The Diet Compass Book Summary - The Diet Compass Book explained in key points

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The Diet Compass summary

Name: The Diet Compass
Rating: 4.7 (186 reviews)
Author: Bas Kast

Bas Kast

The 12-step Guide to Science-based Nutrition for a Healthier and Longer Life

4.7 (186 ratings)

23 mins

Topics

Diets Aging Healthy Living

Table of Contents

The Diet Compass
Summary of 7 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 7

What’s in it for me? Find guidance to a healthier and more balanced diet.

We all know that eggs are bad for cholesterol, coffee drains the body of water, and spinach makes you strong because it contains a lot of iron. But wait a minute – hasn't exactly the opposite been proven?

Every day, 250 new studies on nutrition are published worldwide. But, maddeningly, for every conclusion these studies arrive at, there’s also at least one investigation that supposedly proves exactly the opposite. How are we supposed to sift through this chaos?

It's simple: take a science journalist who asked himself the same question, have him plow through all the major studies, as well as the studies of those studies, and then check out the conclusions he arrived at – which you'll find in these blinks!

In these blinks, you’ll learn

whether low carb or low fat is more effective;
why you can drink all the coffee you want; and
which fats lead to obesity and which don’t.

Neither fats nor carbohydrates are all bad.

So you want to live a healthier lifestyle and change your diet. But who should you trust? Individual doctors? Scientific studies? Diet programs? Nutrition gurus? All of them claim to have the answers – but those answers are often at odds with each other.

Why is this the case? After all, we can travel to space and edit the genome! It seems bizarre that we haven’t yet determined, once and for all, which foods are best for the human body.

Well, here’s the thing: it’s just not that simple. Take that eternally raging debate – fats vs. carbohydrates. Which is better? The low-fat faction argues that fat leads to obesity and higher cholesterol levels – both of which increase the risk of heart attacks and strokes. The low-carb camp, in contrast, believes fats are unjustly demonized; carbohydrates are the real fatteners, and they also trigger cravings and diabetes. So who’s right?

The key message here is: Neither fats nor carbohydrates are all bad.

Both sides are convinced of their position and can cite countless studies to support their arguments. How can this be? Maybe you’ve guessed it already. According to the author’s research, the problem is that the camps aren’t asking the right question. We shouldn’t simplify the discourse to the question of “fats or carbs?”; rather, we should ask: “Which fats and carbs?"

Various studies show that both high-fat diets and high-carbohydrate diets can be healthy. The traditional Japanese Okinawa diet, for example, is nearly 85 percent carbohydrates, while Mediterranean cuisine derives up to 40 percent of its nutritional value from fats. Both diets are very healthy.

Another aspect to consider in the carbs-vs.-fats debate is personal disposition. There are people, for example, who simply don’t tolerate carbohydrates well; they thrive on a low-carb diet. We all have very individual metabolisms. You should base your diet on what’s best for your body, as well as on your tastes and particular lifestyle. We’ll dive more into how to do this in the following blinks.

Depending on how it’s consumed, protein either makes us slim and strong or overweight and diseased.

Most diets, whether low-fat or low-carb, are based on the same simple premise: Maximize your protein intake while minimizing your intake of everything else. And, generally speaking, it’s not a bad rule. For starters, protein is essential to life, since it provides the material that our cells are made from. High-protein foods are also more filling than low-protein fare; the more protein you eat, the fuller you’ll feel. As a result, you’ll eat less and lose weight.

But, as with most things in life, a healthy diet depends on a healthy balance. And protein, like just about everything else you’re likely to eat, can lead to disease if consumed to excess.

Carbs are beneficial for some and unhealthy for others – but they’re always harmful in the form of sugar.

There’s an Ancient Egyptian proverb that holds up well in our modern times: "A quarter of what you eat keeps you alive. The other three quarters keep your doctor alive.” But nowadays we have information to help us change this ratio and require fewer trips to the doctor. What’s key is finding out your metabolic type and how well your body processes carbohydrates.

Most people have normal insulin sensitivity and so can digest carbohydrates without any problems. Insulin-resistant people, on the other hand, hardly break down any sugar. Their body converts carbohydrates directly into a spare tire. That's why many insulin-resistant people are overweight.

Unsaturated fatty acids are better than saturated ones.

By now you know a bit about proteins and carbohydrates. So let's move on to the most maligned end of the nutrient chain – fats.

First things first: fats don’t necessarily become body fat. Some types of fat do cause weight gain, but others are very healthy and even important for building muscle. These different types of fat are divided into four categories that differ at the molecular level.

Dangerous myths about drinks and dietary supplements are still circulating widely.

Let’s talk about drinks. What would you choose for a cozy Sunday morning, when you want something comforting but also healthy? Maybe a glass of orange juice, for that refreshing jolt of vitamin C? And a cup of coffee with milk, for that extra bit of calcium – but only one cup, because, as we all know, too much coffee is bad for the kidneys! Or is it?

When it comes to beverages, most people don't have a clue what's really healthy, and there are a lot of persistent myths. Juice, for example, is actually anything but healthy. Even though it contains vitamins, it’s simply teeming with dangerous sugar.

Your cells benefit when you have regular meals with long breaks in between.

You’ve surely heard of the much-hyped trend of intermittent fasting. Some people swear by the 16:8 rule – fast for 16 hours, then eat whatever you want within an eight-hour window. That means you can eat cheesy eggs, buttered rolls, and fatty bacon for breakfast, but only very light foods like herbal tea and miso soup in the evening.

Robust evidence suggests that healthy eating involves not only the right foods but also the right timing of your meals. But what, precisely, does that mean?

12 Simple Rules for Healthy Eating

Saturated fatty acids, trans fats, glycemic values, autophagy. Phew, that was a lot of biology and chemistry. Aren't there a few simple rules you can follow?

You bet! Here are 12 simple, actionable nutrition rules – no degree in biochemistry required.

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What is The Diet Compass about?

The Diet Compass (2018) boils down the latest research on health, aging, and nutrition into one scientifically-backed program that anyone can apply to their own diet. When the author, Bas Kast, collapsed while jogging at the young age of 40, he decided to radically change his diet and live a healthier lifestyle. The book is a result of years pursuing the question: What really is healthy?

Who should read The Diet Compass?

Vegetarians, vegans, and omnivores alike
Health-news skeptics
Anyone seeking a healthier lifestyle based on the latest peer-reviewed research

About the Author

Bas Kast, a German science writer, studied psychology and biology at the University of Constance and MIT. He later trained as a journalist, working at Nature, GEO, and the Berliner Tageszeitung. His articles and books have won him many awards, including Bild der Wissenschaft’s Science Book of the Year for The Diet Compass.

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