Mythbusting Moldy Food

10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

The 10almonds Team

Most Food Should Not Be Fuzzy

In yesterday’s newsletter, we asked you for your policy when it comes to mold on food (aside from intentional mold, e.g. blue cheese etc), and the responses were interesting:

  • About 49% said “throw the whole thing away no matter what it is; it is dangerous”
  • About 24% said “cut the mold off and eat the rest of whatever it is”
  • The remainder were divided equally between “eat it all; keep the immune system on its toes” and “cut the mold off bread, but moldy animal products are dangerous”

So what does the science say?

Some molds are safe to eat: True or False?

True! We don’t think this is contentious so we’ll not spend much time on it, but just for the sake of being methodical: foods that are supposed to have mold on, including many kinds of cheese and even some kinds of cured meat (salami is an example; that powdery coating is mold).

We could give a big list of safe and unsafe molds, but that would be a list of names and let’s face it, they don’t introduce themselves by name.

However! The litmus test of “is it safe to eat” is:

Did you acquire it with this mold already in place and exactly as expected and advertised?

  • If so, it is safe to eat (unless you have an allergy or such)
  • If not, it is almost certainly not safe to eat

(more on why, later)

The “sniff test” is a good way to tell if moldy food is bad: True or False?

False. Very false. Because of how the sense of smell works.

You may feel like smell is a way of knowing about something at a distance, but the only way you can smell something is if particles of it are physically connecting with your olfactory receptors inside you. Yes, that has unfortunate implications about bathroom smells, but for now, let’s keep our attention in the kitchen.

If you sniff a moldy item of food, you will now have its mold spores inside your respiratory system. You absolutely do not want them there.

If we cut off the mold, the rest is safe to eat: True or False?

True or False, depending on what it is:

  • Hard vegetables (e.g carrots, cabbage), and hard cheeses (e.g. Gruyère, Gouda) – cut off with an inch margin, and it should be safe
  • Soft vegetables (e.g. tomatoes, and any vegetables that were hard but are now soft after cooking) – discard entirely; it is unsafe
  • Anything else – discard entirely; it is unsafe

The reason for this is because in the case of the hard products mentioned, the mycelium roots of the mold cannot penetrate far.

In the case of the soft products mentioned, the surface mold is “the tip of the iceberg”, and the mycelium roots, which you will not usually be able to see, will penetrate the rest of it.

“Anything else” seems like quite a sweeping statement, but fruits, soft cheeses, yogurt, liquids, jams and jellies, cooked grains and pasta, meats, and yes, bread, are all things where the roots can penetrate deeply and easily. Regardless of you only being able to see a small amount, the whole thing is probably moldy.

The USDA has a handy downloadable factsheet:

Molds On Food: Are They Dangerous?

Eating a little mold is good for the immune system: True or False?

False, generally. There are of course countless types of mold, but not only are many of them pathogenic (mycotoxins), but also, a food that has mold will usually also have pathogenic bacteria along with the mold.

See for example: Occurrence, Toxicity, and Analysis of Major Mycotoxins in Food

Food poisoning will never make you healthier.

But penicillin is safe to eat: True or False?

False, and also penicillin is not the mold on your bread (or other foods).

Penicillin, an antibiotic* molecule, is produced by some species of Penicillium sp., a mold. There are hundreds of known species of Penicillium sp., and most of them are toxic, usually in multiple ways. Take for example:

Penicillium roqueforti PR toxin gene cluster characterization

*it is also not healthy to consume antibiotics unless it is seriously necessary. Antibiotics will wipe out most of your gut’s “good bacteria”, leaving you vulnerable. People have died from C. diff infections for this reason. So obviously, if you really need to take antibiotics, take them as directed, but if not, don’t.

See also: Four Ways Antibiotics Can Kill You

One last thing…

It may be that someone reading this is thinking “I’ve eaten plenty of mold, and I’m fine”. Or perhaps someone you tell about this will say that.

But there are two reasons this logic is flawed:

  • Survivorship bias (like people who smoke and live to 102; we just didn’t hear from the 99.9% of people who smoke and die early)
  • Being unaware of illness is not being absent of illness. Anyone who’s had an alarming diagnosis of something that started a while ago will know this, of course. It’s also possible to be “low-level ill” often and get used to it as a baseline for health. It doesn’t mean it’s not harmful for you.

