In The Big Fat Surprise, investigative journalist Nina Teicholz reveals the unthinkable: that everything we thought we knew about dietary fat is wrong. She documents how the low-fat nutrition advice of the past 60 years has amounted to a vast uncontrolled experiment on the entire population, with disastrous consequences for our health.

For decades, we have been told that the best possible diet involves cutting back on fat, especially saturated fat, and that if we are not getting healthier or thinner it must be because we are not trying hard enough. But what if the low-fat diet is itself the problem? What if the very foods we’ve been denying ourselves—the creamy cheeses, the sizzling steaks—are themselves the key to reversing the epidemics of obesity, diabetes and heart disease?

In this captivating vibrant, and convincing narrative, based on a nine-year-long investigation, Teicholz shows how the misinformation about saturated fats took hold in the scientific community and the public imagination, and how recent findings have overturned these beliefs. She explains why the Mediterranean Diet is not the healthiest, and how we might be replacing trans fats with something even worse. This startling history demonstrates how nutrition science has gotten it so wrong: how overzealous researchers, through a combination of ego, bias and premature institutional consensus, have allowed dangerous misrepresentations to become dietary dogma.

With eye-opening scientific rigor, The Big Fat Surprise upends the conventional wisdom about all fats with the groundbreaking claim that more, not less, dietary fat—including saturated fat—is what leads to better health and wellness. Science shows that we have been needlessly avoiding meat, cheese, whole milk and eggs for decades and that we can now, guilt-free, welcome these delicious foods back into our lives.

A leading light in the field of medicinal herb cultivation, The Chinese Medicinal Herb Farm is the first cultivation guide of its kind, and presents invaluable information for growers interested in producing high-quality efficacious herbs in all climates of the US, with the historical connectedness of ancient practitioners. It has become increasingly important-especially as the market for herbal medicine continues to grow-that we transition to local and domestic medicinal cultivation. Increasingly there are concerns in regards to not only the quality but the purity of imported herbs, and wild herbs picked for medicinal purposes are ever more endangered than in past years both at home and abroad. Peg Schafer, longtime grower and teacher, guides readers with information on propagating, cultivating, and harvesting Chinese herbs, and presents fascinating new scientific data that reveal the age-old wisdom of nature and the traditional systems of Chinese medicine. Through 79 detailed herb profiles--all tested and trialed on Schafer's certified organic farm-Schafer offers easy-to-follow information, suitable for both growers and practitioners, for growing efficacious wild-simulated herbs. Also included is important information on species conservation, crop integration, and how to avoid the introduction of invasive species. Sidebars on traditional medicinal uses for each herb and delicious recipes are also featured throughout. Vegetable and CSA farmers will find this book of great interest for adding value-added crops to their repertoire, and beginner growers looking to incorporate medicinals into their gardens will find this an invaluable guide to understanding where herbal medicine comes from, and will make eating-your-medicine more accessible than ever.

For a growing number of people, simplicity has been a path to experience the joy in life, to cherish its richness and vitality. It strips away the burdens of our daily lives so that we are left with exhilaration, spirit and fullness. These people are finding that less -- less work, less rushing, less debt -- is more -- more time with family and friends, more time with community, more time with nature, and more time to develop a meaningful and compelling spirituality.

In The Circle of Simplicity: Return to the Good Life, author Cecile Andrews helps you discover and create the good life for yourself. She is renowned for her workshops on voluntary simplicity and her seminars on creating simplicity circles, where people explore their own life stories and share information and knowledge, helping one another develop lives of simplicity and satisfaction. The circles do not only give people the tools to change, but they also fill unmet needs for community and intimacy and the desire to search for truth in the company of kindred spirits.

Part vegan beauty how-to, part cookbook, and part self-improvement manifesto, The Compassionate Chick's Guide to DIY Beauty showcases nontoxic, rejuvenating, and restorative skin care and beauty products that you can whip up in your kitchen with simple ingredients for pennies per treatment. Everything you need to know about making your own vegan cosmetics is here, from the benefits of going vegan and why it's important to only use products that haven't been tested on animals to a complete list of what you'll need to get started (from the ingredients to the equipment).

