as on the Weston. A Price website too, for anyone that can't afford the Food Rules book. But having this information in such a brief and easy to read format is sure to be really helpful for lots of people.
I'm planning on giving copies to a few people. Although I will also unfortunately have to include a brief note noting that the information on supplements should be avoided and that they may also want to read up on why some of us do better with no dairy or grains. This is a 4 and 3/4 star book in a world of mostly 1 and 2 star books.
(I'm using a dairy and grain free version of this diet to slowly heal a severe neurological disease that I have had for over a decade, along with additional nutritional and detoxification supports, etc. I just wish so much I had found this real nutrition advice earlier, along with information on real healing vs just symptom suppression.)
Jodi Bassett, The Hummingbirds' Foundation for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (HFME)
Deep Nutrition is so much more than just another Paleo diet book. In short, the author recommends that we eat real old-fashioned food. Eat good quality meats and don't take the fat off, eat good fats like olive oil and coconut oil, eat the usual meats but also organ meats, eat bone broths (chicken stock etc.), eat fermented and sprouted foods, eat lots of fresh vegetables and go easy on the fruit. Avoid at all costs sugar in all its forms as well as the dangerous unnatural fats; trans fats.
Deep Nutrition is a great book but it takes a bit of time to read and contains a lot of dense research, which not everyone has the time to engage with.
If all you want is simple and easy to take in information on what to eat and how to prepare your food, with a minimum of extra research and long explanations of things, then this book is the best of its kind out there by far!
It gives you information broken down into lots of short sections, and covers:
* Which fats are good for you and which should be avoided and why saturated fats are good for you
* Why soy products can be dangerous
* Why sugar consumption should be reduced and starchy foods eaten only in moderation
* Why MSG should be avoided
* Why eating more veggies is more important than eating more fruit
* Why good quality grass-fed meats are so important, and factory farmed meats can be bad for you
* Why low fat dairy products are not the best choice
* Why raw dairy products, fermented vegetables and kefir can be healthy additions to your diet
* Why fake healthy foods should be avoided and how to pick them
* Why adding salt to veggies and other dishes makes them taste better and is good for you
* Why eating bitter foods is good for you...and much more.
This book is a great choice for anyone that wants to start eating healthily, or more healthily, but doesn't have the time or inclination to read pages and pages of research. It has lots of tips for how to get kids eating healthily too and so is a good choice for parents.
I have only two problems with this book.
1. It could contain much more information on why some of us will do better avoiding all grains and dairy products. This is particularly important for anyone battling any serious illness and may impede healing progress.
2. The information on supplements in this book is misleading and incomplete. While there is a big grain of truth in the statement 'don't expect most supplements to do much' it is also misleading to leave it at that, and to ignore all the evidence we have that supplements are necessary for most of us and certainly when it comes to healing disease and the right supplements for the right person can often have amazing effects and is backed up by a lot of compelling evidence. (Lots more information on this is in many of my other reviews, I wont go into it all here.) The author is an expert on nutrition, but is not at all an expert on orthomolecular medicine or high dose vitamin C - it is far better to get information on this important topic from those who specialise in it and that have years of experience and familiarity with all of the relevant research. Improving diet and gut health is the first essential step in healing any disease, but the vast majority of us will also need additional nutritional support and diet alone is just not enough. This is particularly true when disease is severe.
But other than these two points the book is just about perfect, as was Deep Nutrition, which is remarkable. This book summarises so many of the best diet books into one tiny volume that just about anyone can read and follow.
Deep Nutrition is so important for everyone to read, but especially those that are thinking of becoming pregnant. It explains how positive or negative genetic changes can happen over generations based on the food we eat. Deep Nutrition is a great book and it is even better if read together with Primal Body Primal Mind by Dr Nora Gedgaudes. They each cover different ground to a significant extent but come to very similar conclusions. (Gedgaudes believes that dairy foods and grains may not be for everyone, particularly anyone battling illness. This is an important point.)
If you are physically able to read either or both of these longer books I highly recommend it. Really understanding the WHY of why some foods are recommended in this book and why some are not is just so helpful. It helps you explain what you are doing to others more clearly and for me it helps give me more motivation to stick to eating healthily. Reading about what trands fats acy=ually do to the body and to your hells is horrifying, for example. The books are also just genuinely fascinating and enjoyable reading.
If you are after some recipes for traditional foods such as sauerkraut, kefir, soaked nuts and organ meat dishes then you might like to buy Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. It is pretty great. Soaked and dried nuts digest so much better and the sauerkraut is delicious and also helps your digestion. Know Your Fats by Mary Enig is also good for more information about healthy fats and why saturated fat is actually good for you. The Weston A. Price Foundation site is also wonderful and packed with good information and articles.
