1-Sentence-Summary: Fat For Fuel explores the “Mitochondrial Metabolic Therapy” program, which offers a revolutionary approach to diets by promoting a high-fat, adequate-protein, and low-carb diet, all while highlighting the importance of fasting and the role of nutrition in fighting diseases.
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Favorite quote from the author:
Have you heard of Mitochondrial Metabolic Therapy? It’s a program developed by Joseph Mercola, aimed at helping people understand how nutrition and biology are interrelated.
The program touches on subjects like what foods to eat, the strategies to use when creating your nutritional habits, the role of adequate protein, carbs, and fat in one’s diet, and how to fight diseases and illnesses such as cancer by eating the right foods. In other words, Fat For Fuel teaches you how to take charge of your health using revolutionary research and groundbreaking discoveries derived from science and extensive research.
While I can’t touch on all the important aspects of this book through a summary, I’ll present you with my three favorite lessons:
- Maintaining your mitochondria at optimum levels determines your body’s performance, health, and overall well-being.
- We should aim for adequate-protein levels and a high-fat intake in our diets if we want to live longer and healthier.
- Restrict your eating window by fasting right, and definitely stop eating at least three hours before sleep.
If you’d like to learn more about what these lessons have to offer, stick around, and let’s explore them one by one!
Lesson 1: Keeping your mitochondria in the right parameters will keep you healthier, happier, and functioning better.
Mitochondria are “the powerhouse of the cell,” as you might remember from biology class. The human body hosts millions of billions (!) of cells. Therefore, mitochondria account for 10% of our body weight! When they break down, we get ill. That’s why it’s essential that we take good care of them. How? By adopting the right diet and lifestyle.
The author swears by an adequate-protein, low-carb, high-fat diet that focuses on two pillars: eating fewer calories and getting the exact right amount of protein. So eat less in general, but make sure you get the right amount of protein.
Intermittent fasting can help you reduce calories. It implies restricting your eating window to a certain time frame every day, then fasting for the rest of it, and keeping on repeating this cycle.
But what should you eat in your non-fasting hours? The author suggests opting for a plant-based diet with a high fat intake from seeds, avocados, nuts, and other good sources. He also suggests introducing occasional animal proteins in your diet and focusing more on what feels good for your body. There is no right way or a one-size-fits-all diet for each and every one of us.
Lesson 2: Getting the right amount of protein and fat intake can help you combat cancer.
According to the book, too much protein can activate our mTOR (Mechanistic Target of Rapamycin), which stands in the way of our body cleaning its own debris and toxins from cells.
In other words, we don’t want to activate the mTOR, yet too much protein or carbs can do so. So, what’s the right amount? According to the book, it’s about 0.5 grams of protein for every kilogram of lean body mass. Your lean body mass is about 80% of the total. So, multiply your weight by 0.8 and that by 0.5, and you have your daily grams of protein!
For example, if you’re 55 kilos, you’ll multiply 0.8 with that and get a value of 44. That’s your lean body mass! Now, your protein intake should be 0.5 for each lean body mass kg. So that would be 22 grams of protein for a 55 kg person with a body fat level of 14%.
I know it sounds a bit complex. But once you start thinking about it, it gets easier and makes a lot of sense. Another crucial aspect is to focus on nutrients, rather than calories. Make sure to introduce a lot of fat in your diet. But have it come from good sources, like plants, seeds, and occasional animal products. Never from industrial fats, processed products, and trans-fats!
Lesson 3: Stop fueling your body before bedtime, and try fasting instead.
You might’ve heard this before, but: Stop eating before bedtime! I know, everything just tastes better at night. Social gatherings usually happen after 7 PM, and movies are less entertaining without some snacks. However, are you willing to risk your health and overall well-being for it? I hope not! Therefore, the author suggests implementing fasting in your life asap. More specifically, he advocates for peak fasting, which means eating for 6-11 hours a day, and limiting eating to 13-18 hours.
Although difficult, this lifestyle change is definitely doable! Just think about it: you delay your breakfast by a few hours, then start eating for the day. Then stop 3-6 hours before your bedtime. It doesn’t sound that bad! Plus, by introducing the right amount of protein, the good sources of fat, and limiting your net carb intake in your diet, your body will have the right fuel and feel better than ever, leaving you less tempted to snack on unnecessary foods.
Fasting has enormous benefits, yet few people try it. The author suggests that eating fewer grains, gluten, and carbs overall can help you keep your hunger hormones in balance, all while helping your body to ditch storing unnecessary fat and produce insulin. Therefore, if you’re struggling with diabetes, or simply want to lose some weight or live better, this is the way to go! Also, burning fat instead of calories will leave you feeling more energetic and less bloated after meals.
Fat For Fuel Review
Fat For Fuel approaches one main idea: meeting our mitochondria, which is the power center of our health. By combining science, nutrition, medicine, molecular biology, and comprehensive research on complementary topics, the book manages to offer a hands-on guide to maintaining health at excellent levels, combating diseases through nutrition, and accessing remarkable energy levels by eating the right foods. This book addresses a series of essential topics that could change anyone’s life for the better right away if they’re looking to cure diseases, reach an optimum weight, improve their energy levels, or simply live better by eating better.
Who would I recommend our Fat For Fuel summary to?
The 30-year-old who wants to change their diet for the better but doesn’t know where to start, the 40-year-old person who feels like they’re always tired and bloated after eating, or the 20-year-old who wants to learn how to live a long, happy, healthy life by adopting the right eating habits.
Last Updated on February 20, 2023
