Book Review: Good Calories, Bad Calories
By
Gary Taubes
April 14, 2008
Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes offers a compendium of research on diet, metabolism, and related dieseases such as heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's and dementia. Densely packed with not only the history of nutrition research but the politics of food (read: it's big business) and healthcare. Read a synopsis/commentary of the book.
- The book is exhaustive in its synopsis of the research on diet, metabolism, and related diseases. So exhaustive, in fact, you might find yourself skimming after a while. Read the full review of Good Calories, Bad Calories.
- Taubes' arguments will definitely make you rethink that corn-syrup laden soda. I especially liked his information on how the change from cane sugar to corn syrup as the leading sweetener in packaged foods resulted in a dramatic increase in "sweet" consumption is very eye opening.
- You will feel more comfortable with low carb diets after reading the book - although he might have emphasized the best types of carbs (vegetables, whole fruits, and whole grains) a bit more
- Insulin becomes a major focus of the book - the evidence he lays out is very convincing. You don't have to go low-carb crazy, but cutting back on sugar, particular high-fructose corn syrup, seems to clearly be a wise health choice if you want to avoid diabetes, heart disease, and dementia.
- His conclusions about exercise (it doesn't help with weight loss because it makes you hungry) seem a little silly. If you build muscle, you burn more calories, so consistent exercise will make you a more efficient "machine" so to speak. Clearly, exercise coupled with a lousy diet isn't a good way to go. But to say exercise does not improve your outlook in terms of weight control belies the bulk of clinical evidence.
- I found the information on the insulin - diabetes connection compelling if not frightening. I come from a family with both heart disease and dementia in its history. If cutting refined carbohydrates and corn syrup from your diet has any chance of protecting you from the wretched effects of dementia and Alzheimer's, definitely skip the donuts!
Comments
Hmm...this sounds like a lot of other books, but maybe it's just re-enforcing that fact that we need to eat more veggies and less junk food. I can't believe that with all the negative info about high fructose corn sryup we continue to find it in most foods.
Leave a Comment