Page 84 - Summer 2017 Journal

Given inflammation’s role in many chronic and degenerative diseases, and its ties to processed foods, it is a reminder of just how costly cheap food can be to our health.
changes to the food system that make our finely tuned brain systems around food go haywire, the remainder of the book explores these problems in greater depth and detail. These chapters talk about why our brain drives us to eat even when eating no longer helps us but hurts us, covering topics such as leptin resistance, sleep, stress, the hypothalamus and the caloric value of food. These middle to later chapters of the book are an adventure through the complex systems that control expression and suppression of hunger.
One interesting thing to note is the discus- sion in chapter seven of the “hunger neuron” and the role of inflammation in this process. Given inflammation’s role in many chronic and degenerative diseases and its ties to processed foods, it is a reminder of just how costly cheap food can be to our health. It also reminds us how we find ourselves culturally trapped in a giant downward spiral. One can easily step onto the path toward the nutritional abyss through many roads, but it is much harder to turn back off once you have begun heading in the wrong direction.
The chapters on sleep and stress help tie together many areas of research, linking them directly to food intake and fat. Why do we crave certain types of food when we are sleep- deprived or stressed? Why is shift work so dangerous to our waistlines? (Answer: because the brain isn’t wired for it!)
The book ends with a short and helpful re- view chapter, taking half a dozen pages to wrap up and walk back through the big-picture ideas laid out in the earlier chapters. It then moves to action. One’s view of Guyenet’s recommenda- tions will be driven by one’s political persua- sions, but I think all of us will agree with this suggestion: “Simply change the way the gov- ernment subsidies are allocated to commodity crops, such as corn, soybeans and wheat. These three food crops receive more subsidies than any others in the United States—totaling over ten billion dollars per year. They also happen to be the basis for many of our most fattening
food ingredients.... Essentially, taxpayers are subsidizing the very foods that make them sick and fat.”
The personal recommendations are simple, a reminder that at the end of the day, avoiding foods that are bad for us isn’t all that hard— except it is. It isn’t rocket science or advanced brain biology, but something both easier and harder. It is about choices to create an environ- ment that allows us to minimize our exposure to processed foods and maximize our opportunity to consume real, whole foods.
For those who want hard science on this subject, Guyenet delivers without being overly technical. He discusses a wide variety of tech- nical terms and studies, but at no point will a reader feel confused or lost, even as he explains and explores complex aspects of human brain function, food reward and the studies that shine light on how these work in the modern world.
I will end my review with a line from deep in the book (page 156), one that will not surprise WAPF followers but shows Dr. Price's wisdom being proved over time. Quoting a scientist who says that “the scariest implication...is that the food we eat may cause damage in areas of the brain that we need to regulate weight loss and appetite, as well as our blood sugar, and to some degree, our reproductive health,” Guyenet adds, “To put this simply, modern industrial foods damage our brains, which in turn damage our bodies and make us even more prone to consume industrial foods. Best to never start this vicious cycle in the first place if you can.”
The Hungry Brain was an enjoyable, educa- tional and excellent read from someone I have followed for many years. It will provide readers with a better understanding of how the human brain (and thus body) functions even in an age of hyperpalatable foods that may lead us to endless ill health. Two thumbs up.
Review by John Moody
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Wise Traditions
SUMMER 2017