Science, Physiology, and Nutrition for the Nonscientist


Book Description

Written for the general public, this book is a wonderful blend of physiology, nutrition, biochemistry, biology, genetics, viruses, evolution, chemistry--what we need to know as informed citizens. The topics are presented in a timely and informal style while maintaining depth to promote understanding. A basic understanding of life sciences helps us cope with new developments, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. We also need to have some depth of knowledge to understand the new scientific advances and ethical dilemmas we face, as in our capacity to edit genes. Topics also include caloric requirements, heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and dietary advice, all integrated in an easy-to understand book.




Perfect Health


Book Description

So many diet programs emphasize a gimmick--counting calories, cutting back on carbs--in order to lose weight. Although these measures may result in weight loss, the weight often comes back and your health may be compromised in the process. In order to lose weight safely and easily, you must change the way you view diet and weight loss: Losing weight is not just about getting thinner...it's about gaining health. Perfect Health: The Natural Way is about feeding your body what it was designed to eat. This program is not about calorie-counting or deprivation, but about eating an abundance of good, healthy food and understanding what your body needs. By concentrating on getting healthy instead of dieting, you will not just lose weight but radiate health and vitality. Combining scientific findings and common sense, Mary-Ann Shearer clears up the confusion surrounding various diets and explains what we need to eat in order to gain total health: What is the "perfect food" that our bodies are designed to eat? Do we really need animal protein in order to be healthy? What is the truth about healthy fats? How does fasting help the body heal? This book explains not just what we should eat and why, but also offers valuable suggestions on how to integrate this new way of eating into your lifestyle. Included is a section featuring delicious, easy-to-prepare, healthy recipes that will help you begin your journey to PERFECT HEALTH!




Realities of Nutrition


Book Description

An introduction to nutrition intended to provide readers with information that will enable them to make their own nutrition decisions, rather than rely upon popular sources of information. Topics covered include nutrition myths and tests of reality; energy and the human machine; carbohydrates and the foundations of food; proteins; fats; fueling the body; the micronutrients; nutritional balance; how foods get from the farm to the table; etc.




Vitamins and Minerals


Book Description




The Science of Mom


Book Description

Now updated! The new edition of this best-selling guide uses science to tackle some of the most important decisions facing new parents—from sleep training and vaccinations to breastfeeding and baby food. Is cosleeping safe? How important is breastfeeding? Are food allergies preventable? Should we be worried about the aluminum in vaccines? Searching for answers to these tough parenting questions can yield a deluge of conflicting advice. In this revised and expanded edition of The Science of Mom, Alice Callahan, a science writer whose work appears in the New York Times and the Washington Post, recognizes that families must make their own decisions and gives parents the tools to evaluate the evidence for themselves. Sharing the latest scientific research on raising healthy babies, she covers topics like the microbiome, attachment, vaccine safety, pacifiers, allergies, increasing breast milk production, and choosing an infant formula.




Paleofantasy: What Evolution Really Tells Us about Sex, Diet, and How We Live


Book Description

“With…evidence from recent genetic and anthropological research, [Zuk] offers a dose of paleoreality.” —Erin Wayman, Science News We evolved to eat berries rather than bagels, to live in mud huts rather than condos, to sprint barefoot rather than play football—or did we? Are our bodies and brains truly at odds with modern life? Although it may seem as though we have barely had time to shed our hunter-gatherer legacy, biologist Marlene Zuk reveals that the story is not so simple. Popular theories about how our ancestors lived—and why we should emulate them—are often based on speculation, not scientific evidence. Armed with a razor-sharp wit and brilliant, eye-opening research, Zuk takes us to the cutting edge of biology to show that evolution can work much faster than was previously realized, meaning that we are not biologically the same as our caveman ancestors. Contrary to what the glossy magazines would have us believe, we do not enjoy potato chips because they crunch just like the insects our forebears snacked on. And women don’t go into shoe-shopping frenzies because their prehistoric foremothers gathered resources for their clans. As Zuk compellingly argues, such beliefs incorrectly assume that we’re stuck—finished evolving—and have been for tens of thousands of years. She draws on fascinating evidence that examines everything from adults’ ability to drink milk to the texture of our ear wax to show that we’ve actually never stopped evolving. Our nostalgic visions of an ideal evolutionary past in which we ate, lived, and reproduced as we were “meant to” fail to recognize that we were never perfectly suited to our environment. Evolution is about change, and every organism is full of trade-offs. From debunking the caveman diet to unraveling gender stereotypes, Zuk delivers an engrossing analysis of widespread paleofantasies and the scientific evidence that undermines them, all the while broadening our understanding of our origins and what they can really tell us about our present and our future.




