The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss (Why Intermittent Fasting Is the Key to Controlling Your Weight)

by Jason Fung

Many studies show an association between increased nut consumption and better health, including reducing heart disease8 and diabetes.9 Pistachio nuts, high in the antioxidant gamma-tocopherol and vitamins such as manganese, calcium, magnesium and selenium, are widely eaten in the Mediterranean diet.

breakfast needs to be downgraded from “most important meal of the day” to “meal.” Different nations have different breakfast traditions. The big “American” breakfast contrasts directly with the French “petit dejeuner” or “small lunch.” The key word here is “small.”

In the diets of children under age eight, breakfast cereals rank behind only candy, cookies, ice cream and sugared drinks as a source of dietary sugar.

THE SUGAR-SWEETENED DRINK is one of the leading sources of added sugars. This includes all soda pop, sugar-sweetened teas, fruit juice, fruit punch, vitamin water, smoothies, shakes, lemonade, chocolate or flavored milk, iced coffee drinks and energy drinks.

Trendy alcoholic drinks add significant amounts of sugar to your diet, including drinks such as “hard” lemonade, flavored wine coolers, cider beers as well as more traditional drinks such as Baileys Irish Cream, margaritas, daiquiris, piña coladas, dessert wines, ice wines, sweet sherries and liqueurs.

moderate consumption of red wine does not raise insulin or impair insulin sensitivity, and therefore may be enjoyed.

It is sometimes said that you get fat from the foods you eat with the alcohol rather than from the alcohol itself. There may be some truth to that, although the evidence is sparse.

DUE TO ITS high caffeine content, coffee is sometimes considered unhealthy. However, recent research has come to the opposite conclusion,19 perhaps due to the fact that coffee is a major source of antioxidants,20 magnesium, lignans21 and chlorogenic acid.

Coffee drinking is associated with a 10 percent to 15 percent reduction in total mortality.26 Large-scale studies27 found that most major causes of death, including heart disease were reduced.

REFINED GRAINS SUCH as white flour stimulate insulin to a greater degree than virtually any other food. If you reduce your consumption of flour and refined grains, you will substantially improve your weight-loss potential. White flour, being nutritionally bankrupt, can be safely reduced or even eliminated from your diet.

Avoid processed bakery foods that are mostly flour and other starches: bread, bagels, English muffins, roti, naan breads, dinner rolls, bread sticks, Melba toasts, crackers, tea biscuits, scones, tortillas, wraps, muffins, cookies, cakes, cupcakes and donuts. Pasta and noodles of all varieties are also concentrated sources of refined carbohydrates; reduce these to a minimum. The whole-grain pastas that are now widely available are a better choice, though far from ideal.

Quinoa is very high in fiber, protein and vitamins. In addition, quinoa has a low glycemic index and contains plenty of antioxidants, such as quercetin and kaempferol, which are believed to be anti-inflammatory.

Beans are a versatile, fiber-rich carbohydrate staple of many traditional diets. They are an extremely good source of protein, particularly for vegetarian diets. Edamame beans, popular in Japanese cuisine, provide 9 grams of fiber and 11 grams of protein per serving.

Natural, unprocessed fats include olive oil, butter, coconut oil, beef tallow and leaf lard. The highly processed vegetable oils, high in inflammatory omega 6 fatty acids, may have some detrimental health effects.

Avocados have been recently recognized as a very healthy and delicious addition to any diet. Although not sweet, they are the fruit of the avocado tree. High in vitamins and particularly high in potassium, the avocado is unique among fruits for being very low in carbohydrates and high in the monounsaturated fat oleic acid. Furthermore, it is very high in both soluble and insoluble fiber.

Vinegar is also a protective factor. Used in many traditional foods, it may help reduce insulin spikes. Italians often eat bread dipped in oil and vinegar—a prime example of eating a high-carb food with protective factors.

THERE ARE FIVE basic steps in weight loss: Reduce your consumption of added sugars. Reduced your consumption of refined grains. Moderate your protein intake. Increase your consumption of natural fats. Increase your consumption of fiber and vinegar.

Regular fasting, by routinely lowering insulin levels, has been shown to significantly improve insulin sensitivity.8 This finding is the missing piece in the weight-loss puzzle. Most diets restrict the intake of foods that cause increased insulin secretion, but don’t address insulin resistance. You lose weight initially, but insulin resistance keeps your insulin levels and body set weight high. By fasting, you can efficiently reduce your body’s insulin resistance, since it requires both persistent and high levels.

GROWTH HORMONE IS known to increase the availability and utility of fats for fuel. It also helps to preserve muscle mass and bone density.9 Growth hormone secretion is difficult to measure accurately because of its intermittent release, but it decreases steadily with age. One of the most potent stimuli to growth hormone secretion is fasting.

Breakdown of muscle tissue happens only at extremely low levels of body fat—approximately 4 percent—which is not something most people need to worry about.