A Must Read Book: The Unhealthy Truth

In a world of Facebook influence I recently bought a book that has changed the way I think about food.    I used to not care one bit about what I was putting in my body until I had children.  Little Sister has eczema and I can’t help but wonder what is going on inside her body to cause it.  When she was only one-year-old she was diagnosed with Premature Thelarche (Premature thelarche is a benign, self-limiting condition which is characterised by breast development with no other signs of sexual maturation).  What in the world is happening inside that tiny little body?

When I heard about The Unhealthy Truth: One Mother’s Shocking Investigation into the Dangers of America’s Food Supply– and What Every Family Can Do to Protect Itself I didn’t know what to think.  I am not *that* mom – the one who shops at Whole Foods all the time.  The one who doesn’t allow her kid to eat birthday cakes because they are filled with food dyes (heck, we made a very cool Rainbow Cake one year).  I wasn’t that mom – the one that freaked out about everything.

But maybe I am that mom.  Last year I read Unjunk Your Junk Food which had my wheels turning. Items with high fructose corn syrup and propylene glycol didn’t make it from the supermarket to our shelves.  Ok……I am not perfect…..some items did, but there was a definite decrease.

Apparently I do care about what I am feeding my family.  But I had not researched food issues.  Who has time for that?  The Unhealthy Truth is the perfect jumping off point to help see what is going on in the world of food.  This book is written by a mom whose daughter was diagnosed with a peanut allergy.  Robyn O’Brien chronicles some recent changes to the way that our food is made that is eye opening.  She points out who is sleeping with who in the government and food industry and how easy it was for some foods to be deemed as safe and how impossible it is for others to be acknowledged as unsafe.

I am a psychology major.  I am married to a math major.  I know first hand that numbers can be manipulated and that if you look hard enough you can find research that supports anything.  I don’t think this book is perfect, but I do think it is a must read if you are just starting to think about how food has changed in the past 20 years.  The food I ate as a young child is incredibly different than the food that I feed my children today.

Purchase this book so you have it in your collection and can share with others.  I gave it to one of my friends just yesterday.  Or check to see if you local library has it and give it a thorough read.

Disclaimer: This review is in no way related to The Unhealthy Truth.  I purchased this book with my own money.  All opinions are completely honest and my own.  This post does contain an affiliate link.