Anybody else reading Good Calories Bad Calories?

Scout Finch · Anybody else reading Good Calories Bad Calories?

Shit, I'm only on chapter 3 of this book, and I already can't put it down (although I have to in order to get some work done). Taubes weaves the history of the various hypotheses seamlessly. He's a fantastic writer.

arizonasun

I'm reading it and I agree, he is an excellent writer. I don't think I could deal with the sheer mass of info without a good style, it'd be too dry. I can't wait to see how the mainstream medical community handles his arguments & what studies it might generate. Have you read/seen any reactions to the book yet?

adwred

Eades said he's read it three times already!

arizonasun

Yeah, that's how I found out about the book. I just was wondering if the low fat people had said anything now that light has been shed on their decades-old flawed logic.

Scout Finch

The other health forums I participate on generally contain large numbers of intellectually bankrupt posters (meaning they don't read books and are not intellectually curious), but where I might see some action on this book is on the lefty political blogs I participate on. In fact, I might post a review of the book on one of those forums once I'm done reading it to start a dialogue about it. These folks also aren't embedded in the low carb/high carb shit the way we all are here, so it would be interesting to hear some "outsider" opinions on this re-evaluation of the research.

I hope Taubes is seeing some talk show action on this. Since I don't have a T.V., I have no way of knowing if he's making the rounds.

Avalon

He's a Quack! Grin

Maybe I'd be taken more seriously if I didn't use that smiley all the time Yup

Honestly though, I am curious to read it. Although the more we learn, the more dense our brains become, and we weigh more Shock

It's true. That was in Taubes's first most unknown book- 'Learn More Weigh More' Grin

I'm in a mood by the way Sad

jl53563

I'm expecting my copy to arrive any day now. I can't wait to read it.

Sandi

I had pre ordered it
and
and
it is STILL NOT HERE
how unfair is that Very Mad

I am looking forward to reading it
sandi

adwred

I just bought it last night! Groove

The cover art is hilarious. It looks so deceiving - like any other diet book. You assume the 'good calories' are going to be from the bread and the 'bad calories' will be the melty delicious-looking butter. But no! Laugh

Boondawgle

Pre-ordered from amazon, it's on the way. Hopefully I will be reading it tonight.

kayleigh

I picked up "Good Calories Bad Calories" in the bookstore last week and couldn't put it down. I ended up reading almost half of it right there in the bookstore cafe. I'm waiting for a copy from the library so I can finish it and take notes.

dhania

just unwrapped my copy... eager to read it.

jl53563

I'm about 100 pages in. Amazing how much information was covered up, or ignored, or....whatever. Amazing.

Birddog

This book could be the best overall critical look at diet and metabolism.

After reading it, you will find it difficult to accept much of anything mainstream government health agencies or mainstream doctors tell you.

Kind of amazing to see the pettyness, and mistruths that come out of "research" Not that I am against research, it just needs to be done well.

jl53563

I finished the book a few days ago. It's an excellent book. For me, it mostly confirms/explains what I already knew from my experience. More than anything, it makes me mad. Mad because the truth has been known for a long time. The research is overwelming. We have been terribly mislead.

Lottie

I finished this last week. It's easily the most well-researched book I've ever read on the subject.

I wish that there were an audio version of it; I want to give a copy to family members but some of them only listen to books.

Viking Dan

I'm embarassed to say I haven't finished it yet, but frankly its not showing me much I haven't read in Eat Fat, Get Thin or Life Without Bread. Still pushing through it.

I'm not saying its a bad book, just that I've read so much of this already.

Kyzug

http://webcast.berkeley.edu/event_details.php?webcastid=21216 <- (Real Media player required)

Gary Taubes recently spoke at Berkely. 108 minute video link above.

This is a summary of his research for the book, Good Calories, Bad Calories.

It vindicates our position that carbs are really the enemy. They drive insulin production, and drive fat storage. But beyond that obvious message, it is a fascinating history of how we got to where we are now: The science of low carb diets generally accepted until the 1960s. The overwhelming movement away from that principal in the 70s when the hypothesis that eating fat causes heart disease was accepted, and the movement that fat is evil began. Driven by the "fact" that a calorie is a calorie, and anyone who thought otherwise was a quack.

If you haven't read the book, please at least take the time to watch this lecture. It should be required for anyone with any interest in the low carb / zero carb lifestyle.

hard_rainus

I am about half way through the book right now, and I am loving it. I am still new to this way of eating, so I am unfamiliar with a lot of the information he is giving. I still thought that fiber was important to have in my diet until I read this book!

Carnation

Then look up Fiber Menace by Konstantin Monastyrsky.

Badger

Carnation, I haven't read the Fiber Menace but I have read its reviews at Amazon and his website. Do you find convincing his contention (as I understand it) that a digestive tract damaged by years of fiber can't successfully switch to a low fiber diet without severe digestive complications (he specifically mentions Atkins and South Beach and I could be inappropriately generalizing to zero carb)?

Carnation

It's been a while since I've read the book. I can only really speak of my own experience. I was a low-fat queen for years, some of them vegan, and was carbed up to the gills. It did a lot of damaged to my whole body, not just my digestive tract. After being diagnosed as a celiac, I began to turn things around. Going gluten-free gave me a certain measure of relief, but I was nowhere near normal. It wasn't until I gave up carbs completely that I started to feel like a normal person. But, I have to say that to this day, my digestive system is extremely sensitive.

Badger

It's good to hear that you're feeling better. I was a vegetarian for 15 years, though with no emphasis on low fat. Did Monastyrsky give any advice that you found helpful beyond the removal of carbs from your diet?

Carnation

I'm sorry, I don't really have the best memory retention for books. It was just something I checked out of the library. I just remember it being the first time I had ever heard anyone say that fiber could actually be bad for you.

Someone could correct me if I'm wrong, but I think he's the same guy who recommended not drinking as much water.

meatISawesome369

I hate fiber. I avoid fiber like some people avoid meat. Here's a good site on fiber: http://www.biblelife.org/fiber.htm

Badger

You're correct about his recommending less water.

paleogirl

I'm reading it. I'm finding it's so far mostly stuff I already knew, but that's because I've been researching this subject for about 3 years now. The reason I bought it is so I can see if it's something I could pass on to my family/friends. I'm always TELLING people this stuff, but I'm not a doctor... I'm really hoping the book will be what I was looking for.

paleogirl

Just watching that video... He's kinda cute! I imagined he'd be a crusty old dude for some reason. Laugh