Aaron Carroll
Every woman I’ve ever had a relationship with has been healthier than me.
And they’re always lecturing me.
Even my 15 year old daughter.
So I invited Aaron Carroll, pediatrician and the author of “The Bad Food Bible: How and Why to Eat Sinfully” on the podcast. I wanted to throw out every argument ever made about coffee, carbs, alcohol, MSG, BACON, antioxidants, the list goes on!
Aaron can dismantle the rumors. And give you your control back (when it comes to health).
“There are people who make claims all the time about these kinds of things (food crazes, the latest media hyped diet, etc.), but there’s no conclusive links. This is the healthiest the human race has ever been ever.”
The healthiest the human race has ever been!
Aaron looks at ALL the scientific research. And figured out that someone is always misinterpreting the data. (Either the consumer or the media)
Half the studies are good and half are bad.
So really, when it comes to your food it’s a sample size of one. If something makes you feel good, it’s probably good for you. If it makes you feel bad, it’s probably bad for you.
Simple.
“This idea that somehow the food is poisoning us and we’re all in mortal danger is somewhat bizarre, we’re doing great,” Aaron said.
And you know it’s funny because he’s right. We’re always looking for the latest craze that’s making us fatter, giving us cancer, or increasing our risk of heart disease or strokes.
“People argue that processed meat raises your relative risk of colon cancer by 18%,which sounds scary… But that would mean, if I chose today to eat an extra three pieces of bacon everyday for the rest of my life, my overall lifetime risk of colon cancer MIGHT go up 1/2 of 1%,” Aaron said.
You’d have to eat three EXTRA pieces of bacon a day and still your risk doesn’t go up that much.
I think diet comes down to fear. We’re afraid of dying. Or having a heart attack or being ugly. And it turns out that all food has some inherent risk. And it varies. We are not all created equal.
What may work for you, is probably going to give me a stomach ache.
And drinking two cups of coffee at 3 in the afternoon is going to make me more creative, but would maybe make you stay up all night.
The answers lie within yourself.
So here are my top ten takeaways from Aaron to live a healthier life…
ONE: Limit processed foods as much as possible.
TWO: Exercise 30 minutes a day, even if it’s just a brisk walk – exercise is like a miracle drug.
THREE: Be Mindful. (Is what you’re eating too easy?)
FOUR: Start cooking for yourself more (this way, you know exactly what you’re consuming)
FIVE: Stop drinking your calories. (You can drink a soda and get massive amounts of sugar and empty calories in minutes)
SIX: Don’t deprive yourself. (Aaron said, “If you feel like you’re depriving yourself because you haven’t had pasta in years I’d say there’s probably very little danger of once in awhile enjoying it.”)
SEVEN: Salt is what makes food taste good. (“The amount of salt that you’re adding at the table from the salt shaker is inconsequential almost compared to what’s already in your food. If you’re cooking for yourself, you almost couldn’t add too much salt.)
EIGHT: Don’t abuse alcohol… but 1-2 drinks a day isn’t going to kill you
NINE: Focus on your needs vs. your wants
TEN: You’ll gain weight if you eat too much of anything.
But most of all, do what works for you. Because the best diet is one you can stick to.
Links & Resources
- Read Aaron’s book “The Bad Food Bible: How and Why to Eat Sinfully”
- Aaron writes for the New York Times, read his articles here!
- Follow Aaron on Twitter
Also Mentioned
- “Awaken the Giant Within : How to Take Immediate Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical and Financial Destiny!” by Tony Robbins
- “Giant Steps: Small Changes to Make a Big Difference” by Tony Robbins
- Ep. 174 of The James Altucher Show – Dr. Sanjiv Chopra: The Art of Wellbeing
- “The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who’ve Lived the Longest” by Dan Buettner
- The Mediterranean Diet
- “A History of the World in 6 Glasses” by Tom Standage
- Brazil’s Nutritional Guidelines
- The Man Who Saved a Billion Lives – Norman Borlaug who won the Nobel Peace Prize for inventing Dwarf Wheat
- “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff . . . and It’s All Small Stuff: Simple Ways to Keep the Little Things from Taking Over Your Life” by Richard Carlson
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