Do you read self-help health books? Confession: I buy more of them than I read. Last month I took this one off the “to read” shelf and made my way through it. If you’re interested in health-related topics, you learn from various media and may be fairly well informed. Books coming out that offer “new” info may simply gather information you already know and put it together with a different slant, emphasis, or combination, and you’re disappointed. However, if you can learn just one new thing, you consider the book worth your time. Such was my experience here.The “nugget” I gleaned from this book is: Fat isn’t stored only in fat cells, but most other body cells. Mitochondria, organelles which turn glucose into energy, reside in all cells. When insulin in the bloodstream carries glucose to a cell and says, “Hey, here’s some food to burn,” a cell with a high amount of fat lipids –in the form of tiny droplets or intramyocellular lipid- will say, “I’m a little full here, I can’t take much in.” The glucose circulates past these cells and is stored as more fat. So that is why some people (my experience) can exercise like mad, think they are eating a healthy diet, and not seem to burn off any fat or lose weight. We say we are plagued with Low Metabolism, and it is true.The cure for this according to Dr. Barnard (and of course, many other authors) is to stop eating animal products including milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, meat, eggs, and also many oils. Supposedly the lipid droplets will clear out and glucose can then be burned by the cells in a normal way. The condition of lower metabolism rates in non-obese people may be explained this way also. Perhaps a lifetime of eating animal products has led to intramyocellar lipids inhibiting the entrance of glucose into cells where mitochondria can burn it.After 2 months, it seems to be working for me, and no other method or diet previously tried (past the age of 45) ever has.The book includes some many recipes and another nugget: how to prepare quinoa so that it tastes very good. I like Dr. Barnard's style. His books are informative and easy to read. He seems to drop a lot of celebrity references, but they're usually useful. I skimmed, due to time constraints, but liked what I saw, and may buy this book at a later date. The recipes are as tasty as his other book The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook, although there is some overlap. But this is full of a lot more information explaining the vegan diet, and his specific diet guidelines, as well as the health and wellness benefits of a vegan diet. I recommend it highly.
What do You think about 21 Dagen Vegan! (2000)?
More encouragement to stay on track, stay vegan and cook without oil for my husband and me.
—This_Is_Victory
This is probably one of the most life-changing books that I have ever read.
—drew
Nicely laid out. Good for anyone wanting to improve your health
—Faari
I love the no-fat, quick and easy recipes!
—carebear
