If you have ever tried to lose weight by counting calories or simply by eating less and exercising more, or if you have ever tried to lower your cholesterol by lowering your fat intake, or even if you have just wondered how the food you eat affects your health, boy do I have a reading list for you. These books were so compelling that I had to sign back in to Skinnymamasdontdiet for yet another round.
First of all, "Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health" by Gary Taubes was recommended by my friend Holly. The back of the book claims, "In this groundbreaking book, award-winning science writer Gary Taubes shows us that almost everything we believe about the nature of a healthy diet is wrong." This is not an over-reaching statement. Taubes is not a doctor or a dietician: he's a science writer, and he explores the history of the politics of the science of nutrition with journalistic doggedness. He doesn't seem to set out with a particular hypothesis to prove or disprove. In fact, he says he never expected to find what he found. In that way, it reminds me a bit of "The Omnivore's Dilemma": just a thorough exploration of food without pushing a particular agenda. And this book IS thorough: a good 450 page tome, full of science and history. Sound like a page turner? I admit, it did occasionally get tedious, but generally I found it so compelling that I couldn't put it down.
Basically what he discovers is that the last century of science doesn't actually support what we've been taught about diet: that the way to lose weight is to cut calories and exercise more, that the way to cut cholesterol is to cut your fat intake. It's actually carbohydrates that do the damage. Usually when people go on low fat diets, they compensate by adding carbs, actually doing more harm than good. I can't explain the science very well, but basically, carbs initiate an insulin response, and lots of carbs lead to hyperinsulinemia which leads to metabolic disorder which leads to cardiac problems, diabetes, obesity and maybe even cancer and Alzheimers. The whole theory that fat raises cholesterol which in turn increases risk for cardiac disease is not backed up by good science. The science says carbs, not fat, contribute to heart disease.
What's even more fascinating than the science of nutrition is why and how it's been kept from the public. The history of the politics around all this is bizarre and revealing. And the mis-information is perpetuated by doctors, dietitians and the government. It's become conventional wisdom. It's everywhere.
When I went on the low carb diet in 2008 my doctor warned against it, sincerely worried it would create other health problems. When my cholesterol was inching up a couple years later (a year or so after I'd stopped eating low carb), she sent me to a nutrition class that instructed me to eat a low fat diet. I like my doctor, but her recommendations are not supported by the science. Our whole mentality about diet and health is based on ideas that are not supported by science. Science says bacon and eggs for breakfast is as healthy as you can get. That chili and cheese egg souffle that is all egg and cheese and sour cream is GOOD for you. That bran muffin: not so much. That Jamba Juice protein smoothie: not so much. Big fat steak and a glass of red wine: help yourself! Sounds crazy, huh?
I know you don't believe me. You have to read the book. There is no way you won't be convinced if you do.
Now that I am paying attention to this, it's turning up all over the place: carbs make you produce insulin. Insulin's job is to store fat. In short, grain is bad for you. Sad, isn't it? Have you heard all the studies of the indigenous cultures that had little or no incidence of obesity, cancer or diabetes or other "diseases of civilization" until a Western diet was introduced? Then it all went to hell. What exactly was introduced with that Western diet that compromised health so dramatically? Carbohydrates.
Taubes isn't the only one who has come to this conclusion. The next book I read was "Life Without Bread: How a Low-Carbohydrate Diet Can Save Your Life" by Christian B. Allan, PhD, and Wolfgang Lutz, MD. The back of this book says, "Based on more than forty years of clinical research conducted on over 10,000 patients, this illuminating book unravels the mysteries of nutrition and shows how a low-carbohydrate diet high in healthy fats can reverse--and possibly cure--diabetes, heart disease, gastrointestinal disorders, and obesity, as well as boost strength and endurance." This book covers basically the same information as Taubes' book in half the number of pages. I found it much more tedious to read, however, although that may have been because I had just finished reading 450 pages of basically the same information. Also, these guys did their own research and set out to convey the results, ultimately recommending a 72 carbohydrate a day diet, so their book doesn't have the open minded sense of exhaustive exploration that Taubes presents. Still, it's a much quicker read, so it might be a good choice if you just want to understand how all this works.
Finally, I have to tell you about The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson. Don't be put off by the obnoxious cover: Mark and his wife have a Malibu Barbie and Ken look to them that I found off-putting, so I had to throw the cover away and just read the plain, black hardback without it. Because of that, I can't quote the back cover of this one. Both of the first two books I described make reference to our evolutionary history, but Sisson bases his whole approach on it. They all agree that we evolved as hunters and gatherers and have not caught up with the agricultural revolution yet. Our bodies are still meant to eat nuts and berries and fatty meat, not grain and dairy. Sisson has developed a whole "primal" lifestyle to offer his genes the best possible shot at giving him a long and healthy life. It seems to be working well for him so far! This book is a quick and easy read, but serious and well researched. Sisson tries to be cute sometimes, tries to write like he's chatting with a friend. I found it a little annoying, a little gimmicky, but it keeps the book from being dry and tedious. What I like about this book is that he does create a whole primal lifestyle, not just a diet, and he does it in a fun and realistic way. He acknowledges that we have to live in the real world in the 21st century, that we aren't, in fact, still hunters and gatherers. So he adapts his primal ideals to the real world, and he has fun doing it. He makes you WANT to be primal because he makes it look so fun and easy.
He also addresses the issue of exercise, and does so in a refreshing way. He talks about the perils of "chronic cardio" and suggests our bodies are meant to do low level cardio with occasional sprints and heavy lifting. Personally, I have already felt liberated by this model. (Tina B, if you are reading, this is the book for you!)
If you want more information about The Primal Blueprint without reading the book, check out Mark Sisson's website: www.marksdailyapple.com. Also, if you want another take on the same idea, Loren Cordain wrote The Paleo Diet. I haven't read it, but my impression is he has a stricter approach, more restrictive, less fun; plus he says no dairy! That crosses a line.
I have to thank my friend Holly for setting me on this path, and since she's way ahead of me on the journey, I think I'll ask her if she has anything to share on the matter. In the meantime, I find myself in the same place I was exactly three years ago: about to embark on the mission of lowering my carbohydrates. This time, however, it's not a diet for a year to lose 25 lbs. It's a lifelong nutrition choice based on solid research with the goal of living the longest, healthiest life I can. One thing Judith Beck said that stuck with me was something to the effect of, don't start a diet you can't stay on for the rest of your life. I know if I say I can never have a plate of pasta--or even a SANDWICH for goodness' sake--for the rest of my life, this will never work. So it's not all-or-nothing. It's a day-to-day, meal-to-meal choice about life and health. It's kind of exciting! I'll let you know how it goes!
