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