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readwithem · 3 years

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Today, i'm combining two different books. And they're not very far from each other. It's Why We eat (too much) by Dr Andrew Jenkinson and Midnight Chicken by Ella Risbridger.

Starting with Why We Eat, you would think it's gonna be judgemental but it's not the case. Dr Jenkinson is a consultant in bariatric surgery, an invasive procedure that cuts the size of the stomach in order to decrease the appetite (by decreasing hunger hormones). But apparently, it's only a short term solution for obesity, because there is a more powerful physiological boss who wins in controlling appetite. The hypothalamus. That's the neuroendocrine gland in your brain. And it has a tight relationship with fat tissue through a messenger called Leptin. All human beings have this hormone that signals to the hypothalamus how much fat (which is a vital source of energy) is stored in the tissues and exerts a negative feedback on it. If there is high level of Leptin (energy fuel tank is full), Hypo keeps you satiated and amps up your metabolism, and vice-versa. So you don't even need to exercise to burn calories. That stands for healthy people. In obese people, there is a huge amount of Leptin but the boss doesn't acknowledge it. It's called Leptin resistance. So to Hypo, there's no Leptin hence feeling ravenous hunger to further fill the tank. That's how hard it is for obese people to stop eating. They don't have a choice. How did they get obese in the first place, you say? Genetics mostly, then environment, then Western food (you'll need to read to know more).

Where does this Leptin-Hypothalamus dysfonction comes from? Two things: High insulin level in the blood by eating high-sugar foods and TNF-alpha, an inflammatory substance made by immune cells as a result of fat tissue cells getting bigger with stored energy, which has effects on vessels (heart disease), articulations (arthritis), cells (cancer) and, you guessed it, the hypothalamus while neutralising the effect of insulin thus creating more of it, which perpetuates fat tissue formation.

So, how can we solve this? First, no dieting. The human body evolution process made sure that it stays alive, so in period of shortage or famine through time, the hypothalamus elevates its equilibrium level (called weight set-point) so that the human being eats more, stores more energy and prevents future energy depletion. Dieting emulates a famine-like state to the brain. You surely lose weight for a few months but you gain more of it when the boss wins over, even more than the pre-diet weight. So, no harsh restriction of food, but minding what kind of food you're eating. For Dr. Jenkinson, the only thing you need to decrease is refined suga, not cholesterol (studies on how cholesterol is dangerous for the heart were biased and funded by sugar companies), to try to get rid of wheat, nuts and vegetal oils because they're rich in Omega-6 which is not the omega we need. Omega-3 is the one we need the most. We can get it from vegetables, meats, eggs and dairy products from grass-fed cows, lambs and chicken, and sea based fish. So it's not about how much you eat, but what kind.

At the end of the book, he gives a few steps to help you regain your normal weight-set point regarding food, exercise, sleep and stress management while also managing your expectations on how quick and drastic your weight loss will be.

It's a well written book. A tad long, but interesting to read.

Andrew insists throughout the book on how important home cooking is. How it's a community driven activity since the discovery of fire. And in order to commit on your weight equilibrium journey, you need to enjoy the process, and cooking yourself is one of those pleasures. For cooking newbies like me, cook books are a must. Not just any books, but the relatable, cut-to-the-chase, no-bullshit, easy-to-follow ones. I discovered one of these and it's a gem.

Ella is a funny one. And this is an unusual cook book that you can read just for leisure time. Being a cooking-for-dummies kind of book is a bonus.

And the thing that makes this book special is how cooking was sort of salvation for Ella going through her bad bouts of depression. Having anxiety, i got how she felt and i understood how helpful this book would be to a lot of lost people. First, she gives a brief list on what utensils and staples you need in your kitchen, with no fuss. Then she gives some recipes relating to times of her life and mental health moments.

I have to admit that not all her recipes were for me, but i enjoyed every little bit of sunshine she threw in them. They're written like essays, not like your usual cookie-cutter books, so it makes them easy and lovely to grasp. A beautiful heartwarming book.

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