remain normal as the body switches over to burning fat for energy.
More recently, alternate daily fasting has been studied as an acceptable
technique for weight loss. Here is a straightforward approach to effec-
tively lower insulin and lose weight by managing when you eat.
Step 1: Eat only when you’re hungry
Many people eat at mealtimes even if they are not hungry. For example,
the common advice is to eat something, anything, as soon as you step
out of bed. But breakfast needs to be downgraded from “most important
meal of the day” to “meal.” Remember that you will always eat breakfast.
It is simply the meal that breaks your fast. Therefore, if you do not eat
until 2:00 p.m., that is your “break fast” meal. Is there something mag-
ical about eating a large amount of food early in the day, even if you are
not particularly hungry or inclined to eat? No. Is there a rule that says
you have to eat three times a day, every day, even if you don’t have an
appetite? No. Eating, almost by its very definition, does not make you
lose weight.
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introduction
skip the snaCks
The “healthy” snack is one of the greatest weight-loss deceptions. As
recently as the 1970s, most people still ate just three meals per day. By
the 2000s, the “grazing is healthy” mantra had taken hold and the
average American was eating five or six times per day. Even more unbe-
lievable is that somehow we were hoodwinked into believing this was
good for us! Nutritional authorities urged us to eat, eat, eat to lose
weight! It sounds pretty stupid because it is pretty stupid. Constant stim-
ulation of insulin eventually leads to insulin resistance.
Are snacks necessary? No. When you find yourself reaching for a snack,
ask yourself this question: Are you really hungry, or just bored? Keep
snacks completely out of sight. If you have a snack habit, replace that
habit with one that is less destructive to your health. Perhaps a cup of
green tea in the afternoon should be your new habit. There’s a simple
answer to the question of what to eat at snack time: Nothing. Don’t eat
snacks. Period. Simplify your life.
Step 2: Fast intermittently
One crucial aspect of fasting that differentiates it from other diets is its
intermittent nature. Diets fail because of their constancy. The defining
characteristic of life on Earth is homeostasis. In other words, any con-
stant stimulus will eventually be met with an adaptation that resists
the change. Persistent exposure to decreased calories results in adapta-
tion (resistance): the body eventually responds by reducing total energy
expenditure, leading to a plateau in weight loss and eventually to weight
regain.
By contrast, intermittent fasting constantly shakes up our hormone
production. Our diets must be intermittent, not steady. Food is a celebra-
tion of life. Every culture in the world celebrates with large feasts.
That’s normal, and it’s good. Should you eat lots of food on your birth-
day? Absolutely. Should you eat lots of food at a wedding? Absolutely.
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THE OBESITY CODE COOKBOOK
But follow your feasting with fasting. That’s the natural cycle of life. We
cannot feast all the time. We cannot fast all the time. That doesn’t work.
If you haven’t attempted fasting before, you may feel daunted. How-
ever, as with most things, fasting becomes easier with practice. Devout
Muslims fast for one month of the year and are supposed to fast two days
a week. There are an estimated 1.6 billion Muslims in the world. There
are an estimated 14 million Mormons who are supposed to fast once a
month. There are an estimated 350 million Buddhists, many of whom
fast regularly. Almost one-third of the population of the entire world is
supposed to fast routinely, according to their belief system. There is no
question that it can be done.
Fasting can be combined with any diet. It makes no difference
whether you don’t eat meat, dairy, or gluten, you can still fast. Eating
grass-fed, organic beef is healthy, but it can also be expensive. Fasting
saves you money on groceries. Eating homemade, prepared-from-scratch
meals is healthy, but it can also be time-consuming. Fasting saves you
precious time. Life becomes simpler when you don’t need to worry about
planning, shopping, or preparing as many meals.
When to eat to encourage weight loss:
1. Eat only when you’re hungry.
2. Fast intermittently.
We have discussed what to eat: fewer refined grains and sugars, mod-
erate amounts of protein, and more healthy fats. Maximize your intake
of protective factors such as fiber and vinegar. Choose only natural,
unprocessed foods.
And
