I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. A good companion to the documentary Good Health, but I preferred the documentary to the book.

What the Health The Startling Truth Behind the Foods We Eat, Plus 50 Plant-Rich Recipes to Get You Feeling Your Best by Kip Andersen; Keegan Kuhn from BenBella Books is mind opening look at our bodies, health and diet, I watched the documentary after reading this book and found the information shocking and eye opening. I have read and been motivated by Forks Over Knives and The China Study, Both great informative books and What the Health is now on my bookshelf right next to these books, beside my growing number of vegan cook books. I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion. Give this book a try, you won't regret it..

I'd watched the documentary when it hit Netflix a while back. It was very interesting and I really trusted the presentation of data. It was done in a very matter of fact, no hype, no nonsense approach and that really spoke to me; made me believe they had no hidden agenda other than to help people just be healthier. When the opportunity to read the book & try some recipes presented itself I jumped at the chance. The book goes a little further into the data and research that was done and gives you many delicious recipes. It's an excellent companion to the documentary and I highly recommend it. I am currently on my way to an exclusively vegan diet, I found that animal products are part of what is causing my inflammation & digestive issues, especially dairy. This book does a great job of explaining things so you're not feeling talked down to, not being made to feel bad if you still eat meat and helps ease you into changing your lifestyle so it's not such a shock and you actually feel better. The recipes are excellent as well, easy to make with ingredients that aren't hard to find. This is a great one for anyone that was contemplating a plant based lifestyle and not sure where to start.

I would like to thank BenBella Books for providing me with a free – temporary – electronic ARC of this book, via Netgalley. Although I required their approval, the decision to read this book is my choice and any reviews given are obligation free.

Okay, this review is going to actually be quite short and sweet for me. You see, I watched the documentary ‘What the Health’ and found a lot of it quite interesting, so was intrigued by the book of the same name. On Netgalley they clearly state that it is a companion book to the documentary, so I knew what I was going to be reading.

So, no surprise, the book ‘What the Health’ was basically the documentary… in book form. But what I really liked was that in the book, when they are citing specific reports and texts, there are citation numbers you can look up to find the source and look into the original report further – if you so desire. And I really like doing that sort of thing as, being a part-time student myself, I love reading scholarly texts and trying to find a way to use them in my essays to help prove my point. As, you know, there can be quite a bit of wiggle room when it comes to interpreting academic and scholarly texts – and making them fit into your side of the argument. So it was good to be able to follow up on the documents ‘What the Health’ cited so that I could read the originals for myself and weigh up how it matches those quoting it, as well as my own opinions on the subjects explored.

What? You’ve just realised I am a book nerd? Noooo – really? Please, where have you been living? :-D

Please don’t see my need to fact checking as a sign I didn’t believe or enjoy ‘What the Health’, as this is not the case at all. I mean, yes, I can’t say I agreed 100% with all of it… but it was still a good documentary and companion book. It’s also a good topic to practice your critical thinking on. ;-)

The layout, formatting and usual technical stuff was a little clunky and crowded in places, but still easy to read and navigate. And, no, I didn’t get around to trying the recipes in the back, though some looked quite yummy to try.

Would I recommend this book to others?

I would, but probably only to those who had watched the ‘What the Health’ documentary. I mean, although Netgalley states it is a stand-alone book and as well companion to the documentary, I really feel this book on its own might not grab the reader’s attention as much. As the clunky layout, citations, and length gave it a rather heavy text book feel to it. And I don’t think I would have enjoyed slogging through reading it all if I’d not watched the documentary first.

And I do think that those who enjoyed the documentary would really enjoy the book as it gives you all that important and interesting information discussed in the documentary, plus the citations, recipes, etc.

Would I buy this book for myself?

Perhaps. I mean, I enjoyed the documentary and would love to have this companion book to refer to when talking to people about health, our food choices, etc. But, as I don’t agree with all of what is said, I don’t know if I would want to own it or just want it available via my local library any time I want to look something up. Face it, ‘What the Health’ advocates veganism as the ultimate way to eat… and although I agree that it can be an excellent short term body cleanse, I am an omnivore and fully believe in a high plant based diet that still includes some animals and their products. So it shows me that ‘What the Health’ is not for me. I have nothing against respectful vegans and veganism; it is just not my personal choice.

