Key Takeaways

• “Read this next” is a new series that will briefly introduce the books that have had the most significant impact on my worldview, thought process, and daily habits.

• They will be short posts that will include my 10 most significant themes and excerpts from each book.

• My singular goal with Solokas Focus is to help you live a healthier and happier life. Discussing books is a change of pace from normal fitness and nutrition programming but holds true to my theme.

• Taking advantage of the insights that outstanding pieces of literature have to offer can put you on the fast track to improving your emotional and physical health.

Next up - Genius Foods by Max Lugavere

Full Story

Genius Foods by Max Lugavere is an interesting read. Lugavere is not a front line researcher, nutritionist, or physician, but he does provide ample scientific references throughout the book and takes an evidence-based approach.

Although a few of his claims are not well-substantiated by the research, he brings light to the laundry list of positive health effects of eating nutritious food. If nothing else, the book is an entertaining reminder that we really are what we eat and that food quality plays an important role in our health and longevity.

Don’t be mistaken - eating blueberries and avocado will not provide 100% immunity against sickness or make you live forever.

That being said, eating nutrient-dense foods is one of the most effective ways to feel better, prevent chronic disease, and extend life span. Eating well does not make you immortal, it simply stacks the odds in your favor.

Without further adieu, here are my top ten takeaways from Genius Foods.

1. Consuming olive oil and other monounsaturated fats has many fascinating benefits.

• “Olive olive contains oleocanthal, which possesses anti-inflammatory effects so powerful that it is comparable to taking a small dose of ibuprofen, a non steroidal anti-inflammatory drug, but without any of the potential side effects…Oleocanthal has also demonstrated the ability to help the brain clear itself of amyloid plaque by increasing the activity of enzymes that degrade the plaque…EVOO has been shown to block an enzyme in fatty tissue called fatty acid synthase, which creates fat out of excess dietary carbohydrates” (25).

• “A diet rich in monounsaturated fats reduced liver fat 4.5 fold in a study of diabetics who had excess fat in their livers” (131).

2. Cholesterol and whole eggs do not deserve to be demonized

• “In a Purdue University study, participants who added three whole eggs to their salads increased their absorption of carotenoids by three to eightfold compared to when no eggs were added” (56).

• “The big concern regarding eating cholesterol-rich foods (e.g. eggs) is completely without foundation. There is basically no link between the cholesterol we eat and the level of cholesterol in our blood. This was already known thirty years ago and has been confirmed time and time again. Eating cholesterol-rich foods has no negative effect on health in general or on risk of cardiovascular disease, in particular” (127).

3. Vitamin D is one of the most important micronutrients- and the majority of Americans are deficient.

• “…vitamin D is a steroid hormone that affects the functioning of nearly one thousand genes in the body, many involved in inflammation, aging, and cognitive function. In fact, a recent University of Edinburgh analysis found low vitamin D to be a top driver of dementia incidence among environmental factors. (Some researchers have argued that the RDA for vitamin D should be at least ten times higher that it currently is for optimal health)” (65).

• “…healthy serotonin levels may actually rely on vitamin D, as vitamin D helps to create serotonin from its precursor, the amino acid tryptophan. This is an important insight, particularly in light of research estimating a vitamin D deficiency in three-fourths of the U.S. population” (221).

• “Young people produce more vitamin D than older people— for example, a seventy year old makes four times less Vitamin D from the sun than a twenty year old…Those who are overweight have less available vitamin D, because as a fat soluble vitamin, it gets stored in fat tissue. This occurs with other fat-soluble vitamins as well (like vitamin E) and may explain why overweight and obese people are more likely to be deficient in vitamin D even with the same sun exposure as their leaner counter-parts…Women who had blood levels within the 40 to 60 ng/ml were shown to have the longest telomeres compared to age-matched controls. 

• “Vitamin D increases the absorption of calcium, and the major risk of vitamin D toxicity is hypercalcemia, or too much calcium in the blood. This can lead to problems like artery calcification and kidney stones” (339).

4. Eating before bed may harm your brain.

• “One way to optimize this critical brain cleaning is to stop eating two to three hours before bed to reduce circulating insulin…just slight insulin resistance is enough to increase amyloid deposition” (101).

5. Gluten may increase inflammation in some people.

• “Recent research suggests that gluten may present a unique inflammatory challenge, impairing insulin sensitivity and predisposing one to weight gain irrespective of the carbohydrates with which it is bundled. Case in point: mice that were fed diets with gluten gained more weight than mice fed the same diets without gluten. The mice had reduced metabolic activity and increased markers of inflammation compared to control mice consuming the exact same number of calories, carbs and fat— the only difference was that they were consuming gluten” (109).

6. Fiber is very important.

• “In one study that followed more than 1,600 adults for an entire decade, those who ate the most fiber were 80 percent more likely to be free of hypertension, diabetes, dementia, depression, and disability than low-fiber consumers. In fact, fiber consumption determined healthy aging more than any other variable studied, including sugar intake” (185).

• “Fiber directly protects us against immune confusion in part because SCFAs like butyrate increase the production and development of regulatory T-cells in the colon. These cells, also called T-regs, are a type of immune cell that helps ensure a healthy and appropriate inflammatory response by suppressing the responses of other immune cells, including those that promote inflammation” (190).

7. Omega 3 fats, berries, and dark leafy greens can prevent brain-aging.

• “Omega 3 fats and particularly DHA support the brain by increasing its supply of a protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF for short. BDNF is known not only for its ability to promote the creation of new neurons in the memory center of the brain but also for being a bodyguard to your existing brain cells, helping to ensure their survival” (42).

• “The Nurses’ Health Study…found that those who ate the most berries had brains that looked 2.5 years younger on scans” (84).

• “…people who ate just two servings of dark leafy greens a day had brains that looked elven years younger on scans!” (210).

8. Exercise has many positive effects on the brain and body.

• “Intense exercise has been shown to promote balance, boosting both GABA and glutamate in the human brain. This effect lasts well beyond the workout, as it correlates with higher resting levels of glutamate one week later...Hypothermic conditioning…is an excellent means of normalizing one’s GABA/glutamateric balance. Though stressful and excitatory, thus stimulating the sympathetic ‘fight or flight’ nervous response, people who participate in hypothermic conditioning will experience a significant drop in sympathetic activity and an increase in GABA after acclimation” (217).

• “One enzyme that becomes activated during anaerobic activity is called AMPK…AMPK acts like a tuning fork to your mitochondria, increasing fat burning and glucose uptake, and turning on waste disposal machinery to clear up cellular junk. Activating AMPK is such a powerful means of enhancing cellular vigor that the diabetes drug metformin, which stimulates AMPK, is now being studied for its potential as a geroprotective, or anti-aging, agent.

• One of the most important ways that AMPK enhances your metabolism is by stimulating the creation if more mitochondria, a process called mitochondrial biogenesis. Having more mitochondria is a good thing because chronic disuse of muscle, sedentary behavior, and aging each independently result in a decline in mitochondrial content and function.

• By creating new mitochondria in our muscle, we improve fitness and metabolic health— including sensitivity to insulin…It also does this in our fat cells, a process called browning (280).”

9. Showering less may help you get a date.

• “Shower less. Or use soap more sparingly, perhaps only every other shower. The resulting increase in mating scent molecules called pheromones may even help your dating life. Shampoo once or twice a week at most— there’s no reason to shampoo every day!…Women who have a dog in their homes when pregnant are less likely to have children with allergies, and kids who grow up with dogs are 15 percent less likely to have children with allergies” (204).

10. Regular use of drugs like Advil may not be great for the heart or brain.

• “Regular use of NSAIDS has been linked to an increased risk of cardiac events. While these drugs are commonly used to treat minor aches and pains, they ‘attack’ cell mitochondria, reducing their ability to produce energy and increasing the production of reactive oxygen species (or free radicals). This was shown in heart cells, but these drugs can easily cross the blood brain barrier. Alternative: Try curcumin, an anti-inflammatory that has been found to reduce pain, instead. Omega-3 EPA may help as well, as it is a potent anti-inflammatory” (314).

Wrap Up

Mainstream nutrition books are often riddled with fear mongering, myths, and fake science. Genius Foods is not.

As Lugavere focuses on the benefits of eating well rather than demonizing certain food or macronutrients, this book is breath of fresh air. If you’re looking for a read that will break down the research behind the positive health effects of common “superfoods” in a digestible way, Genius Foods is a perfect choice.

Nutrition science is nuanced and confusing. For every study that supports a food is good for you, there are others that find the food harmful. Despite all of the uncertainty, a few themes stand out as fact:

• Eating mostly minimally-processed foods is healthier than eating mostly ultra-processed foods

• Eating some foods, such as the ten listed in this book, have a net-positive health effect for the majority of people

• Eating high amounts of some foods, such as trans fats, saturated fats, and added sugar, have a net-negative health effect for the majority of people

If you have any questions about the above points, general nutrition, or anything else, please reach out below!

Sources:

1. https://experiencelife.com/article/genius-foods/ (title picture).

GIFS: (Giphy.com) - Avocado Debbie Spongebob Gluten Popeye Dexter Spongebob 2