time you checked out a calorie chart.
For those who want to know absolutely everything, this edition of Nutrition For Dummies is up to date with hot new info from the 2020 revisions of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans and all the twisty “this is good for you” and “this is not” bits and pieces of food info that nutrition scientists have come up with since, well, the last edition.
Wherever you are on your nutrition-information journey, know that some small parts of this book are fun or informative but not necessarily vital to your understanding of nutrition. For example:
Text in sidebars: The sidebars are the shaded boxes that appear here and there. They share personal stories and observations but aren’t necessary reading.
Anything with a Technical Stuff icon attached: This information is interesting but not critical to your understanding of nutrition.
Foolish Assumptions
Every book is written with a particular reader in mind, and this one is no different. As I wrote this book, I made the following basic assumptions about who you are and why you plunked down your hard-earned cash for an entire volume about nutrition:
You didn’t study nutrition in high school or college and now you’ve discovered that you have a better shot at staying healthy if you know how to put together well-balanced, nutritious meals.
You’re confused by conflicting advice on vitamins and minerals, protein, fats, and carbs. In other words, you need a reliable road map through the nutrient maze.
You want basic information, but you don’t want to become an expert in nutrition or spend hours digging your way through medical textbooks and journals.
Icons Used in This Book
Icons are a handy For Dummies way to catch your attention as you slide your eyes down the page. The icons come in several varieties, each with its own special meaning.
Beyond the Book
In addition to what you’re reading right now, this product also comes with a free access-anywhere Cheat Sheet that provides helpful tips on cutting calories, figuring out when you may need extra nutrients, keeping food safe, and understanding nutrition terms and measurements. To get this Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and search for “Nutrition For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box.
Where to Go from Here
For Dummies books are not linear (proceeding from Chapter 1 to 2 to 3 and so on). In fact, you can choose a subject, such as calories, in Chapter 5, dive right in there, and then skip over to how water works in your body (that’s Chapter 12) and still make sense of what you’re reading because each chapter delivers a complete message. (Full disclosure: Once in a while there will be a cross reference to a second chapter or even a third, a kind of nutrition fact treasure hunt.)
So, in short, if proteins are your passion, go right to Chapter 6. If you want to know why you absolutely can’t resist chocolate-covered pretzels, go to Chapter 15. If you’re fascinated by food processing, your choice is Chapter 19. Use the table of contents to find broad categories of information or the index to look up more specific things.
On the other hand, if you’re not sure where you want to go, why not just begin at the beginning, Part 1, Chapter 1? It gives you all the basic info you need to understand nutrition and points to places where you can find more detailed information.
Part 1
Nutrition 101: The Basic Facts about Nutrition
IN THIS PART …
Defining nutrition and its effect on your body
Following food as you digest it
Deciding how much nutrition you need
Figuring out your best weight
Considering how calories impact your life
Chapter 1
Nutrition Equals Life: Knowing What to Eat to Get What You Need
IN THIS CHAPTER
You are what you eat. You are also how you eat.