In summary: A good companion book to the documentary of the same name. If you liked the documentary, you should enjoy this too.

Adult
Nonfiction
This is the companion book to a controversial Netflix movie promoting veganism, and using science to support its position. There has been lots of criticism of the biased cherry-picking of research in the film, which I haven’t seen, by the way. For a quick summary, here’s a short item from Time magazine that lists exaggerations/incorrect info as well as what it gets right: http://time.com/4897133/vegan-netflix-what-the-health/. Back to the book. I chose it because I really do believe in the medicalization of our health: that doctors too often focus on treatment rather than prevention and that the pharmaceutical industry has no place in television and print media. I believe we can stave off health problems in the future by taking action now. Not just in nutrition, but in weight management, exercising and stretching, protecting our knees by not running downhill, drinking lots of water, sleeping well, etc. Unfortunately this is not a balanced, critical analysis of how North Americans are relying too heavily on pills, but rather a skewed pseudo-scientific call to veganism. I am actually on the path to vegetarianism, and some of the information in here is helpful in making the change, but it is weakened by its slanted approach. I did like some of the recipes in the back, so there’s that…. Overall, though, not recommended.
More discussion and reviews of this book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34434391

I started out really excited to read this book. I have taken numerous nutrition classes in high school and read about it frequently. However, this book seemed to go downhill.

An exorbitant amount of time is given to bashing chicken. With all the crap people eat, chicken. The author is under the impression that the same diet is best for everyone. I disagree. I went vegan for awhile and also took a multi vitamin as well as b12. I felt terrible on it. I gained weight so quickly and my face broke out and I was lethargic and felt like I was dying. I grew more depressed every day and my anxiety was through the roof. I ate lots of fruit, veggies, beans, seeds, nuts, with some whole grains and tofu. I was not eating crap. It got so bad I was preparing to make an appointment to see about getting on meds for depression. Around that time I thought whatever I will just add meat back. I was too exhausted to continue making meatless meals for me. When I added eggs back to breakfast and chicken for lunch or dinner, something magical happened, I started feeling more like me. My brain was clearer and I was happier. Over time I lost the weight I gained and my skin returned to normal. I realize this is not everyone's experience but it was mine and is worth noting that not every one responds the same. I also was eating my steel oats with fresh berries in the morning instead of usual eggs when pregnant with my third and ended up with gestational diabetes. When I had to go lower carb (around 100 grams a day) I felt worlds better and no longer had blood sugar issues. My body doesn't seem to handle carb loads well at all. Even from healthy carbs.

I also just don't trust all of the studies cited. Not all studies are created equal and they are many that are plagued by poor design. I have seen other reputable studies find the exact opposite is true of some of his conclusions.

Statistics...people, don't trust them without your own research. They are often used as scare tactics. Pancreatic cancer is referred to and I believe chicken increasing risk by 72%. First off, the risk is only 1% to begin with. But that is the risk of the average person who likely eats meat so say the non meat eaters risk is 0.75%. That would put eating meat up to a risk of less than 1.5% still. Just seeing 72% you may think wow, I'm doomed but it isn't as much of a jump as they make it seem like. I did not check the reliability of the study so whether it is reliable or not, I'm not sure.

These things really annoyed me about the book. There were some pluses though. When the author didn't come off as a pushy salesman, it was easy to read and very simplified for readers new to this subject. I would have actually liked more data on the studies to be honest. Also there were at least studies cited. I shudder just thinking of how many authors I have seen state stuff without any kind of resource or study whatsoever. I feel like the author put a lot of work and heart in it but I couldn't recommend it when my own experiences seem to be contrary to some of its important premises.

A shocking look into food which we have been promoted and sold to us since we were small children. We feel comfortable with this food, but we have no idea what is really in it.

I love documentaries and informative programs, so of course, I watched the documentary under the same name and became interested in taking a look at the book.

The information is the very same found on the documentary, but in writing of course. If you already watched there is nothing new, but if you haven't I recommended.

Maybe you also prefer to keep a physical copy of this information, and if so, I think getting the book is still valuable.

Amazing and very informative book About Health and how Food affects our Health on a daily Basis without us even noticing. I was very happy to read this book and it made me re-think my Food choices.

This should be required reading for everyone. The more mindfully we eat, the better our health and the health of the planet.

