Really clear and accessible, found it easy to listen to. It didn’t feel complicated even over audiobook, great title to debunk classic diet myths.

“Would you rather be healthy and fat or unhealthy and thin?”

Wolrich poses that the fact that you hesitate when you’re faced with that question is part of the problem which has lead to such huge problems of weight stigma in the western world. Fat is somehow seen as a problem not just a descriptive word, no matter the health. And thin is hailed as the goal no matter what.

In the first part of the book, Wolrich debunks some of the common arguments for this stigma, including an enlightening history of the BMI scale. This section really made me think about my relationship with my body and how I talk to myself. It’s so easy to internalise what society tells you without thinking about it and we don’t deserve to do that to ourselves.

The second part of the book then turns to debunking some common myths about food, what Wolrich calls ‘Nutribollocks’ – my new favourite word.

He talks in detail about how people praise this or that food and claim it can heal you from certain illnesses because of the nutrients they have in them. But as Wolrich says, we eat food not nutrition. Just because a food has a nutrient in it doesn’t mean it has those properties. Monster drinks have a chemical in that can help with PCOS, but that doesn’t mean monster is prescribed as a cure and you would never think it did, so why do we (as a society) fall for this with so called ‘healthy’ foods and miracle cures.

Food is not medicine.

I’ve been following Dr Wolrich on Instagram for a long while now, and he’s such a recommended follow, calling out posts for being misleading or just downright lying, and bringing a voice of reason into a field of shouting buffoons.

The audiobook that I listened to (thanks to NetGalley) was narrated by the author and I was so glad for this, he has such an easy voice to listen to, presenting everything clearly and in a really straightforward manner, which must have been difficult given the nature of the book and some of the more complex topics being discussed.

I was given this book from NetGalley in exchange for a review, but I’ll be heading straight out to buy a copy of this as I think it’s so important.

A very informative read!

This is a thought-provoking book that raises so many interesting questions. I don't personally agree with everything the author mentions in his book but it's definitely worth a read.

Will definitely recommend.

I would like to thank the Publishers, NetGalley, and the Author for sending me a copy of this book.

I rarely read and review non-fiction, and even more rarely do I listen to audiobooks, but I decided to make an exception with Food Isn't Medicine because the premise sounded just too interesting not to. At a time when we're bombarded by diet messaging, adverts and fake news surrounding nutrition, the idea of listening to a doctor setting the record straight really appealed to me. And boy, did he do a good job of it!

Food Isn't Medicine is the book on nutrition I never knew I needed. It unpacks so many of the lies we've been fed over the years (pardon the pun), debunking several myths and exposing diet culture for what it really is. Backed up with actual science, this book was also eye-opening to me in explaining how all those studies that claim so many conflicting things actually come about, and what some of the flaws behind the research processes can actually skew results.

I found the author's reflections and integration of a social perspective fantastic as well. Inequalities and privilege play a massive role in nutrition (and health in general) and have so far often been missing from public discourse. I was amazed at my own ignorance in this respect, as I really had no idea at what massive inequalities still exist in our societies in terms of access to fresh food and appliances that I have so far taken for granted. In this, Food Isn't Medicine reads as a critique of modern Western society as much as an informational book on nutrition.

Joshua Wolrich is a brilliant narrator for the audiobook, going at just the right pace for me to try to convince myself that I can actually keep up with all the more sciency bits. Everything is really clearly explained and he included a handy glossary right at the beginning. My only issue is that listening to this as an audiobook I couldn't easily go back to reread a passage that particularly resonated with me, look up a word in the glossary again, or take notes. This is an issue I have with audiobooks in general, but I really felt like this one would have worked better for me as a physical book.

Overall, Food Isn't Medicine is an informative, entertaining and eye-opening look at food, nutrition and diet culture delivered with kindness and empathy. I also loved the fact that the author included trigger warnings throughout! Definitely a book I'll refer to again in the future.

Food Isn't Medicine is absolutely fascinating! As someone who has struggled with their weight for quite some time now I have heard the majority of the 'nutribollocks' (fake food info) that Joshua Wolrich covers, explains, and totally debunks in this book. It was so interesting to find out where some of the info has come from and how people came to the conclusions that they did about different foods / food groups. He manages to cover a wide range of popular diets such as keto and intermittent fasting along with lifestyle choices like veganism. And I felt like this information was really helpful. It's hard when you struggle with your weight and your food to know what is right and what is wrong in a world full of 'experts' all trying to give you their advice. With so many competing and contradictory ideas being banded about it's nice to have someone explain it all in an unbiased neutral way. Also of particular interest were the parts about how different foods do / do not affect our health. I mean, some of the health claims that people / businesses make are just down right dangerous!
The whole message of the book for me is that when we start trying to treat food as more than just food it can lead to disordered eating in any of it's various forms. We need to go back to basics and see food for what it really is. I loved Joshua's anecdotes of his own periods of disordered eating and the 'fixes' he tried and how he came to learn how to overcome them.
I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by the author himself and he did a fab job. He was really engaging and interesting to listen to. This is definitely a book I want to listen to again and would also be great to go back over specific chapters to keep me on the right path whenever 'nutribollocks' is trying to creep into my brain.

When I came across this book, I was hoping for a quick easy fix to the emotional eating habits I tend to fall back on. You know, read the book and be instantly cured etc.
Well “Food isn’t medicine” isn’t that of course but it’s a lot more Instead.
Both the tone and main theme of the book i-are represented well by the opening chapter . In it, we learn about how a difference of opinion on whether food is medicine lead to Justin Bieber telling the author to f*ck off on social media.
There are also amusing moments throughout the following chapters. Favourite moment: The Great Beyonce Apple Fail.

