Скачать книгу

eating whole wheat pasta. They were not eating quinoa. They were

      not eating kale. They were not counting calories. They were not counting

      net carbs. They were not even really exercising much. These people were

      doing everything “wrong” yet, seemingly effortlessly, there was virtually

      no obesity. Why? The answer is simple. Come closer. Listen carefully.

      They were not eating all the time.

      They were not eating all the time.

      They were not eating all the time.

      Combining a low-insulin diet with proper meal timing is the most

      powerful way to control your weight. If you allow your body to spend

      some time in a “fasted” state, you will use the energy you stored during

      your “fed” state. The Obesity Code Cookbook offers a simple way for how

      to do this: The recipes in the book will all help you control your insulin

      levels when you’re eating, and the appendix lays out a guide for how to

      alternate between enjoying the recipes and having fasting periods.

      WhaT TO eaT

      THERE ARE TWO prominent findings from all the dietary studies done

      over the years. First, all diets work. Second, all diets fail. What do I mean

      by that? Weight loss follows the same basic curve: whether it is the Med-

      iterranean, the Atkins, or even the old-fashioned low-fat, low-calorie

      approach, all diets produce weight loss in the short term. However, in

      six to twelve months, weight loss plateaus and then the weight begins

      to accumulate again, despite continued dietary compliance. In the ten-

      year Diabetes Prevention Program, for example, there was a 15.4-pound

      (7-kilogram) weight loss after one year. The dreaded plateau and then

      weight regain followed. By the end of the study, there was no weight dif-

      ference between those who were dieting and those who were not dieting.

      ( 19 )

      introduction

      So, all diets fail. The question is: Why do they fail? Permanent weight

      loss is actually a two-step process, as there is a short-term problem and

      a long-term problem. The hypothalamic region of the brain determines

      the body set weight—the fat thermostat. (For more on body set weight,

      see The Obesity Code.) Insulin moves the body set weight higher. In the

      short term, we can use various diets to bring our actual body weight

      down. However, once it falls below the body set weight, the body acti-

      vates mechanisms to regain that weight—and that’s the long-term

      problem.

      It is also important to recognize that obesity is a multifactorial problem.

      There is no one single cause of obesity. Do calories cause obesity? Yes,

      partially. Do carbohydrates cause obesity? Yes, partially. Does fiber pro-

      tect us from obesity? Yes, partially. Does insulin resistance cause obesity?

      Yes, partially. Does sugar cause obesity? Yes, partially. All these factors

      converge on several hormonal pathways, of which insulin is the most

      important, that lead to weight gain. Low-carbohydrate diets reduce

      insulin. Low-calorie diets restrict all foods and therefore reduce insulin

      levels. Paleo and low-carbohydrate, healthy fat (LChF) diets, which are

      low in refined and processed foods, reduce insulin levels. Cabbage-soup

      diets reduce insulin. Reduced-food-reward diets reduce insulin levels.

      Too often, our current model of obesity assumes it has only one

      single true cause, and that all others are pretenders to the throne. But

      multiple overlapping pathways increase insulin levels and lead to obe-

      sity. Consequently, there is more than one way to reduce insulin. For

      some patients, sugar or refined carbohydrates are the main problem.

      Low-carbohydrate diets may work best here. For others, the main prob-

      lem may be insulin resistance. Changing meal timing or undertaking

      intermittent fasting may be most beneficial for those patients. For still

      others, the cortisol pathway is dominant. Stress reduction techniques or

      correcting sleep deprivation may be critical to them. Lack of fiber may

      be the critical factor for yet others. But the common theme in all cases is

      the hormonal imbalance of too much insulin.

      ( 20 )

      THE OBESITY CODE COOKBOOK

      Obesity is a hormonal disorder of fat regulation. Insulin is the major

      hormone that drives weight gain, so the rational therapy is to lower

      insulin levels. Most diets attack one part of the problem at a time, but

      we don’t need to choose sides. Instead of targeting a single point in the

      obesity cascade, we need multiple targets and treatments. Rather than

      comparing a dietary strategy of, say, low calorie versus low carb, why not

      do both? There is no reason we can’t. Here is a straightforward approach

      to doing just that.

      Step 1: Reduce your consumption of added sugars

      Sugar stimulates insulin secretion, but it is far more sinister than that.

      Sugar is particularly fattening because it increases insulin produc-

      tion both immediately and over the long term. It is composed of equal

      amounts of glucose and fructose, and fructose contributes directly to

      insulin resistance in the liver. Over time, insulin resistance leads to

      higher insulin levels. Carbohydrates, such as bread, potatoes, and rice,

      contain mostly glucose and no fructose.

      Therefore, added sugars such as sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup

      are exceptionally fattening, far in excess of other foods. Sugar is uniquely

      fattening because it directly produces insulin resistance. With no

      redeeming nutritional qualities, added sugars should be one of the first

      foods to be eliminated in any diet.

      Many natural, unprocessed whole foods contain sugar. For example,

      fruit contains fructose and milk contains lactose. But naturally occurring

      and added sugars are distinct from one another. They differ in two key

      respects: amount and concentration. Natural foods, with the exception

      of honey, contain a limited amount of sugar. For example, an apple may

      be sweet, but

Скачать книгу