Is this book for you?
Every Body Should Know This
Read it if…
- You're tired of conflicting nutrition advice and want to know what the science actually says.
- You know you should eat better but struggle to turn that into everyday choices.
- You want to eat well for the stage of life you're in now.
- You feed a family and want guidance that covers children, adults and older relatives.
- You've enjoyed Tim Spector's books or the ZOE podcast.
Watch the summary
What the book is about
Most of us already know the basics: eat more vegetables, less refined sugar and fewer ultra-processed foods. The hard part is knowing what matters most, and acting on it when the food around us is built by marketing rather than by health.
Dr Federica Amati brings together nutrition science, medicine and public health to give a clear, evidence-based guide to eating well. Her big idea is that what your body needs changes through life, so the book walks through each stage and shows how food can protect your health now and as you age.
What’s inside
Nutrition for life The idea that runs through the book: food supports your health differently at every stage, and it’s never too late to make changes that count.
Before and during pregnancy Why nutrition matters even before conception, and how it shapes a child’s health from the very start.
Childhood and growing up How to build healthy eating habits in children and teenagers, and why those early years carry through to adulthood.
Adult life and beyond What changes in the middle years and later life, and how food choices can support longevity.
Superfoods and ultra-processed foods What the evidence really says about both, so you can cut through the headlines.
One size doesn’t fit all Practical strategies for men, women and children, with targeted tips for each life stage.
Who wrote it
Dr Federica Amati is a medical scientist and registered public health nutritionist. She holds a PhD in Clinical Medicine Research from Imperial College London, a master’s in Public Health and an MSc in Global Health Nutrition from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and is registered with the Association for Nutrition.
She is Head Nutritionist and Head of Science Communications at the health science company ZOE, where she works alongside Professor Tim Spector, and Head of Nutrition Science at WellFounded Health. She also wrote Recipes for a Better Menopause.
What readers are saying
What they love: Readers like that it’s grounded in research rather than trends, and that the advice is practical and clearly explained. Many find the life-stage structure especially useful, because they can go straight to the chapters that fit them or the people they cook for.
What well-known names said: Tim Spector called it “A fascinating DIY guide to food and health”. Steven Bartlett said “A must read”, Davina McCall called it “Truly amazing and completely transformative”, and the Daily Telegraph praised it as a definitive guide to what to eat, when and why.
Quick facts
- Author
- Dr Federica Amati
- Publisher
- Penguin (paperback), Michael Joseph (hardback)
- Length
- 320 pages
- Published
- 25 April 2024 (hardback), 2025 (paperback)
- Formats
- Hardback, paperback, ebook and audiobook, read by the author
- Recognition
- Instant Sunday Times bestseller
- Reading time
- Around 6 to 7 hours
- Difficulty
- Easy to moderate. No science background needed.
Our verdict
If you're fed up with diet fads and mixed messages, this is the book that finally makes sense of what to eat. Dr Federica Amati follows the whole life course, from before conception to later life, so the advice fits where you are now. Dip into the chapters for your own stage, then come back as life changes. The audiobook is read by the author, at just over seven hours.
WillYouRead.com is independent and not affiliated with the author or publisher. This page is not medical or dietary advice. If you have a health condition or specific dietary needs, please speak to your GP or a registered dietitian.
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