Book Review: 4/5 Impact On Me (Book By Gary Taubes)
Read more about the book here
I wanted to read this book to motivate myself to stick to my diet every day. whereas now what I do is follow a diet just on weekdays while treating myself to desserts on weekends. Yet, I hesitated to buy it for a long time. My hesitation came from noticing that the author had written many books promoting the keto diet. I believe that a diet's success doesn't come from any keto magic but from restricting calories, and having enough protein and fiber.
This book caught my interest because it explained the challenges of sugar consumption and shed light on fructose, high fructose corn syrup, and the differences between added sugars and fruits.
One major shift in my thinking was realizing that managing total calories or macros isn't enough. I used to eat salads, vegetables, and fruits on weekends. Then go to cafes and eat a lot of desserts. This book emphasizes that it's not just about the macros you digest; it's also about how what you eat affects your hormones. Those hormones affect your entire body. I've learned about the importance of hormones before in the book "Invisible Women". That book explained how for a long time, doctors ignored the hormonal differences between men and women. I understand the impact of insulin and other chemicals secreted by the body in response to sugar intake. It makes me realize I shouldn't wait until I become diabetic to control my sugar consumption.
The book also addresses how much sugar is reasonable to consume daily. Minimum. It advises to minimize sugar intake for both adults and children. Although it doesn't provide a specific number, I found this recommendation enough.
It discusses conditions like gout and hypertension, suggesting that a lot of sugar over the years, not salt, maybe a cause. It mentioned diabetes can increase cancer risk. These are strong statements. They are hard to believe, but I am starting to agree with them. I liked his explanation of looking at diseases at the population level.
Starting this book has led me to explore others, like "Outlive". Outlive supports the information and recommendations found here.