Learning is a passion of mine. Reading is another passion. The two go hand in hand…no matter why you are reading or what you are reading you are learning something. Maybe you are learning about the human condition through a trashy romance novel. Or you are learning how to get the perfect smoky eye by reading Oprah magazine. Some of my greatest moments of enlightenment have come in the pages of books. So naturally I have begun diving into the VAST library of knowledge surrounding health and weight and have so far not been disappointed. I am convinced that the current FDA food pyramid is totally jacked…and that a calorie is NOT a calorie…that sugar is the DEVIL and complex carbs and fats can be consumed responsibly without packing on the pounds or taking your cholesterol levels to astronomical heights. I am not Paleo or Nurtarian or Vegan…I am just starting to shift my thinking about weight and how it is added and released from my body. These books have REALLY helped me understand my body, its natural process, and shed light on what it could mean to maintain my goal weight for life. Please let me know if you have read these books and what new knowledge or insights you gleeded from these glossy volumes!

Why We Get Fat by Gary Tubes

A FACINATING look at the science behind obesity and “fatness”. Taubes reviews thousands of medical studies and research publications to break down the science in understandable and consumable pieces. I recommend buying this is paperback and taking LOTS of notes in the margins then summarizing each chapter at the end. It is PACKED with info and you want to remember and use it all!

Year Without Sugar by Eve O. Schaub

I LOVED how this book was one part science review and one part personal experience. Eve decides to remove sugar from her family’s diet for one year after watching one Dr. Lustig youTube videos about the dangers of sugar. The first part of the book discusses her discover of of Dr. Lustig and other individuals who have taken his advice and cut sugar cold turkey. She also dives into the science and research behind sugar. She then documents her families transition to no sugar and how they did it…how they survived…and how they function now after their sugar free year. A GREAT book for your iPad or Kindle.

Fat Chance by Robert H. Lustig, M.D., M.S.L.

A POWERHOUSE of scientific research. I bought this in paperback so I could take copious notes as I went. I find that I re-read sections and entire chapters so I can really soak in all of the information presented. Dr. Lustig spends time to connect all the dots between food and your health…how the food you choose to eat impacts ALL systems of your bodies. He also spends a lot of time describing how your systems are interrelated and the importance of understanding how insulin, leptin, and hormones control weight gains and losses. I appreciated the connections and descriptions in this book…it was a game changer for me!

I have some more books on the horizon and will update this list as I go! If you have a book that would expand my understanding of these topics please let me know so I can add them to my reading list!