Food WTF Should I Eat PDF Free Download

I have mixed thoughts on the quality of this book. For starters, I have been researching about nutrition for years now and just recently stumbled on Dr. Hyman and his methodology. I am also studying in medical school right now, so I feel I have some credibility when talking about this stuff. Let’s start with the good points.

This book is a great guide for those who are just starting out. It can be a bit overwhelming if you don’t know a lot of it, but he does a good job of making you realize that there are a lot of problems with the conventional American diet, especially the foods that the media and lobbying industries are marketing towards us. His biggest pro is the fact that he is preaching on many topics that have been (in my opinion) firmly established in the literature already. For instance, unnatural carbs (ex. grains, processed foods, etc.) are NOT needed at all, so avoiding these makes obvious sense. This is why diets like keto are so popular right now; people are ridding themselves of mostly carbs, which in turn drastically cuts down on the amount of calories one eats each day. Generally, he does a good job addressing the major food groups and gives a nice, easily-accessible list at the end of each chapter on what foods to avoid and to get more of. In a world of confusion on what to eat, Dr. Hyman does a nice job of mapping out a starting point by which to become healthier and more vibrant. Some of the main takeaways I got from his book are that organic/minimally processed foods are best (mostly because of the added chemicals in our foods); the messages by the government are very biased; and that moderation really is the key to a healthy lifestyle.

I do, however, have quite a lot of gripes with his content.

His book reeks of confirmation bias. I’m guessing that he selectively included studies from authors who he works with regularly to fit the narrative he wants to advocate. Obviously this happens with any writer, but it’s a problem when someone writes a no-nonsense guide to eating healthy and only includes information on the bias he has. The reality is that nutrition information is not set in stone, and many of the topics he talks about are non conclusive enough to give an affirmative answer. Some of the examples include:

1) Dairy: His main arguments for not consuming milk are that it’s inflammatory and that it leads to cancer. For me, I don’t have issues with digesting dairy at all, so that part of his argument is thrown out immediately. Second, his argument that dairy leads to cancer is non-conclusive. He pretty much says that research suggests there is a link between dairy and cancer, but that could be said for so many things. He doesn’t mention much about the benefits of dairy, including its protein content, natural sugars, healthy fats and vitamins, etc. Long story short, he doesn’t comprehensively convince me that dairy should be avoided. Yes, I will try to go organic when I can, but organic dairy is four times as expensive as non-organic dairy.

2) Beans: His main arguments for avoiding beans is that they are inflammatory and have high carbohydrates contents. Yes, these probably should be avoided if you’re diabetic or insulin-resistant (as should most carbs in that case). However, once again I don’t have issues digesting beans, and I find that their fiber content is world’s better than any other foods I eat. One serving of beans makes me regular for days. Apart from incredible amounts of fiber, beans have lots of protein, micronutrients, and are very satiating. What about the difference between canned beans and dry beans?

3) Grains: His main argument for avoiding grains are that they are just like sugar when digested. Yes, this is true. However, what about whole grains? He doesn’t talk enough about the difference between whole grains and highly processed grains. This makes it difficult to make a decision—should I avoid grains altogether or just processed ones?

Overall, his main weakness is that what he says isn’t clearly convincing. Yes, I will try to buy organic foods when possible and yes I will try to limit the carbs I consume. However, I don’t know necessarily what ultimate decision to make. These foods exist on a spectrum (ex. juice vs. natural fruit, ice cream vs. whole milk, etc.) What should I do? Furthermore, the type of diet he advocates is far out of reach for most people in society. It’s just too expensive and not convenient in the slightest. This book will absolutely help those who are eating only junk food, but it isn’t necessarily helpful for those are in-shape, workout regularly, don’t have the money and/or time, and want to live a moderate lifestyle. I wish he had spent more time telling me about the complete pros and cons of each food group and allowing me to make a decision on my own, but instead he picks a side (ex. beans are mostly bad) and goes with that one side. A good researcher discusses both sides on a topic, but unfortunately Dr. Hyman chose to ignore some of the information that would have weakened his arguments and bias.