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#25 Gary Taubes: Is Sugar Slowly Killing Us

Nov 30, 2017 1h 44m 17 insights
It seems that nowadays, aside from religion and politics, one of the most hotly debated topics is that of nutrition. Should we eat high carb diets? Low carb? High fat? High protein? What about wheat or gluten? Should we eat meat or adopt a vegan diet? There are as many opinions as there are people — and books, magazines and websites are overflowing with information showing you the “right” way to eat and exercise to lose weight. But if “eating less and moving more” is all it takes to lose weight and enjoy a healthy lifestyle, why are so many of us fat and getting fatter? In this episode, I chat with Gary Taubes, bestselling author of three books, The Case Against Sugar (2016), Why We Get Fat and What to Do About It (2011) and Good Calories, Bad Calories (2007). We talk about the sharp rise of obesity and diabetes in America, the structural hurdles to effective nutrition research, and explore the common myth that a calorie is just a calorie. Here are a few other things you’ll learn in this interview: How diets shifted in the last century, and what impact it’s having on our bodies today. Why a carb isn’t just a carb — and why you should know the difference Is the sugar industry the new Big Tobacco? What role genetics play in our health, and how much is under our control Why humans are so attracted to sugar and how to break the habit Gary’s suggestions to improve your health, drop body fat and feel terrific The benefits of fasting and how you can try it out yourself And a bunch more. If you think at all about your health, give this podcast a listen.    Go Premium: Members get early access, ad-free episodes, hand-edited transcripts, searchable transcripts, member-only episodes, and more. Sign up at: https://fs.blog/membership/   Every Sunday our newsletter shares timeless insights and ideas that you can use at work and home. Add it to your inbox: https://fs.blog/newsletter/   Follow Shane on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/ShaneAParrish
Actionable Insights

1. Embrace Feynman’s First Principle

Actively guard against self-deception, as you are the easiest person to fool, and apply this rigor to all intellectual endeavors to ensure reliability and accuracy.

2. Reject Calories In/Out Model

Dismiss the simplistic ’excess calories cause obesity’ model, as it is considered naive and fails to account for the complex hormonal regulation of fat accumulation in the body.

3. Eliminate Sugars and Grains

Avoid grains, starches, and sugars, as the speaker believes these make people fat and unhealthy, replacing them with fat animal products for physical well-being.

4. Adopt Low-Carb, High-Fat Diet

Consider adopting a low-carb, high-fat diet to improve health outcomes, reverse type 2 diabetes, and lose weight, as many individuals and practitioners have observed significant positive clinical efficacy.

5. Practice Intermittent Fasting

Extend the period between dinner and your first meal the next day (e.g., 18 hours by skipping breakfast) to keep insulin levels low, mobilize and burn stored fat, and potentially accelerate weight loss.

6. Consider Longer Fasting Periods

Explore longer fasting durations (e.g., 3 days or even 3 weeks), especially if following a low-carb diet, as a strategy to bring diabetes under control and allow the pancreas to recover.

7. Eliminate Sugary Beverages

Remove sugary beverages, particularly liquid sugars, from your diet due to their rapid consumption and digestion, switching to non-sweetened alternatives like water or red wine (in moderation).

8. Reduce High Glycemic Carbs

Minimize or eliminate high glycemic index grains and starchy vegetables from your diet, as they are considered problematic carbohydrates that stimulate insulin secretion.

9. Achieve Sugar Independence

Strive to eliminate sugar from your diet, understanding that while challenging initially, it’s possible to reach a point where you no longer rely on it for enjoyment or emotional regulation.

10. Engage Critical Scientific Debate

Participate in critical, rigorous debate and actively seek out critiques of your own ideas, as this ‘back and forth’ is essential for good science and avoiding self-deception.

11. Acknowledge Research Flaws

Confront and acknowledge experimental failures or unexpected phenomena in research, rather than ignoring them, even if it means admitting a study’s limitations, to advance true knowledge.

12. Advocate for Nutrition Trials

Support significant societal investment in rigorous, long-term clinical trials for nutrition, comparable to funding for physics or fusion research, to definitively answer critical health questions.

13. Maintain Honesty Under Scrutiny

Uphold intellectual honesty and persistence in making arguments, even when facing strong criticism or accusations of dishonesty, especially when challenging established beliefs.

14. Understand Gluten-Free Benefits

If considering a gluten-free diet, recognize that its observed health benefits might stem from the broader reduction in carbohydrates and processed foods, rather than solely from avoiding gluten.

15. Recognize Cognitive Biases

Cultivate an awareness of cognitive biases and how they manifest in scientific experiments and daily thinking, to improve the rigor of your own thought processes and interpretations.

16. Seek Scientific Mentorship

Seek out effective mentoring and education on the true nature of scientific endeavor, focusing on how to act and communicate rigorously to achieve accurate results, rather than just focusing on publishing.

17. Consume Wine Moderately

Consume alcohol, specifically red wine, in moderation, as it is presented as one area where this approach is meaningful for health.