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Staying Healthy with Nutrition, Rev by Elson M. Haas and Buck Levin Review: An Encyclopedic Reference for Serious Nutrition Seekers
A revised, encyclopedic guide to diet and nutrition co-authored by integrative medicine physician Dr. Elson M. Haas and Dr. Buck Levin, this 944-page reference compiles decades of clinical experience and scientific research into a structured, four-part volume covering nutritional building blocks, food and diet evaluation, environmental health, and lifestage-specific programs — earning an endorsement from Andrew Weil, M.D. as "an excellent guide for those wishing to make smarter dietary choices."
LuvemBooks Verdict
Best for
Readers who want a serious, structured single-volume nutrition reference — from general readers building nutritional literacy to students of dietetics or integrative medicine seeking a consolidated clinical foundation.
Worth it if
Worth it if you want one authoritative, encyclopedic nutrition reference on the shelf that covers macronutrients, global dietary approaches, environmental health, and lifestage-specific protocols in depth, written by credentialed integrative medicine practitioners.
Skip if
Skip it if you're looking for a concise, prescriptive diet plan or need cutting-edge guidance on rapidly evolving topics like specific supplement research or mood-disorder protocols, as the 2006 publication date means some areas will require cross-referencing with more recent science.
What readers & critics say
Publisher and retailer listings retrieved from Penguin Random House and ThriftBooks describe the revised edition as an encyclopedic volume compiling decades of practical experience and scientific research, presented in an easy-to-use format with a friendly, engaging tone. The author's own site (elsonhaasmd.com) characterises it as "an improved and expansive look at nutrition and health" drawn from Haas and Levin's combined clinical findings.
Sources: Penguin Random House, ThriftBooks, elsonhaasmd.com4.6from 381 Amazon ratings— reader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score
In This Review
- What Works & What Doesn't
- What the Book Is and What It Covers
- Scope, Depth, and the Revised Edition's Expansions
- Credentials and Authority Behind the Content
- Limitations and Considerations for the Reader
- Who This Book Is Genuinely For
What Works & What Doesn't
What Works
- Encyclopedic in scope, covering nutritional building blocks, global food and diet evaluation, environmental health factors, and lifestage-specific programs in one structured volume
- Co-authored by credentialed practitioners — Dr. Haas brings 40 years of integrative family medicine experience and ten published books on nutrition and health
- Revised edition features newly expanded chapters on special supplements, lifestage programs, and treatment protocols for conditions including anxiety, ADHD, depression, fatigue, and weight management
- Endorsed by Andrew Weil, M.D., who calls it 'an excellent guide for those wishing to make smarter dietary choices'
- Four-part organizational structure is designed for accessibility, allowing readers to navigate a nearly 1,000-page reference without reading it cover to cover
What Doesn't
- At 944 pages, the encyclopedic format is not suited to readers seeking a concise, prescriptive diet plan
- Published in 2006, some rapidly evolving topics — such as specific supplement research, environmental chemical guidelines, and mood-disorder protocols — will have been updated by subsequent science, requiring readers to cross-reference current sources
A landmark of integrative nutrition literature, this revised edition remains one of the most comprehensive single-volume references available to general readers and health professionals alike.
What the Book Is and What It Covers
Staying Healthy with Nutrition, rev: The Complete Guide to Diet and Nutritional Medicine by Elson M. Haas, Buck Levin front cover
Staying Healthy with Nutrition, Rev: The Complete Guide to Diet is a reference guide — not a memoir, cookbook, or narrative — authored by Dr. Elson M. Haas, an integrative family medicine practitioner and founder of the Preventive Medical Center of Marin in San Rafael, California, and Dr. Buck Levin. Together they draw on decades of practical clinical experience and scientific research. The book is organized into four major parts. Part One delivers a detailed analysis of nutrition's foundational building blocks: water, carbohydrates, proteins, fats and oils, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Part Two evaluates food groups and diets, ranging across most dietary approaches found around the world. A dedicated chapter on the environment and nutrition addresses food additives, industrial chemicals, food irradiation, and electro-pollution. Part Four provides lifestage-specific programs and nutritional protocols. This architectural clarity gives readers a logical path through an otherwise vast subject.
Scope, Depth, and the Revised Edition's Expansions
What distinguishes this revised edition from its predecessor is a set of newly expanded chapters. The book adds coverage of special supplements, lifestage programs, and what the publisher describes as breakthrough medical treatment protocols for fatigue, viruses, weight management, and mental and mood disorders — including anxiety, ADHD, and depression. These additions reflect shifts in both clinical practice and public health concern since the original edition. The result is an encyclopedic volume that, as Penguin Random House's description notes, is designed to present authoritative health and nutrition information in an easy-to-use format and a friendly, engaging tone. Andrew Weil, M.D., author of Healthy Aging, calls it "an excellent guide for those wishing to make smarter dietary choices" — a notable endorsement given Weil's own standing in integrative medicine.
Credentials and Authority Behind the Content
The credibility of the content rests substantially on its authors' professional backgrounds. Dr. Haas is described by his publisher as an integrative family medicine practitioner with 40 years of healthcare experience and the author of ten books on health, nutrition, and detoxification, including Staying Healthy with the Seasons, The Detox Diet, and The False Fat Diet. Dr. Buck Levin's contributions bring additional research depth to the collaboration. This is not a general-interest wellness title assembled by a generalist writer — it is a clinical reference shaped by practitioners who have applied these principles in patient care. Readers who want a volume grounded in professional medical and nutritional science, rather than popular diet trends alone, will find that pedigree meaningful.
