My cholesterol numbers aren't terrific, so I've been making incremental changes to my diet for the last fifteen months with the goal of improving my "ratio" and my health in general. At the same time, I've been trying to reduce my body fat percentage by losing a little weight and increasing my strength. I've read a few exercise books that touch on nutrition, and I've been regularly reading Men's Health magazine and the Consumer Reports "On Health" newsletter. I've also tried to apply some common sense to the task, taking an "everything in moderation" approach. With this strategy, I was decreasing my intake of trans fats and processed grains, and increasing my intake of whole grains, poly- and mono-unsaturated oils. Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy affirms the changes I've made and suggests a few more.

Willett's approach to nutrition is based on rock-solid science. He's not interested in fads, and he's very circumspect in his recommendations. All of the advice he gives in this book is based on long-term, large-scale nutritional studies, and he provides plenty of supporting evidence for his claims without ever becoming pedantic. He details an alternative to the USDA food pyramid that isn't paid for by special interests (such as the dairy- and grain- farmers lobbies). The advice boils down to (roughly in order of importance):

1. maintain a stable, healthy weight
2. replace saturated fats and trans fats with unsaturated fats
3. substitute whole-grain carbohydrates for refined-grain carbohydrates
4. choose healthier sources of protein by trading red meat for nuts, beans, chicken, and fish
5. eat plenty of vegetables and fruits (in as wide a variety as possible)
6. use alcohol in moderation
7. take a daily multivitamin for insurance (Vitamin E supplements look like a good bet for most people too)

There's nothing Earth-shaking here, and it lines up very well with the Mediterranean and low-glycemic diets (though it doesn't exclude some alternative approaches). I can't recommend this highly enough to anyone who cares about eating well to improve their health. It may be a little more expensive to eat right, but it's a worthwhile investment.

P.S. The book also includes an extensive section with recipes. I can't comment on those, since I don't have much interest in them myself.