The author has done a great job with this book and the diet she advocates (or something very similar to it) is a wonderful and essential first step in any healing program. Supplements and other things are necessary to healing as well if you have a severe disease, diet alone wont be enough, but having a nutrient dense diet with no nasties just has to be the first step in healing. The idea that all these new diseases are caused by old fashioned traditional foods such as meat, eggs and fats including saturated fats is just illogical nonsense. Our ancestors thrived on traditional foods and so do we.
This is by far the superior 'Food Rules' book! The basic food advice is the same as on the Weston. A Price website too, for anyone that can't afford the Food Rules book. But having this information in such a brief and easy to read format is sure to be really helpful for lots of people.
I'm planning on giving copies to a few people. Although I will also unfortunately have to include a brief note noting that the information on supplements should be avoided and that they may also want to read up on why some of us do better with no dairy or grains. This is a 4 and 3/4 star book in a world of mostly 1 and 2 star books.
(I'm using a dairy and grain free version of this diet to slowly heal a severe neurological disease that I have had for over a decade, along with additional nutritional and detoxification supports, etc. I just wish so much I had found this real nutrition advice earlier, along with information on real healing vs just symptom suppression.)
Jodi Bassett, The Hummingbirds' Foundation for Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (HFME)
December 31, 2019
A condensed and practical guide to health and nutrition based on Dr. Shanahan's book Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food.
August 15, 2016
It's hard to find more sound and concise nutritional advice, applicable to absolutely everyone. Coming from a reputable medical doctor (which most people need in order to trust) who has become a specialist in nutrition. HIGHLY recommended reading, no matter where you believe you are on the spectrum of health and knowledge thereof.
This small book is a definite buy, not borrow and return. The numbered pieces of advice accompanied by brief explanations can serve as a great quick reference guide.
P.S. The author is Dr. Cate Shanahan; this book is not to be confused with the identically titled book "Food Rules" by food journalist Michael Pollan (although that book is also excellent and worth reading).
This small book is a definite buy, not borrow and return. The numbered pieces of advice accompanied by brief explanations can serve as a great quick reference guide.
P.S. The author is Dr. Cate Shanahan; this book is not to be confused with the identically titled book "Food Rules" by food journalist Michael Pollan (although that book is also excellent and worth reading).
August 19, 2020
Love that she focuses on traditional foods that people have eaten for generations. Butter and salt are good!!!
August 4, 2020
Lots of very helpful information, but a short read. I gave it 4 stars for a very picky reason, and that is the number of misspellings throughout distracted me. Other than that, I’m going to keep this book on my reference shelf.
March 6, 2019
A good reference, sorta
Dr Shanahan has obviously never been a single mother raising 2-4 children on a salary that falls just a bit above the poverty line. While her rules make sense, some of them can be close to impossible for lower income folks. What do you do when eating the way she recommends, means you will not be able to pay the rent or keep the power on. Welcome to the real world! <><
Dr Shanahan has obviously never been a single mother raising 2-4 children on a salary that falls just a bit above the poverty line. While her rules make sense, some of them can be close to impossible for lower income folks. What do you do when eating the way she recommends, means you will not be able to pay the rent or keep the power on. Welcome to the real world! <><
November 19, 2017
Happy that i continue in establishing relation with English book specially in this area of knowledge that touches our body and our minds , such culture that should affect directly our life.
I read this book after deep nutrient for the same writer which was more condense and more informative but this book came as precise and got directly to the point.
I read this book after deep nutrient for the same writer which was more condense and more informative but this book came as precise and got directly to the point.
January 17, 2018
Disclaimer: reading this will forever change how you judge food made by others!
Great book on nutrition and how we can use it to nurse ourselves. Fresh perspective on fats and the benefits it brings to us. My diet has been drastically flipped, cooking more than ever.
She does set some pretty high standards for ingredient quality which might be financially or logistically impossible to attain. Nonetheless it made me reflect about how the quality of our food chain as well as the labels on our food (is that carton labelled milk really milk?)
Great book on nutrition and how we can use it to nurse ourselves. Fresh perspective on fats and the benefits it brings to us. My diet has been drastically flipped, cooking more than ever.
She does set some pretty high standards for ingredient quality which might be financially or logistically impossible to attain. Nonetheless it made me reflect about how the quality of our food chain as well as the labels on our food (is that carton labelled milk really milk?)
January 26, 2020
This was a nice, short quick summary of her amazing other book, “Deep Nutrition”. It hit the highlights and offered a nice refresher without all the details. Great book for someone who has already read Deep Nutrition or something comparable. Enjoyed it.
April 19, 2020
Not usually into nutrition books but a friend that I respect and is in great shape recommended this. Phenomenal. Short not one word of waffle. Practical advice that seems to make sense, I will definitely change a few habits, most likely for a lifetime, after reading this in 2 hours.
August 3, 2018
Excellent for busy people
December 14, 2018
Way too much emphasis on saturated fats.
March 11, 2019
A condensed version of Deep Nutrition. I've been following the advice here for a couple years and it is life-changing, eye-opening, worth your time.
