Book review: Good Calories, Bad Calories by Gary Taubes

Posted In: Me | Wellness November 6th, 2013 divider No Comments »

Who knows what a good calorie is anymore?!?

This book really shows you not all calories are created equal.

This book is very heavy on studies and research which is never a bad thing. I’m a bit of a geek when it comes to what science is telling us about our bodies but this book was even a bit too technical for my liking.

That aside, it’s a very good look at how our diets have changed over the past 100 years we’ve come and why that might not be the right approach.

We’ve gone from a fat-heavy approach to a starch-heavy one on our dinner plates. For decades we have been taught a low fat diet and exercise are the keys to a healthy weight . But by following this advice, we have seen unprecedented epidemics of obesity and diabetes. He also explains the influence from big food and associations such as the American Heart Association.

Whether you realize it or not, your brains are made up of 60 percent fat so we need some fat intake to keep our brains fed and in balance.

The book argues that the problem lies in refined carbohydrates, like white flour, easily digested starches, and sugars, and the key to good health is the kind of calories we take in, not the number.

It’s a great look at something so vital to our health, yet something we still don’t fully understand. Maybe I should get the abridged version next time…

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And here’s a good look at efficiency as a performance enhancer and a legal one at that! Here’s the latest blog entry from Blaise Dubois from the TheRunningClinic.ca called “How to increase performance by becoming more economical”.

This is exactly what I’ve been saying but it doesn’t hurt to get it from a world class expert!