Nutrition 101 {review}

I feel like I know a good bit about healthy eating from years of reading books, websites and researching various health issues my family has dealt with. But I didn’t have any single resource to teach this to my children until I got the opportunity to review Nutrition 101: Choose Life! book by Growing Healthy Homes.

An Overview

This 448-page book is a comprehensive course in nutrition divided into six units to cover the 12 main body systems:

1. The Brain and Nervous System
2. The Digestive System
3. The Respiratory, Olfactory, Auditory and Visual Systems
4. The muscular and Skeletal Systems
5. The Cardiovascular and Immune Systems
6. The Endocrine System & Emotions

I received the eBook which can be purchased as a CD-ROM for $79.95, but it can also be purchased as a printed book for $99.95.  This book can be used in a variety of ways. It could be a for credit health course for a high school student, used within a co-op or group, or in a homeschool setting for younger children. It can also just be a great tool for families to read and reference in more informal ways as they consider what healthy eating looks like in their home.

Each chapter includes information about the body systems and how food affects them. The Appendix is loaded with an activity guide, charts, articles and an answer key. In addition to colorful pages, the chapters include discussion questions, activities for all ages, additional resource books and websites, and loads of recipes.

Our Experience

I received this jam-packed eBook–Nutrition 101: Choose Life! – and am using it on my iPad (in PDF format in iBooks). I love the convenience of being able to read it digitally. The pages are so colorful and engaging, but I wouldn’t really want to print the whole thing out. The book is professionally produced and super appealing to read.

I think we eat fairly healthily, but as I read this book, I learned so much about the science behind the nutrition. It’s one thing to know that an occasional digestive cleanse is a good thing, but another to learn the reasoning behind it:

“70-80 percent of the immune system is in the digestive tract, it is imperative that we keep the digestive system clean and in top-notch working order.”

This book really helped me be able to put my finger on the facts behind all the good things I’ve learned over the years, as well as teach me much, much more.  And knowing ‘why’ makes it easier to stick with good eating habits, both for me and my children.

The kids and I read aloud chapters, discussing them and doing an interesting activity that related. For instance, after we read about the value of eating raw food, we fixed a yummy snack of raw fruit. Letting the kids help with preparation really makes them feel a part of the process and they are more likely to eat it up when they’ve participated. We also just talked about certain subjects in the natural course of the day, like why we take vitamins. I also found that my older elementary girls enjoyed reading the book on the iPad by themselves.

My Opinion

This book is a great resource for all families, whether you homeschool or not. Not only did I find it to be very comprehensive, but I also appreciated the point of view from which the book is written. It’s not the average mainstream information you’ll find elsewhere. This book includes information that I think is missing from your run-of-the-mill nutrition books and websites. But it’s not some extreme form of nutrition either. I love the balanced and Biblical point of view it presents. I also really appreciate the variety of activities it suggests for using this as a teaching tool.

In the short time we’ve had this book, I know we’ve only skimmed the surface of all it has to offer. I plan to refer to it often as a nutrition resource for my family. I also plan to use it exclusively when we study the human body more in-depth. It would be so easy to add this on to another curricula you were using for science.

I realize this resource isn’t cheap, but it is a in-depth and can be used as curriculum and then some. I’m happy to share a 15% discount code with my readers–TOSCrew11. Just enter that when you order and you’ll save the same as convention goers. There’s also a FREE webinar TOMORROW, Thursday, April 21st at 5:30 Eastern Time with one of the authors who was a former fast food queen. It will be worthwhile whether you buy the book or not. If you do decide to spend the money, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Take a peek at the SAMPLE and see what you think. I’m so thankful this is now part of our library.

Product: Nutrition 101: Choose Life!

Company: Growing Healthy Homes

Ages: All ages will benefit; preschoolers up to grandparents!

Price: $79.95 for CD-ROM; $99.95 for Book; $129.95 for both

Deals:  Don’t forget to use the PROMO CODE “TOSCrew11″

See a SAMPLE on their site before you buy.

Visit the Review Crew blog to find links to more reviews of this product.