What the Health is an informative book with tons of studies on the nature (or rather epidemic) of our health as a nation. After reading several chapters in one sitting, I was left with - well what am I supposed to eat then?! - and lo and behold, recipes appeared at the end! While very informational and antidotal, I will say it's a great companion piece to the actual film...if you had to choose one, I would choose the film, which allows you to see the overarching views of how these studies affect the population. But overall, a decent companion book with recipes and more knowledge than you'll know what to do with!

Thank you #NetGalley and #WhatTheHealth for the free review copy!

I've watched What the Health on Netflix on its release day. I've watched Kip Andersen's Cowspiracy as well. I'm an ethical vegan, and I absolutely loved this book and the recipes at the end.

A print companion to the documentary film of the same name, What the Health explores the Standard American Diet, why Americans are unhealthier than ever, and how the food industry literally feeds into our lack of understanding about how we should actually be eating and that on a daily basis, most Americans are making dietary choices that are literally slowly killing them. Sound dramatic? It's not. The data and studies overwhelmingly show that a plant-based diet is the key to long, healthy lives and that the consumption of animal products is a direct link to the spread of the most deadly and devastating diseases - heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc. The statistics are terrifying. Terrifying enough that my husband made the switch after this book.
::
I have been plant-based for several years and I myself saw the massive changes in my life - I am rarely sick now, I was able to get off all medications for a chronic condition, and I feel better on a daily basis. Our 3 year-old daughter is plant-based, and we have only had to take her to the doctor twice for minor illness.
::
Six years ago, when I first read about how our Standard American Diet is killing Americans, I immediately went from a meat-eating, dairy consuming adult to plant-based OVERNIGHT. I will NEVER, EVER go back.
::
The book presents chapters on milk, eggs, poultry, fish, diseases, raising plant-based children, etc. and also has a section for basic recipes to get you going to better health.
::
I can easily recommend this book, along with a viewing of the documentary. While you're at it, also check out Forks Over Knives, which explores the direct link between animal products and the growth of cancer cells.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and a must-read. I predict that in my lifetime, we will one day look back on consuming animal products as we now do on cigarettes.

A good book for someone not as well read on health to introduce them to the world of health information.

I absolutely loved "What the Health"! The film by the same authors was lifechanging and this book is fantastic as well. (I knew it would be.) I highly, highly recommend reading Andersen and Kuhn's extraordinary book.

Thank you Ben Bella and Netgalley for an ARC of this book.

Unfortunately the ePub version was blank on both occasions I downloaded it.

I would be happy to receive a corrected copy for review.

Very good. A companion book to the documentary, What the Health, which I loved. I was already vegan when I saw the documentary, but I later knew of some friends who became vegan after viewing the documentary. I highly recommend this book. More in depth. Thrilled I got an opportunity to read it over Christmas break. Many 🙏 thank yous to NetGalley and one of my favorite publishers for allowing me a digital copy to read and review. 5 stars!

From the makers of What the Health Documentary came this book. I had to read the book. There is a lot of research into what is in this book. He tells the secret to preventing and even reversing many chronic diseases and learning the truth about so many foods that the makers did not want you to know.. There is also a cookbook but in this book are many really good recipes.

I watched the What the Health documentary and was interested in reading this book to learn more and discover new recipes. The information is the same, just more detailed so I skipped around. I appreciated that in addition to addressing diabetes and heart disease, they also included a section for kids as well as athletes. Almost all of the recipes come with a photo which is helpful so you know what your dish should look like. I can't wait to try the Chocolate Date Steel-Cut Oats, Sushi Bowl, Tortilla Soup, and Baked Apple Crumble!

*Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley. However, all opinions are my own.*

I want to start off by saying that I am a huge fan of the WHAT THE HEALTH documentary. I saw it last year in 2017 and it literally changed my life. Needless to say, I was super excited to gain access to this wonderful resource in book form. I immediately learned that the book does not disappoint. However, the one thing I love about the book is the same reason I find it daunting; knowledge overload. I desired an easy to read and follow self-help book in a sense. But when reading it, it feels more like a reference book or encyclopedia. There is a monstrous amount of information provided and it can become overwhelming trying to take it all in. Indeed, all the information is essential and so needed but this is not a book you can read in a few days...not even in a few weeks even. They do an excellent job breaking it all down and you have to just slowly take in the information and marinate on it. Worth every penny.