For beginners, 'The Whole Truth Eating & Recipe Guide' is a great not-a-diet, diet book. Instead of focusing on a rigid set of guidelines with the sole goal of helping participants lose weight, 'The Whole Truth' focuses on educating. It spends at least the first half of the book not telling what to eat, but why to eat it.

We all know processed foods aren't great for us, and that we should be eating more fresh fruit and veg, but this book details why- explaining the effects our overly processed, unhealthy lifestyles have on our bodies. It's not all doom and gloom though- there's light at the end of the tunnel, and it *is* delicious.

The second half of the book- wisely provided after you know *why* you should eat the things the book tells you to eat- is spent giving great, easy recipes. I always feel good after having one- 'clean' almost. Maybe it's psychosomatic, or maybe it's just following a solid diet on a daily basis and being given an extra boost by the healthful, delicious food. Who knows? But definitely get this book and find out for yourself.

This book is a great starting point for learning more about nutrition and healthy eating. The first half of the book focuses on making the right choices in a world filled with processed foods and mystery ingredients. The second half is a collection of recipes designed to get you started in making use of your new knowledge.

You might be familiar with Andrea from the Top Chef show, so rest assured that the recipes in the second half in the book are modern and tasty.

I would recommend following this book up with "The Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan for a comprehensive look into today's food and how we ended up eating so many "food products" instead of real food.