What to Eat When Book Summary - What to Eat When Book explained in key points
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What to Eat When summary

Michael Roizen Michael Crupain Ted Spiker

A Strategic Plan to Improve Your Health and Life Through Food

4.4 (412 ratings)
25 mins

Brief summary

What to Eat When by Michael Roizen, Michael Crupain, and Ted Spiker is a guide to help you optimize your eating habits with the perfect timing. It shares insights on how to eat for better sleep, a healthier gut, improved fertility, weight management, and overall health.

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    What to Eat When
    Summary of 10 key ideas

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    Key idea 1 of 10

    Understanding how food works is an essential first step to a healthier life.

    We don’t need to understand how everything works in order to enjoy it. You can enjoy the photos on Instagram without knowing how the app functions. But food is different. Eating without understanding is a surefire recipe for a bigger waistline, more trips to the doctor and an early death. So it’s important to understand at least the basics – the macronutrients that we need in large quantities.

    First up are carbohydrates, sugar molecules that our body breaks down into glucose. Once it hits the bloodstream, glucose provides energy to the body, so we definitely need carbohydrates in our diet. But it’s far better to get this energy from complex carbohydrates like whole grains and fiber than from simple carbohydrates like white flour or refined sugar.

    Complex carbohydrates release glucose into the blood slowly, giving us sustained energy. Simple carbohydrates such as a sugary treat or white bread act quickly, providing an instant energy boost. But they are also linked to all sorts of problems, from diabetes and weight gain to impotence.

    Proteins are another source of energy, but their real purpose is to serve as building blocks. Made up of amino acids, they can combine together into structures that the cells in our body need to run properly. Everything from celery to ground beef contains protein, but proteins in animal cells contain different amino acids than those in plant cells. That’s why, if you are a vegetarian, you should strive to maintain a diverse vegetarian diet to get the full variety of amino acids that your body needs.

    The next key macronutrient is fat. Like carbohydrates, it’s a source of energy. But fat contains a lot more energy than carbohydrates; 2.25 times more, in fact. Fat is an essential component of our diets, but it’s important to know that you should concentrate on good fats – unsaturated fats from olives, avocados and nuts or fats like the omega-3 oil found in salmon

    In contrast, you should avoid saturated fats that are typically found in animal products such as cheese and butter. There’s considerable evidence that swapping out saturated for unsaturated fats in your diet reduces inflammation, risk of cancer and heart disease and even cognitive decline.

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    What is What to Eat When about?

    What to Eat When (2018) shows how it’s not just what you eat, but when you eat that matters. This practical and fun guide dives deep into the science of eating to show you how you can enhance your health, energy and intellect through healthier eating habits. It provides a blueprint for eating right, all the time.

    What to Eat When Review

    What to Eat When (2018) is a comprehensive guide on using food to optimize our health and well-being. Here's why this book is worth reading:

    • It provides practical, evidence-based recommendations on when and what to eat to maximize our energy levels and promote longevity.
    • Backed by scientific research and expert advice, it offers insight into the profound impact that food can have on our overall health and disease prevention.
    • With its engaging stories and easy-to-understand explanations, it proves that healthy eating doesn't have to be boring or restrictive.

    Best quote from What to Eat When

    ...major scientific breakthroughs have begun to prove that when it comes to nutrition, timing is everything.

    —Michael Roizen, Michael Crupain and Ted Spiker
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    Who should read What to Eat When?

    • People who fall prey to bad food choices in certain situations
    • Pragmatists seeking a guide to healthy eating
    • Those who’d like to understand the science behind nutrition

    About the Author

    Michael Roizen is a physician, a five-time New York Times best-selling author and a renowned advocate for healthier eating and exercise. Michael Crupain is a physician specializing in preventative medicine and the medical director of the popular TV show Dr. Oz. Ted Spiker is a professor of communications at the University of Florida and a writer on personal health and fitness for publications including Time.Com and The Oprah Magazine.

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    What to Eat When FAQs 

    What is the main message of What to Eat When?

    The main message of What to Eat When is that timing your meals can optimize your health and well-being.

    How long does it take to read What to Eat When?

    The reading time for What to Eat When varies, but it typically takes several hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.

    Is What to Eat When a good book? Is it worth reading?

    What to Eat When is a valuable read. It provides practical tips on how to improve your health through timing your meals.

    Who is the author of What to Eat When?

    The authors of What to Eat When are Michael Roizen, Michael Crupain, and Ted Spiker.

    What to read after What to Eat When?

    If you're wondering what to read next after What to Eat When, here are some recommendations we suggest:
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    • The Power of When by Michael Breus
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