Limitations and Considerations for the Reader
The very comprehensiveness that makes this book valuable also defines its primary limitation: at 944 pages, it is a substantial commitment, and readers seeking a quick, prescriptive diet plan will find the format more demanding than a streamlined popular health title. The revised edition was published in 2006 by Celestial Arts, which means that while the foundational science of macronutrients and micronutrients remains durable, some of the specific protocols — particularly those addressing emerging research on supplements, environmental chemicals, or mood disorders — will have been superseded by nearly two decades of subsequent research. Readers relying on it for up-to-the-minute clinical guidance on rapidly evolving topics should cross-reference with more recent sources. This is a structural reality of any encyclopedic reference of this scale, not a flaw unique to this title, but it is worth weighing.
Who This Book Is Genuinely For
Staying Healthy with Nutrition, Rev is designed for readers who want a serious, structured, and thorough reference rather than a trend-driven diet book. Its four-part architecture makes it navigable for general readers building nutritional literacy from the ground up, while its depth and clinical framing also suit students of nutrition, dietetics, or integrative medicine who want a consolidated foundational resource. Readers who appreciate Dr. Haas's other titles — or who come to this book through an interest in integrative and preventive medicine — will find his collaborative work with Dr. Levin to be among the most thorough expressions of that perspective available in a single volume. For households that want one authoritative nutrition reference on the shelf, this revised edition has served that role for many readers.
Frequently Asked Questions
is Staying Healthy with Nutrition, rev: The Complete Guide to Diet by Elson M. Haas, Buck Levin worth reading
For anyone who wants a serious, structured nutrition reference rather than a trend-driven diet book, the review says it stands as "a landmark of integrative nutrition literature" and one of the most comprehensive single-volume resources available to both general readers and health professionals. Andrew Weil, M.D., author of Healthy Aging, calls it "an excellent guide for those wishing to make smarter dietary choices," which is a meaningful endorsement given his own standing in integrative medicine. If you want one authoritative nutrition book on your shelf, this revised edition has served that role for many readers — just know it's a commitment, not a quick read.
what is Staying Healthy with Nutrition, rev: The Complete Guide to Diet by Elson M. Haas, Buck Levin actually about
It's a 944-page encyclopedic reference organized into four major parts: Part One covers nutritional building blocks like water, carbohydrates, proteins, fats and oils, vitamins, and minerals; Part Two evaluates food groups and diets from around the world; a dedicated chapter tackles environmental concerns like food additives, industrial chemicals, food irradiation, and electro-pollution; and Part Four offers lifestage-specific programs and nutritional protocols. The revised edition also adds expanded coverage of supplements and what the publisher describes as breakthrough medical treatment protocols for fatigue, viruses, weight management, and mental and mood disorders including anxiety, ADHD, and depression. It's not a memoir, cookbook, or narrative — it's a clinical reference shaped by practitioners who applied these principles in patient care.
is Staying Healthy with Nutrition, rev: The Complete Guide to Diet by Elson M. Haas, Buck Levin too long / too dense to get through
At 944 pages, the review is upfront that it's a substantial commitment, and readers seeking a quick, prescriptive diet plan will find the format more demanding than a streamlined popular health title. That said, the four-part architecture is designed to give readers a logical path through a vast subject, making it navigable for general readers building nutritional literacy from the ground up. Think of it as a reference you consult and return to rather than a book you read cover to cover in a sitting.
is Staying Healthy with Nutrition, rev: The Complete Guide to Diet by Elson M. Haas, Buck Levin still up to date
This is an important caveat: the revised edition was published in 2006 by Celestial Arts, which means nearly two decades of subsequent research have passed. The review notes that while the foundational science of macronutrients and micronutrients remains durable, specific protocols — particularly those addressing supplements, environmental chemicals, or mood disorders — may have been superseded. Readers relying on it for up-to-the-minute clinical guidance on rapidly evolving topics are advised to cross-reference with more recent sources.
is Staying Healthy with Nutrition, rev: The Complete Guide to Diet by Elson M. Haas, Buck Levin good for nutrition students or people studying dietetics
Yes — the review specifically calls out nutrition, dietetics, and integrative medicine students as a strong fit, noting the book's depth and clinical framing make it well-suited for those wanting a consolidated foundational resource. Dr. Haas brings 40 years of healthcare experience and is founder of the Preventive Medical Center of Marin, while Dr. Buck Levin adds additional research depth to the collaboration, so the content is grounded in professional medical and nutritional science rather than popular diet trends. It's described as one of the most thorough expressions of the integrative and preventive medicine perspective available in a single volume.
how does Staying Healthy with Nutrition, rev: The Complete Guide to Diet by Elson M. Haas, Buck Levin compare to other elson haas books like The Detox Diet or Staying Healthy with the Seasons
The review positions this as the most comprehensive expression of Dr. Haas's work, describing it as "among the most thorough expressions of that perspective available in a single volume" compared to his other titles like Staying Healthy with the Seasons, The Detox Diet, and The False Fat Diet. Those other books are separate titles, but readers who already appreciate Haas's integrative approach are flagged as especially likely to find value here. The key difference is scale and scope — this is a full clinical reference co-authored with Dr. Buck Levin, not a focused single-topic book.
does Staying Healthy with Nutrition, rev: The Complete Guide to Diet by Elson M. Haas, Buck Levin cover mental health and mood disorders
Yes — the revised edition added expanded chapters that include what the publisher describes as breakthrough medical treatment protocols for mental and mood disorders, specifically calling out anxiety, ADHD, and depression. The review notes these additions reflect shifts in both clinical practice and public health concern since the original edition. However, given the 2006 publication date, readers seeking the most current research on these rapidly evolving topics are advised to cross-reference with more recent sources.
Sources & Further Reading
The key facts and claims in this review are grounded in the retrieved, verified sources listed below.
- Cited in this review
- 1
- 2
elsonhaasmd.com
- Further reading
- 3
- 4
- 5
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