Essential oils are described as the "life force" or "essence" of plants. The most wonderful thing about essential oils is that they are available to everyone, and they are simple to use once the basic concepts are understood and the appropriate methods and procedures are observed.

The best known way to use essential oils is through massage. In this comprehensive book there are many more ways to use the oils, for everything from arthritis and asthma to high blood pressure and constipation. Essential oils are now emerging as scientifically proven and accepted remedies for a variety of common conditions. The how and why certain oils heal still remains mysterious. Oils can help treat everyday ailments, whether it be strengthening the immune system, fighting bacteria and viruses, or lowering stress levels. They can be used to tone, relax and strengthen muscles. These oils help the body heal itself.

This book features 109 oils and 450 remedies. The recipes are easy to follow, do not take a long time to make, and are quite inexpensive … the biggest cost is the oils. The oils are organized alphabetically, and each entry features the botanical name, a full description of how and why the oil is extracted, and its therapeutic uses.

Angelica for example has a sweet, rich smell, is excellent in all skin care preparations both as a tonic and to soften and smooth rough, dry skin. It reduces inflammation and can be useful when applied to irritated skin. As a massage oil it purifies the body and acts as a lymphatic stimulator, draining the body of excess fluid, increasing energy and generally quickening the functioning of glands. It's also an excellent tonic for the entire digestive system as it strengthens the liver, stimulates appetite, aids digestion and generally boosts the whole digestive system.

Author Nerys Purchon was one of Australia's leading experts on herbs, aromatherapy and essential oils. Her books have sold more than 300,000 copies worldwide.

The Everything Giant Book of Juicing is packed with 300 recipes for fresh, delicious and easy juices for nutrition on the run.

The Everything Soapmaking Book, 3rd Edition is a comprehensive guide to making all kinds of soap, whether you want to decorate your home or pamper your skin or your family's skin. Homemade soap is not only an easy project for any level of craft lover, but it's beautiful, too!

A major outdoor survival book, The Extreme Survival Almanac is unlike anything else on the market. It’s written specifically for regular folks who may be suddenly forced to survive in the wilderness without assistance … and with no planning, specialized training nor equipment. This remote-area survival manual provides clear decision-making guidelines to walk you step-by-step from the first signs of trouble all the way through to rescue. It outlines specific courses of action for every type of survival scenario imaginable, including thousands of useful tips, directions and suggestions that can be understood and followed by the panicked and possibly injured layman stranded in the woods, in a vehicle or at sea.

Sections are devoted to topics like surviving in land-locked settings, including in the desert or in the tundra, as well as surviving at sea. Each section covers the basics for survival in detail, including how to create shelter and find water or food in each scenario. Also included are appendices with navigation tools and maps detailing unique information such as prevailing ocean current patterns, prevailing wind patterns and common commercial flight routs.

Delicious wild edible plants and mushrooms are abundant throughout North America, not only in the wilderness but in urban areas, too. Learn how to identify, harvest, and eat the tastiest plants in your backyard. Dandelion flowers become wine, Japanese knotweed becomes rhubarb-like compote and tangy sorbet, red clover blossoms give quick bread a delightfully spongy texture and hint of sweetness.

The Forgotten Pollinators explores the vital but little-appreciated relationship between plants and the animals they depend on for reproduction: bees, beetles, butterflies, hummingbirds, moths, bats and countless other animals -- some widely recognized and other almost unknown.

In The Fungal Pharmacy, noted herbalist Robert Rogers introduces readers to more than 300 species of medicinal mushrooms and lichens found in North America. These fungi, Rogers explains, have the capacity to heal both the body and, through the process of mycoremediation, the planet itself. Throughout the book, he documents their success in optimizing the immune system and treating a wide range of acute and chronic diseases, including cardiovascular, respiratory, and liver problems, blood sugar disorders, cancer, and obesity.