The Science of Cooking


Book Description

Written as a textbook with an online laboratory manual for students and adopting faculties, this work is intended for non-science majors / liberal studies science courses and will cover a range of scientific principles of food, cooking and the science of taste and smell. Chapters include: The Science of Food and Nutrition of Macromolecules; Science of Taste and Smell; Milk, Cream, and Ice Cream, Metabolism and Fermentation; Cheese, Yogurt, and Sour Cream; Browning; Fruits and Vegetables; Meat, Fish, and Eggs; Dough, Cakes, and Pastry; Chilies, Herbs, and Spices; Beer and Wine; and Chocolate, Candy and Other Treats. Each chapters begins with biological, chemical, and /or physical principles underlying food topics, and a discussion of what is happening at the molecular level. This unique approach is unique should be attractive to chemistry, biology or biochemistry departments looking for a new way to bring students into their classroom. There are no pre-requisites for the course and the work is appropriate for all college levels and majors.




The Vitamins


Book Description

The Vitamins: Fundamental Aspects in Nutrition and Health, Sixth Edition presents both overviews and in-depth discussions of the sources, chemistry, metabolism and functions of these essential nutrients in physiology and health. Sections cover perspectives (history of discovery, general properties and impacts), individual Vitamins (their respective chemistries, metabolism), and their dietary sources and global needs. In addition, the inclusion and interpretation of recent clinical research findings relevant to all vitamins, particularly vitamins A, D, E, K, C, thiamin, folate and vitamin B12 is included, along with an expanded discussion on single-carbon metabolism), implications to neuropathies, and more. - Presents complete information about vitamins in a format useful as both a teaching text and desk reference - Includes coverage of vitamin-related topics not typically found in general nutrition texts (e.g., enteric microbial biosynthesis of vitamins, global prevalence of deficiencies, diagnosing 'silent' asymptomatic vitamin deficiencies, histories of vitamin discoveries) - Contains useful appendices of key reference information (e.g., vitamin requirements of humans and animals, vitamin contents of foods, sources of vitamin information)




Physiology of Exercise and Healthy Aging


Book Description

"This text is written explicitly for readers with an interest in the aging process and the effects that exercise has on the quality of life and various diseases and maladies of the aging population. It is expected that the readers using this book as a course textbook or as auxiliary reading for a course, will have taken at least an introductory course in human physiology. The text refers throughout to the three groups in the aging and health spectrum, average aging individuals, the frail elderly and Masters Athletes"--




Exercise, Sport, and Bioanalytical Chemistry


Book Description

A new volume in the Emerging Issues in Analytical Chemistry series, Exercise, Sport, and Bioanalytical Chemistry: Principles and Practice focuses on the basic and applied aspects of energy metabolism in humans. Concise and scientific, yet intelligible to the nonscientist, the book consists of two parts. Part I, Introduction: Basics and Background, provides the biochemistry necessary to understand the rest of the book and describes analytical processes and results as an aid to grasping the science. Part II, Applications: Knowledge into Practice, explores measurement techniques for metabolism, energy expenditure of various activities, techniques that enhance expenditure, metabolic adaptation, foods and drugs that enhance expenditure, and the role of bioanalytical chemistry in future research in exercise and sport. Discussion of the benefits of exercise and practices for improving the capacity to perform exercise is illustrated by many useful and entertaining examples. This volume allows readers to come away with a grasp of the scientific concepts, how they are manifested in research techniques, and how the results of research can be applied in the real world of public health and personal development. The Emerging Issues in Analytical Chemistry series is published in partnership with RTI International and edited by Brian F. Thomas. Please be sure to check out our other featured volumes: - Thomas, Brian F. and ElSohly, Mahmoud. The Analytical Chemistry of Cannabis: Quality Assessment, Assurance, and Regulation of Medicinal Marijuana and Cannabinoid Preparations, 9780128046463, December 2015. - Tanna, Sangeeta and Lawson, Graham. Analytical Chemistry for Assessing Medication Adherence, 9780128054635, April 2016. - Rao, Vikram, Knight, Rob, and Stoner, Brian. Sustainable Shale Oil and Gas: Analytical Chemistry, Biochemistry, and Geochemistry Methods, 9780128103890, forthcoming September 2016. - Farsalinos, Konstantinos, et al. Analytical Assessment of e-Cigarettes: From Contents to Chemical and Particle Exposure Profiles, 9780128112410, forthcoming November 2016. - Provides readers with the fundamental biochemistry and some elements of the physiology behind physical activity/exercise and describes the analytical techniques used to elucidate the science - Written in clear, concise, compelling prose that is neither simplistic to scientists nor too sophisticated for a large, diverse global audience - A one-page Close-Up in each chapter illustrates key topics to catch, engage, entertain, and create a novel synthesis of thought