February 21, 2020
Fabulous. Simple read if the ‘science’ gets you feeling overwhelmed.
June 3, 2020
An interesting take on healthy eating and advice from a doctor. Dr. Shanahan talks at length about avoiding vegetable and other refined oils and eating more whole foods overall.
January 15, 2022
This is the rules I needed after reading Deep Nutrition. I’ve been implementing this way of thinking/eating for about a year so these concrete rules will further help me solidify this lifestyle.
April 11, 2022
Excellent book with specific information for healthy living and healthy food choices with actually healthy food shopping lists.
June 23, 2024
A helpful look at food and healthful eating. What stuck with me? Sugar is sugar, no matter the source; and some fats just should not be ingested.
December 25, 2014
Exactly what I needed: a trusted source to go to vs googling food questions and feeling unsure about what to believe. I finally understand why carbs = sugar and vegetable oil = terrible. Been communicating everything I found out to my family and it has made me really annoying to be around on Christmas but whatever. I hate the approach of fear we've been taking with eating, as if there's nothing left to eat, and my mom is generally always trying to get better but she'll choose "the healthiest-sounding bad food" that she is still bad but not totally what she wants just to feel a little less guilty. Argh just go all the way and get the bad-sounding bad food!! I'm writing this on my phone as I wait for my parents to come back from Chinatown with msg-loaded dishes lol. At least I have a starting point of knowledge. I love that Dr. Cate also includes appendices in the back with her revised food pyramid, a concrete list of foods to get at grocery store and what not to get and also a week's worth of recipes to try out.
June 8, 2020
The book is structured very similar to the famous and reliable Pollan's Food Guide, it has a lot of useful and 'trendy' info about paleo-like eating style, in particular, some good points about vegetable oils, grass fed meats. However, as all categorical writings, should be taken with the grain of salt.
Two small things I noticed as doubtful, one about 'don't cook with microwave ovens' disappointed me as I expected this book to be as science-based. Secondly, after reading about carbs&sugars as bad for our health, the recipes example contains dried fruits as the base for breakfast.
Two small things I noticed as doubtful, one about 'don't cook with microwave ovens' disappointed me as I expected this book to be as science-based. Secondly, after reading about carbs&sugars as bad for our health, the recipes example contains dried fruits as the base for breakfast.
November 13, 2013
This book is full of great ideas and easier to understand than her first book that had too much science and put me to sleep. This one was interesting and has a great chapter(all the chapters are short) on how to read your cholesterol test. If you have a Dr. that wants to put you on meds and really your overall numbers are fine you will love that.
March 16, 2016
It's a good thing I read Deep Nutrition before this book. Otherwise I probably wouldn't have gone on to read Deep Nutrition.
Having read Deep Nutrition first, I was excited to read this book. Food Rules contains useful info but it's too condensed; many of these strategies deserve in depth explanations. Overall, I was somewhat disappointed.
Having read Deep Nutrition first, I was excited to read this book. Food Rules contains useful info but it's too condensed; many of these strategies deserve in depth explanations. Overall, I was somewhat disappointed.
January 28, 2017
Wow, just wow.
I saw Catherine Shanahan on YouTube and she really knows her stuff. No hype. She comes across as a caring doctor who actually wants you to get better without touting drugs. In fact, she shows a way to get better and be able to reduce the dosage or even get off them completely. Kudos!!
I saw Catherine Shanahan on YouTube and she really knows her stuff. No hype. She comes across as a caring doctor who actually wants you to get better without touting drugs. In fact, she shows a way to get better and be able to reduce the dosage or even get off them completely. Kudos!!
April 25, 2012
Fabulous little book. It gives a great overview of how to eat for optimal health. I do think most would be better off foregoing all grains, even the sprouted ones, but I know many aren't ready for that. Eat real food and make it as nutrient dense as possible.
February 1, 2015
Great food information
This is a great book. It's packed full of information about improving my eating habits. I am now going to buy a copy of this book to have with when I shop for food. I am also thinking about buying copies for others. It just makes sense to eat this way!
This is a great book. It's packed full of information about improving my eating habits. I am now going to buy a copy of this book to have with when I shop for food. I am also thinking about buying copies for others. It just makes sense to eat this way!
April 16, 2017
I can't believe this isn't standard teaching!
Why didn't anyone ever educate me on nutrition? I feel like I have been taken advantage of by the medical field all these years and that they we setting me up for failure. I'm ready to change!
Why didn't anyone ever educate me on nutrition? I feel like I have been taken advantage of by the medical field all these years and that they we setting me up for failure. I'm ready to change!
October 1, 2011
Some really good advice, some not so good. Still worthwhile, though, as long as you supplement (no pun intended) with other books, too, like Nora Gedgaudas'.
November 27, 2011
Excellent - great information in short, easy to read format.
August 7, 2012
Very informative, quick read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews