Book Review: 5/5 Impact On Me (Book By Jason Fung)
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I enjoyed reading "The Diabetes Code" because it provided new information and motivation. Although I have read many similar books, this one made me clearly understand the difference between fructose and glucose and their metabolic pathways. I learned that excess fructose is metabolized only by the liver and is more likely to be stored as fat, whereas the body's skeletal muscles can store excess glucose.
I realized the challenge of eating refined carbohydrates. The author advises eating minimal carbs or suggests minimal carbs and intermittent fasting. The main problem is refined grains or sugar. However, after reading "Outlive" by Dr. Peter Attia, I decided not to do intermittent fasting because it impacts protein intake. The body needs protein around four times a day. Instead, I reduced my daily carbs, especially fruits, from 550 grams to 300 grams and slightly decreased my brown rice, quinoa, and barley intake. I increased my intake of nuts and seeds. I hypothesize that this will make me less sleepy in the afternoons and less hungry before lunch. Other books and websites say excess fruits are not a problem because if you are eating them, it'll take time to eat them, and it is hard to overeat. However, since I eat pre-chopped fruits (meal prep), I'm unsure if I might overeat.
I am now more motivated to avoid sugar and understand why it's not just about the total number of calories but what food does to hormones, especially insulin. I also learned that high blood sugar might occur almost a decade after bad habits begin because the body first tries to produce more insulin to pack sugar as fat into cells. Additionally, I gained more insight into HDL and LDL than from other books.
Overall, I learned a lot from this book, motivating me to change some of my habits. Its impact on me is 5 out of 5.