Every Body Should Know This: The Science of Eating for a Lifetime of Health

by Federica Amati

***AS SEEN ON THIS MORNING***


DISCOVER THE SCIENCE OF EATING FOR A LIFETIME OF HEALTH


‘An essential nutrition and lifestyle guide across the lifespan. A fascinating DIY guide to food and health – read it!’ Dr Tim Spector, author of Spoon Fed and Food for Life

‘This book contains the most critical answers to nutrition that we’ve all been searching for. A must read’ Steven Bartlett

'Truly amazing and completely transformative’ Davina McCall

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A SCIENCE-BACKED NUTRITION GUIDE FOR ALL LIFE STAGES

In Every Body Should Know This, medical scientist and Head Nutritionist at ZOE, Dr Federica Amati explores the real science behind nutrition. By following her advice, you will learn how to eat for best health at each life stage and discover what every body should know, such as . . .

- The truth surrounding superfoods and ultra-processed foods
- Why nutrition plays a crucial role from before conception to senior years
- How food choices can support longevity
- Targeted tips for good health at each life stage

With this book, you will gain insights into what foods work for the bodies and minds of you and your loved ones, and implement clear, nutritional strategies backed by the latest scientific research for men, women and children.

Because when it comes to food, one size does not fit all.

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'A definitive guide on not just what to eat, but when and why' Daily Telegraph

'So good, so informative. There's so much incredible stuff in here' Cat Deeley and Ben Shepherd, This
Morning

‘An easy to implement and practical guide to nutritional science!’ Dr Karan Rajan, author of This Book Will Save Your Life

‘Federica offers a novel framework for thinking about nutrition and points to the lifestyle factors that do make a difference in protecting and enhancing our long-term health. This is a book you shouldn’t miss’ Dr Sarah Berry

Genres: Nonfiction, Health, Nutrition, Food, Science, Self Help, Research

305 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 25, 2024

Reviews

[Luke Illeniram · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5

If you have read Spector and/or van Tulleken, and are a listener of ZOE's Podcast, there isn't a whole lot of new information that you wont already be aware of - the basic improvements to diet and nutrition and lifestyle that improve health and life outcomes. I felt that there was a bit of extra info regarding fertility in particular that was interesting and seemed to be a bit more of an angle that other resources haven't tackled much. This is probably a great entry-level read for those who are just starting on their health/nutrition journey, but it wont be ground-breaking for those who have read/listened/researched a lot in the area.
Overall well-written, with interesting anecdotes, and a good personal touch.

[Claire Singlehurst · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall a good and informative book, but much of it was of no relevance/interest to me, as it focussed on fertility health.

[Donna Billingham · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read for anyone who needs an introduction to nutrition and it's something they haven't previously given much thought to. Or for anyone trying to conceive, as there is a lot of focus on fertility with personal insights into author's own motherhood journey.

But unfortunately, I didn't enjoy this book at all. The author probably faced pressure from the publishers to 'keep it simple' and accessible. Anyone who is already familiar with the latest in nutrition science might not find this useful at all.

And surprisingly low on actionable advice beyond (SPOILER) ditching alcohol, smoking, UPFs and red meat, in favour of a varied Mediterranean diet, exercise, social connections and proper sleep.

[Priit Rohumaa · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book, written by an Italian author, aims to provide guidance on healthy eating and living. However, it feels rather superficial, resembling a summary of Wikipedia articles and older books rather than an original or insightful work. There is little new or unique content contributed by the author, making it lack depth and originality.
The book seems to be primarily targeted at a female audience, with many topics specifically focused on women. Overall, it is a light and somewhat generic read, rather than fresh perspectives or in-depth analysis.

[Ellie Hull · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bought after listening to the author on the Zoe podcast, but a bit disappointed in the content. It’s a good general book for all life stages, but not deep enough for any of them. Incredibly little menopause content which I would have thought was an important area.

[Sharlie Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

So insightful.
I am really beginning to see food as medicine and waking up to the damage the food industry has already caused my body and how I can make changes to make right those wrongs.

[Karissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook which seems to help me tackle nonfiction! A very interesting take on nutrition and how our relationship with it changes throughout our lives. Ultimately a book about nutrition in different phases of life and how to add more years to your life.

[Sadi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Off to eat some kefir!

[Fichie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice oriëntating intro to nutrition.

It feels a bit like the book (or it's blurb) is missing a few labels. Although usefull, I could see how some people would regard this book more for people conceiving or raising children, since 2/3 of the book seems to focus about that.
Never the less, informative!

[Amanda Youngs · Rating 5 out of 5]

She's not wrong, every body SHOULD know about the contents of this book - it should be taught at relevant points in everyone's lives! It's that important.

I listened to the Audible version of this audiobook, and before I had finished, I realised I had to have the hardbacked edition too, to make sure I could see the information as well as hear about it. It's well-written and easy to digest - Dr Amati makes the information clear and interesting.

A side note: Federica Amati reads this book herself and I'm happy to say it's a competent read, which is not always the case when people write a book and then read it themselves!

Highly recommended.

[pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting book for anyone who wants to learn about healthy habits. It teaches you how to eat healthily and what bad habits you can do without.

Unfortunately, I'm only giving it 3 stars because I didn't learn very much. I already knew a lot of the advice, which sometimes seemed to me to have been seen over and over again. What's more, I found that the author dwelt too much on procreation and the teenage phase, which didn't interest me. I would have liked more general, everyday advice.

In short, a must-read if you've never been interested in the subject. If, like me, you're constantly interested, then it's not very interesting.

