Wednesday, May 22, 2013

In Need Of A Good Read? 4 Books To Reaffirm Your Heathy Diet

Starting a list of great reads to help inspire your low carb or keto diet. These books are great when you need a little proof that you're not crazy and that how you are eating is more than just a fad.

If you have any suggestions please add them in the comments section.


1. 'Wheat Belly' by Dr. William Davis is a great resource to help you get started with cutting carbs. It specifically talks about the problems associated with wheat in our diets and gives lots of anecdotal evidence from Davis's own practice. 

I like this book because it uses common language and is easily accessible for the average person who just wants to know more about foods in their diet. 

I think everyone in my family has now read Wheat Belly. I would pass this book on to anyone looking for more information about losing weight, so many people can benefit from this book and cutting wheat from their diets. 

Wheat was the starting point for me, once I stopped consuming breads and pastas I saw a huge change in my body and my personality. As I read Wheat Belly I recognized things that had changed that were similar to Davis's patients in the book. It really opened my eyes and reaffirmed my choice to be more selective about the foods that I put into my body. 


2. 'Salt Sugar Fat : How The Food Giants Hooked Us' by Michael Moss is an informative look at three giants that determine what and how we eat food. I really like this book because it reveals some of the common sense reasons why we want to eat the food we crave. It talks about how the processed and junk food industries develop customers from people who need to eat to live; to large lusters who desire their next caloric fix. "Mouthfeel", "bliss point" and other key terms take us inside our own minds and connect why we want these conveniences foods and how we became hooked on them.

Now, this read isn't keto/low carb bible. But, I think it sheds light on important points to consider no matter what diet you are on. The summer that I decided to cut carbs and go keto I lost 45lbs. I ate McDonald's twice a day (I worked for McDonalds... no buns, no fries, no pop), did it work? Yes. Was it good for me? Not so much. I had worked for McDonald's the previous summer and ate it at least once a day (bun, fries and many lattes). Just because things work, doesn't mean they are the best for your health overall. 

This book takes you inside the minds of the food industry titans and makes you reevaluate your super market purchases. It is a wise read that will make you rethink every commercial you see geared towards children, happiness and low costs. 

3. 'Good Calories, Bad Calories' and 'Why We Get Fat and What To Do About It' by Gary Taubes are great reads, but are very heavy. You will put your book down and think about what you have read and then want to immerse yourself again. These are two big books that pack a lot of punches, their information is intricate and detailed. I wouldn't recommend starting your nutritional education with one of these books because they are so heavy. Start with something like 'Wheat Belly' and then move into these books once you have a foundation of knowledge about diet.

With that being said, these books are of a different breed than 'Wheat Belly'; they provide more statistical information and are at a deeper level than just anecdotal evidence. I think if you are going to sit and read either of these books there is a good chance that you have already seriously committed to knix-ing problem parts of your diet. To me, these books are preaching to the converted. I wouldn't buy it for someone who was not already involved in the keto or low-carb scene.