There’s no better time to make a commitment to shedding extra pounds and eating healthier than during the summer. Life is less hectic so there’s more time to focus on you! Plus there’s a more enticing mix of fresh produce available and your grill beckons. So you head to the bookstore to invest in a few self-help guides only to find that the advice out there is not just vast, but daunting. To help you cut through the fads and hype, we enlisted 3 leading nutritionists to recommend their favorite eat-right books. We hope 1 or more of these will help you have a healthier summer.

The Mayo Clinic Diet: Eat Well. Enjoy Life. Lose Weight, by staff at the Mayo Clinic

“Although this book promises results in the first 2 weeks, it’s not a crash diet or quick fix. In fact, it’s written by some of the most well-respected health professionals in the country,” says Molly Kimball, a registered dietician at Ochsner’s Elmwood Fitness Center in New Orleans. The premise is simple: Lose weight fast with the initial 2-week Lose It phase that helps you change your habits, then follow the Live It phase to continue shedding pounds at a more gradual rate. The book also provides sound advice on exercise and cooking, along with full meal plans.

The Flat Belly Diet, by Liz Vaccariello

Written by the editor-in-chief of Prevention magazine, this wildly popular book is based on research showing that by eating an appropriate portion of monounsaturated fats with all meals you’ll lose abdominal fat. “I love this book because it’s full of 400-calorie balanced meal ideas. Starting on page 118, there are lists of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, snacks, smoothies and meals-on-the-go. I recommend it to clients as a great way to keep meal ideas exciting and different,” says Jae Berman, a registered dietician at the San Francisco Bay Club. It also teaches you how to properly portion your plate. If you really take to this book, consider picking up The Flat Belly Diet Cookbook which also has practical tips for grocery shopping and advice on how to prevent bloating.

Living Well: 21 Days to Transform Your Life, Supercharge Your Health, and Feel Spectacular by Montel Williams with William Doyle

This book offers up 7 lifestyle steps in 21 days to “supercharge your health and be physically reborn.” For instance, the first is to base your diet on fruits and vegetables, the fifth, don’t skip meals or diet. Williams, who is managing multiple sclerosis, says to adopt 2 steps a week, and at the end of 3 weeks (thus 21 days) they’ll have become habits resulting in an overall healthful lifestyle. “The plan is nutritionally sound and emphasizes the importance of regular physical activity,” says Andrea Giancoli, a registered dietician and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. “It’s tough to find any flaws in this plan since he advocates what dietitians have been preaching for decades. The only standout is the lack of a significant calcium source. If you decide to follow this plan, incorporate 3 cups a day of non-fat or low-fat dairy, or a calcium equivalent source such as calcium fortified soy- or rice-based milk, yogurt or cheese.”

Women, Food, and God: An Unexpected Path to Almost Everything, by Geneen Roth

This book (which does not explicitly focus on religion) examines our relationship with food. “This is key for many people—I can give you the tools to make better choices, but this type of book can really help you look deeper into yourself to learn more about why you eat, or why you have certain fears surrounding diet and food,” says Kimball.   

The End of Overeating, by David Kessler

“This is a must-read for anyone who has struggled with weight and food-related issues or simply wants to understand the science behind overeating,” says Giancoli. Kessler, the former commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, offers up a neurophysiological explanation for why we can’t stop eating even when we want to, or are simply full. He dubs this hypereating. “His prescriptions are nothing new: Plan our meals, exercise portion control, choose satisfying foods and identify your triggers. Still, this book may help some become more conscious of their behavior and in turn motivate them to view food and the food industry, which capitalizes on hypereating, with a more discriminating eye.”

Please note: Any medical information provided on NEAMB.com, such as text, graphics, images and other material is for informational purposes only. More information.