More than just a warm and comforting drink, tea has medicinal properties that are widely underused in North America. Common herbs, spices, fruits, and barks have been scientifically proven to help relieve pain, menopause symptoms, high blood pressure, insomnia, stress, and digestive angst. The Good Living Guide to Medicinal Tea invites readers into a world of medicinal plants, instructs on the specific healing properties of each, matches them to ten 10 common North American health disorders, and provides simple tea recipes that readers can make in their own homes.

Country Living magazine knows that beautiful handcrafted accents are as essential a part of a home, sweet home as a comfy cushion to sink into at the end of a long day. Whether it's richly indulgent herbal soaps, vintage-inspired woven pillows, a keepsake family album, or beeswax tapers to illuminate a dinner party, the 75 projects in this varied collection will warm your heart … and give a personal touch to every room in the house.

Covering everything from cooking, canning and preserving to making your own nontoxic home and personal care products, this fresh take on modern homemaking will help you make the most of your time, effort and energy in the kitchen and beyond.

These areas include the creative power of the human spirit, food, water, fitness, sleep, nature, relationships and hands-on techniques.

This reference guide is organized by category, from apothecary essentials to eye health and sweet slumber to skin soothers. Within each section are articles and profiles of plant and herbs that help each specific area. The Herb Companion's Guide to Healing Herbs is filled with articles that are full of helpful tips, advice, recipes, photographs and more to help you fight back against flu-season.

The Herb Lover’s Spa Book shows how easy it is to grow and prepare therapeutic herbs for a custom spa experience in the comfort of your own home. It helps you unplug, relax and make the world go away. Since the days of Cleopatra, we have been in search of the "Spa Experience": a mystical place of white fluffy towels, populated by the finest of facial masks and lotions. But this vision of relaxation can come with a hefty price tag. That is about to change. In her new book, herb gardener, spa enthusiast and award-winning garden designer Sue Goetz shows us how to create the luxury spa experience in our own home, featuring fragrant, therapeutic herbs from the garden. With lavish photos throughout, this book gives the reader simple steps for growing and preparing herbs for the home spa: aromatherapy oils, lotions, tub teas, masks, scrubs, sachets, travel bath mixes and more. It has never been easier to enjoy the spa ambiance and let the stress of the day melt away.

Kitchen pharmacy meets green cleaning and natural beauty in this comprehensive handbook. Expert herbalist Pip Waller provides 501 recipes that harness the power of plants to enhance wellness and toxin-free living. Within these pages, you’ll find a wealth of information about growing, collecting, preserving and preparing herbs for a variety of purposes … from cleaning products to food and drink, medicines, beauty products, and more. Attractive and easy to use, The Herbal Handbook for Home and Health includes growing tips and profiles of herbs, guidelines for setting up an herbalist's kitchen, and techniques to make everything from tinctures to tonics. A valuable resource for anyone affected by allergies or sensitivities, this compendium is handsomely produced with two-color printing throughout and more than 300 striking illustrations.

The handbook includes contributions from herbalists from around the world and encompasses recipes that range from simple to complex. Seasoned herbalists as well as those just beginning to explore the world of herbs will find something to start their own nontoxic, nonallergenic domestic revolution.

The book includes:

• A history of herbal lore
• The herbalist's kitchen: equipment and procedures for harnessing the power of plants
• Green cleaning products (from floor wax to stain removers)
• Herbal pharmacy (from throat lozenges to hangover cures)
• Nutritional supplements and detoxes
• First aid (from anti-anxiety drops to bruise ointment)
• Travel companions (insect repellant to anti-nausea drops)
• Food and drink (breads, butters, wines, teas)
• Beauty and balms (toothpaste to shampoo to lip balm)
• Kitchen pharmacy
• Food and drink
• Personal care