The fact that the author draws on his personal experience with disordered eating meant the book was relatable and engaging rather than yet another doctor wagging their finger and giving us a shaming lecture.

The book concentrates on enlightening the reader about the fallacies in the “nutrib*llocks” nutrition fake news we are often fed by the media and those in the diet industry.
The book is informative and thought provoking. The narration by the author is engaging and entertaining. At certain points, I found the medical terminology and wealth of research is a little overwhelming but overall it’s easily accessible to someone with no prior knowledge and will be great to refer back to later.

I finished listening to the audiobook feeling upbeat about what I could achieve on a personal level.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and Penguin Random House UK for the opportunity to review this audiobook in exchange for an honest opinion .

I’ve been following Dr Joshua Wolrich on my personal Instagram account for a few years now so I’ve been really excited about this release.
This book is your one stop shop for everything he talks about on social media: the terrifying reality of the BMI scale and it’s misuse, the impact of weight discrimination, the seemingly endless claims that [insert food here] causes cancer and so much more.
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If you don’t know Wolrich, but you’re fed up with insidious diet culture and dangerous health claims, this isn’t a bad starting point.
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I listened to the audiobook which was really well done and easy to follow considering just how detailed some of the science got at times. I will be purchasing the physical copy as well to underline and use as a reference for the next time diet culture infiltrates. It always does which is why books like this are so important.

**listened to audiobook**

Well, this book has certainly given me a lot of food for thought - pardon the pun!
Dr Joshua Wolrich looks at the 'fake-news' in the food, health and nutrition industry. It is pretty eye opening. A lot of things he mentions I have heard within the news or on social media. Dr Wolrich explains how damaging some of these claims are - very worrying. It's very easy to get sucked in to some of the food-fads, particularly when you don't know a lot yourself. I thought I could trust these claims, but obviously I can't. At the same time, I am now unsure about all of the things Dr Wolrich has said too. I just don't know what to believe and feel a baffled.
I enjoyed listening to this, but it left me feeling slightly uneasy. I need to do more research into these ideas me thinks! Despite confusing me at times, it certainly is very interesting and a good topic for debate and conversation!

As someone recovering from disordered eating, this audiobook was a breath of fresh air: no pseudoscience here. The author (who does an excellent job of reading the audiobook) has earned my respect on social media. His book provides a much-needed dose of nutrition literacy, evidence and personal experience to guide listeners through the fraught foodscape. Food most definitely isn’t medicine - he’s convinced me of that! - but this book *is* a cure for culinary anxieties. Highly recommended.

Myth busting book read by the author, goes through majority of recent trendy diets and gives an overview. Use to go and research some more if you are affected, with so many media reports without data to back up claims this book will give you some actual facts. Delivered in a common sense way, taking into account the reality of modern western way of life. Make up your own mind. I will refer to this book again especially the cancer section. Thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook.

So much respect for Joshua Wolrich with this absolute gem of a book! The world needs to read this. Everyone who has ever tried a diet, started a diet, in the diet industry, ‘fitfluencers’ and pretty much every other breathing human on the planet NEEDS to read this.

There is so much diet stigma, deeply encapsulated myths and straight up nutrib*llocks (best word in the human language in my opinion). I think pretty much everyone has fallen prey to diet scams and influenced by those around us - well fear no more! With this book in hand you will have all within your arsenal, to swat all the harmful nutrib*llock rubbish away.

There’s also trigger warnings included by the author which is fab, and it’s written with so much respect, delicacy and sensitivity as well. It’s certainly not an on the pedestal account and derogatory to anyone who follows any type of lifestyle or diet. You don’t get a dressing down for being a victim of diet scams or for diets you follow but instead, replaces new foundations and builds you up in a friendly and informative way.

I love that Joshua explained a glossary of terms at the beginning to help further understanding with scientific terms and throughout he made sure all the information was disseminated perfectly for every kind of reader. It really is perfect for everyone. I’m a scientist and an ex powerlifter with a love for fitness - and with that, yes, I have fallen prey to so so many complicated weight and diet patterns. I was the girl diligently logging calories on my fitness pal and to that girl, I wish this book had been given to her! I’m so happy this book is out for so many people that need it. (For anyone that’s interested I did break out of these patterns and now practice an intuitive eating approach!)

I listened to the audiobook and it was narrated absolutely brilliantly. It made for very easy listening and it was so so entertaining and very enlightening.

He addresses nuance and privilege too, the HAES approach and all sorts of things I hadn’t encountered or heard of before even if I thought I had a fair amount of prior knowledge, there’s always more to learn and I learnt so much from this book.

I’ve been following Joshua for a while on Instagram and I know how much of a brilliant human he is and this book just further reinforces that. It was great to find out more about him too as well as the topic of the book and it was all fantastically balanced. Hearing about some of his encounters and exchanges (of which I occasionally encounter on Instagram) was brilliant. It’s also laugh out loud funny at times and I really do love a non fiction book with a bit of humour!

So I can’t seem to stop writing about this book and singing it’s praises (= long review sorry!)

In a nutshell - Fab, brill, perfect, illuminating, informative, very inclusive, greatly written (and narrated if you’re listening to the audiobook) and everyone and his dog should read it. Oh and I have also ordered and bought this book as a physical copy too as my bookshelf and life need it. If you come across this book - read it! You won’t regret it.