Stay safe!

Don’t Forget…

Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!

Recommended

  • Kale vs Spirulina – Which is Healthier?
    Our Verdict When comparing kale to spirulina, we picked the kale. Why? Both are great! But there is a clear winner: In terms of macros, kale has more than 7x the fiber for 3x the carbs, while spirulina has slightly more protein. Taking into account the numbers involved, this round’s a clear win to kale….

Learn to Age Gracefully

Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:

  • How To Choose The Best New Year’s Resolution(s)!

    The 10almonds Team

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    And how to make it work for you:

    First: what matters the most?

    Most people’s new year’s resolutions are health-related, and we are after all a health science publication, so that is what we will be focusing on today.

    But! Mental health is also just health, and it’s worth bearing that in mind too.

    Writer’s anecdote:

    ❝This year, my new year’s resolution was to undertake a “Sunrise Quest”.

    In few words: I resolved to see as many sunrises as I reasonably could this year.

    In more words: by “reasonably”, I mean that I’d try to, around sunrise time, be in a position to see the sunrise. But I would not go chasing sunrises like a stormchaser.

    • Pros: my bedroom faces south-east, where the sun rises at this latitude. So I could often do this without undue effort.
    • Cons: in summer, the sun rises at something past four in the morning where I live, and in winter, there is often thick cloud cover.

    Result? I saw 106 sunrises this year. Some were very beautiful; others were “yep, the sun is visible now”. All of them gave me a moment to pause and reflect, and experience the moment—while still simultaneously being aware of the passage of time, and the importance of making it count.

    According to my mood tracker bullet journal app, there’s enough data to conclude I have a better day, on average, when I see the sunrise.

    I’m glad I did this; it was a good idea.❞

    There can also be other resolutions to be made that aren’t directly related to health, but (like this writer’s “sunrise quest”), can have strong indirect benefits.

    Let’s apply this with a larger scope…

    Next: what matters the most, in the big picture?

    For example: Finding Your Ikigai ←the Japanese concept of “ikigai” is about finding one’s “purpose”. Not merely a function, but what actually drives you in life. And, if Japanese studies can be extrapolated to the rest of the world (and it is reasonable to assume this is so), it has a significant and large impact on mortality.

    Seriously, do not underestimate how significant and large the impact on mortality is. We go through the numbers in the above article, but in few words, looking at data from nearly 100,000 people, having or not having a sense of ikigai will decrease or increase (respectively) your mortality risk by a third to a half.

    So, finding your ikigai and pursuing it could be the best choice you make. Maybe you’ve already got it figured out, and if so, we can only recommend making sure to tend that particular garden, in the sense of making sure that you stay true to it as you go, for as long as it carries meaning for you.

    For example, this writer’s ikigai: to reduce suffering where and how I reasonably can without violating higher principles (e.g. triggering a global apocalypse on the grounds that nobody would be suffering afterwards would not be a way to pursue my ikigai). More prosaically: my work here at 10almonds helps me to fulfil that (by helping you to live your best healthy life!), as does a community volunteer role that I fulfil, as do some charitable endeavors. But it’s not all altruistic, because looking after my own health is part of my ikigai too, for I too am a person capable of suffering, and thus looking after my health helps minimize suffering as well.

    So, we’ll ask: What’s Your Ikigai?

    For more good ideas from Japan, see: 15 Easy Japanese Habits That Will Transform Your Health

    Finally: focus, but get synergistic

    Let’s assume you do want to do something health-specific (which is unlikely to be in conflict with the above in any case).

    So we’ll pose the same question again, just more specific now: what matters the most, healthwise?

    We have our own general answer in very broad strokes, in the form of the top 5 things that make the biggest difference to health, namely:

    1. Good diet
    2. Good exercise
    3. Good sleep
    4. Not drinking
    5. Not smoking

    If we were to add a sixth in terms of things that make a huge difference, it would be “manage stress effectively” and a seventh, beyond the scope of our newsletter, would be “don’t be socioeconomically disadvantaged” (e.g. poor, and/or part of some disprivileged minority group).

    But as for those five we listed, it still leaves the question: what are the few most effective things we can do to improve them? Where can we invest our time/energy/effort for greatest effect?

    And we answer that question here: These Top Few Things Make The Biggest Difference To Health ← this in turn includes “and what things to do to most benefit those 5 things”

    So, what’s this about “focus, but get synergistic”?

