The Powerfood Nutrition Plan

Susan Kleiner is an accomplished authority in the world of sports nutrition. With an alphabet-soup list of credentials beside her name (PhD, RD, FACN, CNS, FISSN) and an impeccable real-world savvy to back it up, Kleiner takes us down a path towards improving mood, burning fat, building muscle, enhancing athletic ability and more.

The book is geared specifically towards active, but not necessarily athletic guys, and speaks in a down-to-earth language with a candor and comprehensiveness I found refreshing.

The Powerfood Nutrition Plan is guide for active men of all ages and situations. “Eating right can change your life” is the message of this book in which Kleiner explains in detail how food helps the following pressing issues for men;

• Mood and Brain Power
• Weight Loss
• Muscle Gain
• Athletic Performance
• Daily Health
• Longevity
• Sex
• Appearance
• An all-in-one plan for generic health

Personally, I think one of the highlights of the book is the inclusion of a multitude of 7 day meal plans to address each goal. While many of these plans would have cross-over benefits, it provides some substantial variety. Also scattered throughout the book are helpful sidebars and charts that contain (among other things) lists of foods that either enhance or stunt the progress of whichever goal you are trying to achieve.

There are particularly interesting sub-sections on “Who can you trust” when it comes to nutritional advice. Here, Dr. Kleiner cautions against messages from food companies, media, the health care industry and even nutritionists! This is done in a tactful way that doesn’t come across as hysteria.

She addresses supplements in every section of the book and gives concise and honest reviews of the various products on the market. The only ones she explicitly recommends are multivitamins and protein powder.

I think this book can really benefit everyone from the weekend warrior all the way up to the high-end athlete. Those who are sedentary and needing a larger dose of mindset/lifestyle changes and motivation will likely require something a little more remedial. Further, if you are looking for one specific issue such as weight loss, this book may be too multi-faceted. All-in-all, this book is worthy of taking up space on your bookshelf.