Nutrition for women

by Raymond Peat

This book contains 92 short articles focusing on topics pertaining to women's health, for example, pregnancy, aging, weight loss, arthritis, nutrition and hormones, premenstrual tension, menopause, and stress.

Genres: Health, Nutrition, Nonfiction, Science, Food, Medicine

120 pages, Unknown Binding

Reviews

[Douna · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books you could read to educate yourself about your own body, especially when the usual doctors really disappoint you with their knowledge on this topic. Ray Peat is my new favorite writer.

[swampeater · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was familiar with some of Peat's beliefs concerning nutrition and medicine, and was especially fascinated with his findings on aspirin and its health benefits. Honestly this book is so all over the place it reminds me of Paglia, he is basically the Paglia of alternative medicine. Pretty entertaining but I would take his advice with a very large grain of salt.

[Othoob · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Everyone should know the basic principles of nutritional physiology and have a general idea of the chemical compo- sition of foods . Otherwise, you will be confused by conflicting claims. Become your own expert—for example, if someone tells you not to eat fruits and proteins at the same meal, get a book on digestion and absorption of food from the library, and read about interactions”

After reading some of Ray Peat’s research, this book, and videos explaining his nutritional philosophy, I can conclude the two main tenets: Energy and metabolism.

Although they both go hand in hand, since metabolic rate is determined by energy production in your body and that is affected by several factors that raises two main questions:

1. What factors determine our metabolic rate?
2. How can we increase our metabolism, thus enhance our wellbeing?

Ray Peat’s main focus is the thyroid, a gland that secretes thyroid hormones responsible for our metabolism and overall health. Thyroid and progesterone are our main hormones that regulate and stabilize our body (for both male and female). They are responsible for our cognitive function, energy, and our ability to absorb nutrition and excrete toxins (Thyroid and liver work hand-in-hand in this).

Many of the problems are usually caused by Hypothyroidism which is associated with estrogen dominance, progesterone deficiency, high levels of unsaturated fats*, and some vitamins (such as Vitamin C, B6, E, A, and D) deficiencies, and other inflammatory effects. What causes the slow down of metabolism is not just age, but our lifestyle.


ON ESTROGEN:
Estrogen is not the main female hormone, progesterone is, although the terms “female” and “male” hormones sound unscientific, since we have all of these hormones (just different concentrations). Females have higher levels of estrogen compared to males, but our levels of testosterone are higher compared to estrogen in our body, so to call it a *female* hormone is misleading. Estrogen dominance in female is characterized by high concentration levels of estrogen, which is considered harmful and generally leads to many problems including infertility, acne, PMS symptoms, PCOS, hormonal imbalances, inhibiting thyroid function, and decreasing metabolism. Generally estrogen is a form of a toxin, and its main factor is inhibiting the thyroid. For example BCP pills contain high levels of estrogen, which when taken can cause inflammation, increase chances of infertility and reduces the metabolism.

What combats high levels of estrogen? Vitamin E, progesterone, and vitamin C.

Vitamin E is known to prevent oxidative effects in our body caused by polyunsaturated fats that are found in nuts, seeds, vegetable oils. There is no way to completely eliminate polyunsaturated fats from your diet, but you can reduce the intake of it.

Vitamin E can help with PMS symptoms as well, enhance orgasmic experience, help excrete estrogen (with the help of the liver), and regulate cholesterol levels.

Vitamin C has anti-inflammatory and can regulate hormones.

Reducing cholesterol-inducing foods won’t necessarily help in reducing cholesterol. Since the liver would have to produce cholesterol to make up for what is missing. Vitamin C contain Lecithin which makes the cholesterol useful (and also lowers it). High cholesterol indicates low thyroid function, since cholesterol isn’t converted efficiently (this remains in our body in high concentrations and can damage blood vessels) into progesterone.
The main problem is not cholesterol, and avoiding cholesterol-inducing diets won’t solve the problem. The issue is with the thyroid function, since it’s responsible for converting cholesterol into other hormones (sex and anti-stress hormones). Which means, for efficiency wouldn’t it be more beneficial to direct the focus on thyroid?

Excess estrogen can also be a symptom of zinc deficiency.


ENERGY:
The mitochondria is responsible for inducing energy. What makes our mitochondria function properly and efficiently are the factors (nutrients) that make up the mitochondria. Iodine, Vitamin E, magnesium, and Vitamin B2. However excess iodine can interfere with the thyroid when the diet contains high levels of unsaturated fats (generally known to inhibit thyroid).




THYROID:
Avoiding anti-thyroid food, maximizing our thyroid function increases our metabolism, helps in reducing inflammation, fatigue, and cancers. Low thyroid is characterized by excess estrogen, high cholesterol, progesterone deficiency and many more.

Subjecting our body to stress can inhibit our thyroid function (fasting, cold-plunging, HIIT exercises, and some dietary restrictions).

What should the diet be?
“Many people are ruining their health by avoiding too many foods.”
- Ray Peat.

