The South Asian Health Solution provides an ancestral health-based wellness plan tailored for those of South Asian ancestry. It addresses the high risk of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity in this population by offering practical advice on interpreting cholesterol levels, modifying cultural traditions, managing sleep, stress, and fatigue, and includes specific guidance for women, children, and seniors.
In 'In Defense of Food', Michael Pollan argues that the Western diet, characterized by highly processed foods and a focus on individual nutrients, has led to increased rates of chronic diseases such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. He proposes a simple yet profound alternative: 'Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.' This approach emphasizes the importance of whole, unprocessed foods, moderate portions, and a diet rich in plant-based foods. Pollan critiques the food industry and nutritional science for creating confusion about what constitutes healthy eating and advocates for a return to traditional, culturally informed ways of eating.
In 'The Case for Keto', Gary Taubes critiques traditional dietary advice and presents the ketogenic diet as a viable alternative for weight loss and metabolic health. He argues that hormonal factors, particularly insulin, play a crucial role in obesity, and that a low-carb, high-fat diet can be more effective than calorie restriction for many people. The book draws on scientific research and interviews with physicians to support its claims.
In 'Good Calories, Bad Calories', Gary Taubes challenges the conventional wisdom on diet, weight control, and disease. He argues that the last few decades of dietary advice promoting low-fat diets have been consistently incorrect. Taubes posits that carbohydrates, particularly refined ones like white flour, sugar, and starches, are the primary cause of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and other ailments. He supports his assertions with biological, epidemiological, and anthropological evidence, highlighting the role of insulin in fat storage and the flaws in the scientific literature that have led to the current dietary guidelines. The book aims to change how scientists and researchers approach the questions of obesity, heart disease, and diabetes, rather than providing a specific diet plan[2][3][5].
In 'The Case Against Sugar', Gary Taubes presents a detailed analysis of how sugar, particularly sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup, contributes to chronic diseases like diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. He explores the historical and cultural impacts of sugar consumption and critiques the food industry's influence on nutritional science. The book argues that reducing sugar intake is crucial for preventing these epidemics.
In 'Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It', Gary Taubes critiques the 'calories-in, calories-out' model of weight gain, arguing that carbohydrates and insulin play a crucial role in obesity. He presents a low-carbohydrate diet as a solution to maintaining a healthy weight. The book is based on extensive scientific research and historical analysis of nutritional science.
This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, Paleovalley, and Essentia.
The leading cause of inflammation is a poor diet—specifically one rich in addictive starches and refined sugars that keep us eating more than we need to because they don’t fill us up. This standard American diet (SAD) of refined flour and sugar is the gateway to insulin resistance, diabetes, and other metabolic issues, which cause rapid aging and chronic disease.
In today’s episode, I talk with Dhru Purohit, Gary Taubes, and Dr. Ronesh Sinha about why we need to ditch the high-starch diet if we want to improve our metabolism and reduce chronic disease.
Dhru Purohit is a podcast host, serial entrepreneur, and investor in the health and wellness industry. His podcast, The Dhru Purohit Podcast, is a top 50 global health podcast with over 30 million unique downloads. His interviews focus on the inner workings of the brain and the body and feature the brightest minds in wellness, medicine, and mindset.
Gary Taubes is an award-winning science and health journalist and cofounder and director of the Nutrition Science Initiative. He is the author of The Case Against Sugar, Why We Get Fat, Good Calories, Bad Calories, and The Case for Keto. Gary is a former staff writer for Discover and a correspondent for Science. He has written three cover articles on nutrition and health for The New York Times Magazine.
Dr. Ronesh Sinha, author of The South Asian Health Solution, is an internal medicine physician who runs a lifestyle clinic in Silicon Valley focused on reversing insulin resistance in ethnically diverse patients. He is also an expert in corporate wellness and serves as the Chief Medical Officer for Silicon Valley Employer Forum, where he serves as a global adviser to shape health benefits for over 55 major Silicon Valley companies.
This episode is brought to you by Rupa Health, Paleovalley, and Essentia.
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Full-length episodes of these interviews can be found here:
Dhru Purohit
Gary Taubes
Dr. Ronesh Sinha
The Dr. Hyman Show 
