Tao of Taubes

Science writer Gary Taubes’ book Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health (Vintage) is often referred to as the nutrition bible. It sometimes reads like a textbook, but anyone interested in getting lean will find lots of interesting nuggets amidst the 460 pages (plus a 100-page bibliography). Written without bias or agenda, he lays it all on the table for the reader to digest.

This quote comes near the end of the book when he summarizes his research findings and comes to the conclusion that evolution is our "best guide" to eating healthy:

“Evolution should be our best guide for what constitutes a healthy diet. It takes time for a population or a species to adapt to any new factor in its environment; the longer we’ve been eating a particular food as a species, and the closer that food is to its natural state, the less harm it is likely to do.”

He also states:

"Through their direct effect on insulin and blood sugar, refined carbohydrates, starches, and sugars are the dietary cause of coronary heart disease and diabetes. They are the most likely dietary causes of cancer, Alzheimer's disease, and the other chronic diseases of civilization."

Good Calories, Bad Calories: Fats, Carbs, and the Controversial Science of Diet and Health (Vintage)