[Apollos Michio · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati (head nutritionist at the science and nutrition company ZOE) is an informative read filled with potentially life-transforming information on how to live a life that is not just long, but healthy and happy. 🥑

In it, she shares with us how nutrition can be tapped into at the different stages of our lives, from as early as before our birth (i.e., the influence of our parents’ nutrition) to adolescence, our adult years, and finally our twilight years. At all these stages, what we eat can affect our gut microbiome, immune system function, and consequently our physical, mental and cognitive well-being. 🫀

Important health tip: Eating a Mediterranean diet with a diverse range of plant-based foods including vegetables 🥦, fruits 🍓, legumes 🫛 and whole grains 🌾 can help to improve our cardiovascular health and lower our risk of chronic diseases. 🥗

If I were to be critical about the book, it feels rather repetitive at times, especially in its dietary advice of having a plant-centric diet. Additionally, the information might not be new to the reader, depending on how well-versed they are on the topic—even if they serve as good reminders. 🥕

For me, the most informative part of the book is Dr Amati’s insights into conception and pregnancy, which she bases on her personal experience as a client-facing nutritionist. This portion of the book is rather new to me and I’m glad to have read it. It is eye-opening to know that what men eat and their lifestyle directly and independently impact the future health of their offspring, as much as the offspring’s mother’s! 🤰

[Kate M · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars !! I enjoyed this book on kai as it talks lots about gut health and how connected it is to overall health and what to do to support it. Also does discuss lots about how cooked our food system is and how removed we are from our kai. Overall I enjoyed it and always like learning more about supporting the puku as a celiaca lol. The most mind blowing thing I learnt is that we produce 90% of our serotonin through our digestive system like wtf. Anyway it was quite repetitive and very UK-centric and meditaranian diet-centric and there are multiple diets across the world that eat in similar patterns to what is being suggested sooooo… anyway ! Mauri ora

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

So thankful that this book is available for the general public. This is a book that I wish had been available when I was preparing to have my children. Having said that, this book should be read to children as early as they are able to comprehend the content. I have just read it to my youngest (age 13) and feel that is truly the latest they should be learning this information. The world of nutrition science is exciting and extremely relevant and beneficial to our daily lives. I cannot recommend this book enough.

[callme papi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Everybody Should Know This is basically Nutrition 101. Eat your greens, get your protein, fats aren’t the enemy, smoking and drinking are bad—nothing groundbreaking, but honestly a solid reminder with a few useful insights sprinkled in.

It does drift way too much into pregnancy stuff, which I wasn’t expecting and felt a bit off for me. That said, the gut/microbiome section is actually great—fermented foods, bacteria doing their thing, all that good stuff. Not life-changing, but definitely some good takeaways.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has lots of detailed and quite scientific information about the necessity of good nutrition throughout life, advising that people maintain a Mediterranean diet of fresh fruit, veg, oily fish, wholegrains and legumes to improve health and longevity. I listened to the audiobook, which was well narrated by the author. I have listened to the Zoe podcast so was aware of quite a lot of the information, but it was put across in a meaningful and certainly heartfelt way. 3.5*

[Judy Cheung · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought I was going to learn something new and interesting from this book but I didn’t. It’s just a rehash of a couple of other (better) books about UPFs, eating 30 different plants a week, gut microbes etc. If she mentioned the Mediterranean diet once, she mentioned it 30 times. Very repetitive and her final word chapter is each of the previous chapters in summary. I had to skim read that final chapter. Makes me want to binge eat processed food to relieve the boredom.

[Yvonne Marchant · Rating 5 out of 5]

First listened to this Dr on the Zoe podcast talking about nutrition for every stage of your life. Absolutely fascinating. So I got the book and it is a more expanded form of the episode. An easy read, no difficult words or ideas to understand. Great tips for improving health and living healthily as you age. A must read for anyone planning to conceive too.

[Paul B · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is no doubt that this is full of good information but it fairly often feels like being marketed at (not surprisingly perhaps, given that the author is described as head nutritionist at Zoe). The style can be hard going at times, there are many superlatives and a lot of 'buzz words' but the depth of knowledge and expertise is clear too.

[Sarah Macdonald · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you follow the Zoe podcasts there won’t be much in this book you don’t already know. That said it is an engaging summary of the latest research on the gut microbiome and its impact on all bodily organs, particularly the brain. Worth knowing the last 20% of the book is essentially a summary of what has gone before (described as for reference) and the academic references.

[Mrs Susan Farrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

Excellent book if you are interested in food and nutrition. Gives research based information on what to eat at every different life stage from foetus to the end. Well written and very interesting. Highly recommended.

[Rob Tarling · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's true - every body should know this! The author is a scientific medical researcher working at ZOE - an AI company at the forefront of personalized preventative health, and so is well qualified to write this.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are so many books now covering this area of health and life longevity that there is nothing new here.

If it's your first dive into the topic then it might be a good starting point, although perhaps a little heavy in places for some readers.

[Callum Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Throughout January I’ve been trying to introduce the principles in this book. They’re simple, easy to follow and everything is well explained. Definitely made me aware and wanting to read further into the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet.

[Katia Gardner-Thorpe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought it was so informative and easy to read learning all about nutrition from birth until old life! Honestly such a new technology and absolutely must read!

[Jessie Demain · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really informative book that helped break down the importance of nutrition in every phase of life. Also very well written; all context and terminology was broken down. Really enjoyed it!

[Christopher · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book with lots of insights, although slightly repetitive in parts

[Jakki · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really interesting read, nutrition is key to your health. Looks into the different stages of a humans life

[Irene Calera · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was life-changing. I learnt a lot from it. Following her guidance has changed the way I see food, and I feel so much better!

[Lauren Brady · Rating 5 out of 5]

I mean yeah