Diets that include calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, vitamin D, protein, Vitamin A, sugar which are found in milk, fruits, eggs, carrots, meat, liver, and saturated fats help our bodies function better and improve our thyroid. Avoiding foods that contain toxins, high levels of unsaturated fats (vegetable oils, nuts, and seeds) work best, avoiding stress-inducing foods and habits such as fasting, cold-plunging, processed foods, too much exercise work well.

I have made a general list below to help me with directing my health better.

I have noticed that my PMS symptoms have decreased dramatically since I’ve incorporated carrot salad into my diet. I’ve always had really bad PMS symptoms and this is the second month where I haven’t felt like always. Besides carrot salad, incorporated exercise, walking, dates in the mornings to elevate my blood sugar, and orange juice every day.

Goal: increase metabolism, reduce stress levels, high energy state (indicating thyroid function).

DIET:
Drinking milk (calcium, tryptophan, Lysine).
Eggs
Cheese
Butter, coconut oil, EVOO, and ghee (saturated fats).
Carrot salad (hormone regulating and lowering estrogen).
Liver once a week (vitamin A and E).
Orange juice (vitamin C, anti-inflammatory properties, sugars)
Sugars (Honey, dates, milk, OJ, raw vanilla ice-cream, cane sugar, fruits)
Meat (for protein, 90 grams)
Morning/evening sunlight
Walks/Pilates
Progest-E (natural progesterone)
Occasional carbonated water (for CO2 which regulates oxygen levels)
Tamarind (helps with Flouride secretion)
Rice/Sourdough bread/fruits (carbs)

Magnesium biglycinate
Vitamin D3/K2
Occasional fresh coffee beans


Best to avoid:
- Unsaturated fats such as nuts, seeds, fish oils, and vegetable oils (to prevent oxidation in blood).
- Raw vegetables, except for carrots (for better digestion).
- Undercooked starches.
- Skipping breakfast.


I never really focused on my health. But now it feels new and afresh to me. Knowing where to direct my goal at and why I should maintain good health. I’ve had really bad health phases where I would get sick twice a month, sleep deprived due to studying, stressed, lack of exercise, and eating processed food (because I had no time to cook in university). I noticed I was not getting better, I was in constant fatigue, hardly was able to focus.. This year I’ve decided to focus on my health as a priority. Getting enough sleep would help me in my studies more than staying up late and being in constant fatigue. Eating good inexpensive food would help me gain energy and improve my thyroid which enhances my cognitive focus.

This book helped me understand better, although I don’t think this is restricted to women only, metabolism is crucial to humans. Thyroid function is essential. For women, we need to take extra care if we plan to conceive. We have to be in proper healthy nutrition to prepare ourselves and our baby.

I enjoyed the book. However he got me at the last part when he mentioned capitalism as the cause of our current health state (it’s not), while at the same time mentioning how authoritarian and corrupt FDA and health administrations are, which any capitalist would agree. Apart from this. I recommend this book and Ray Peat to anyone wanting to understand metabolism.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Idk how much is true, definitely more true than conventional wisdom. Wouldn't hurt to try.

Worth a read for both men and women. Basically talks about the effects of excess estrogen.

Helpful: Vit E, progesterone, thyroid, etc

[Lia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book had a lot of strange ideas, as well as some interesting and good ones. I read this book because I wanted to have a better understanding of Ray Peat’s views. I now know some important details (progesterone and thyroid is important for everything), but I am really not sure how it all ties in together. There are certain things I’ll be implementing in my life, such as the daily raw carrot salad and more sugar from fruit. But I wouldn’t recommend the book to anyone that doesn’t have prior knowledge in biology. I would have preferred if the arguments and information were presented in a logical and coherent way rather than dispersed into separate short “articles”. Often, it seemed like a jumble of points were being made simultaneously. He’d jump from one idea to the next without bridging them. Very confusing. Perhaps the next book will clarify.

[Laila · Rating 5 out of 5]

while ray peat was mainly into endocrinology and the study of female hormones as well as best nutrition practices
my main focus in reading him was his works on radiation and his "anti-establishment" sentiment.

raymond peat dedicated his life's work to helping people with hypothyroidism heal. this is due to a freak accident in his childhood: his thyroid was destroyed due to a miscalibrated flouroscopy.

as such, while most of his work covers the science between different hormones and such, ray peat took a special look to radiation and its effects on the united states, including steel and prion diseases

not much is said about his personal opinions in the book until the end, where he quotes marx and other pioneers of his ideology. very interesting read

[Alyssa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great collection. Peat writes in a way that’s very easily understood to those who suck at science.

I think we have all lost the holistic understanding of women’s bodies and replaced it with profit driven temporary solutions. Ray Peat brings us back to what feels like an ancestral view of illness and disfunction and connects all the seemingly random minor aliments women tend to experience.

[Laura Clawson]

Mostly weird.

[Aneliya Petrunova · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book provides a lot of useful information, but Ray Peat seems to contradict himself at some points (for example, he supports the Atkins diet and condemns a high-carbohydrate diet).

[Sam Renee King · Rating 5 out of 5]

saved my life

[authorial · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good intro into the basics of nutrition (and why mainstream guidelines are not to be trusted).