I'll begin with a caveat: I'm late to the "fat-loss code" game. My radar isn't fine-tuned to the next new thing in the diet world. I have read quite a few books on diet and nutrition over the years -- perhaps that's why I've become somewhat suspicious of them. Having never seen her first one, I decided to explore Wendy Chant's second diet book, Conquer the Fat-Loss Code, because I happened to stumble upon it, and it really did strike me as different from typical books in the category. When it comes to books on losing weight, that alone makes it stand out.

Jonny Bowden had me at polymeal. Yet there's so much more to offer in this -- for want of a more-adequate term -- "cookbook," that I hardly know where to start. So I'll just relate my journey of discovery with The Healthiest Meals on Earth and encourage you to embark on your own.

Pregnant women are vulnerable -- especially first-time mothers. They're filled with excitement, hope, optimism, and a little panic around the edges. Their bodies are changing in ways that make them feel they no longer know who they are. They've probably heard a hundred different versions of what to expect, and they still don't really have a clue what childbirth and motherhood are all about.