    It’s about how:

    • If you try to do everything at once from scratch, you will probably fail, likely immediately.
      • So picking one thing to focus on the most is important.
    • If you do only one thing and ignore all other aspects of health, your health will fail, likely quickly.
      • For example, “get x amount of protein per day” is great, but you do nothing but that, you might as well book your hospital trip now

    So, to avoid falling into either of those traps, it’s best to do a little of everything, with a strong focus on something.

    Let’s say you want to focus on your heart health. That’s great. Now remember the 5 things from just above, and ask yourself:

    Now, we only have so much room (and this writer just noticed she’s already done double the word count of what she’s supposed to, but never mind, you get bonus material today), so we can’t give you a list like that for every possible area of health you might personally choose to focus on, so the message here is “take this model and apply it to the area you want to focus on”.

    So, that’s the focus, where’s the synergy?

    The synergy comes from applying that model. For example, if you eat better, you’ll sleep better. If you sleep better, you’ll exercise better. And so forth. But since it’s hard to focus on all the things at once, that’s why we pick one focal thing to orient the other things around.

    Writer’s example: I will, all being well, have a major operation in a few months. The risk is low; don’t worry about me. However, it means that I’ll be focusing on being in optimal health for that, to do my best to ensure everything goes smoothly, and that I can recover as quickly and easily as possible afterwards. In particular, I’ll be focusing on my circulation, since a) that is where the main risk lies, no matter how small that risk may be, and b) that is what will best hasten my recovery afterwards. I’ll still be looking after all other parts of my health as best I reasonably can, but circulation will be my focal point, that everything else points to. I’ll be asking myself how best to eat for that, how best to exercise for that, etc.

    Using the handy search feature in the top right-hand corner of almost any 10almonds page, we can find articles that are relevant to this focus:

    www.10almonds.com/?s=circulation ← lots of good things easily forgotten if one doesn’t re-read them from time to time! Much more specific to circulation than the general heart health examples we went through, by the way.

    You can do the same, just substituting your own keyword (i.e. your own thing you want to focus on), and then apply the model shown above (where we gave the example of heart health, asking yourself the same questions, just, with your focus, e.g. brain health, mobility, glucose metabolism, gut health, etc)

    Want further pointers to get you started?

    Check out:

    Do You Have A Personalized Health Plan? (Here’s How)

    Want to make sure you actually follow through?

    We’ve got you covered:

    Take care!

    Share This Post

  • Do eggs really make you constipated? A gut expert on what the evidence says

    Vincent Ho – Western Sydney University

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    You might’ve heard too many eggs make you constipated. Influencers on Instagram claim it too. The United Kingdom has slang for it – being “egg bound”.

    Eggs were once blamed for raising blood cholesterol levels, which turned out to be false. Did we get it wrong about eggs and constipation too?

    Here’s what the mixed bag of evidence tells us.

    Popovo Bros/Shutterstock

    Starting with constipation

    Constipation means different things to different people, and there are many different types.

    Let’s focus on “functional constipation”, when people have hard, infrequent and often difficult-to-pass bowel movements. This constipation isn’t due to a physical blockage of the bowel or from disease.

    Functional constipation is very common. Globally, about one in ten adults (10.1%) and one in seven children (14.4%) have it at any one time.

    Is eating eggs to blame?

    Several studies link eating eggs with constipation, but not necessarily how you’d think.

    A 2002 study of 1,699 Japanese residents over 40 found Japanese women who ate eggs at least five times a week were less likely to be constipated. Eating eggs didn’t affect constipation rates in men. The researchers couldn’t explain the difference.

    A later study involved 3,770 female Japanese university students who filled in a questionnaire about what they’d eaten over the past month. A Western diet high in foods such as processed meats and eggs was linked to more constipation than a traditional Japanese diet (which has lots of rice but not much bread or confectionary).

    Another study looked at middle-aged adults in southern China who ate duck or chicken eggs as part of a Western diet. This was linked to a higher risk of constipation compared with the traditional southern Chinese diet, which has lots of refined grains, vegetables, fruits, pickled vegetables, fish and prawns.

    However, such dietary studies mostly rely on participants remembering what they ate. People also don’t always fill in dietary questionnaires truthfully, and tend to under-report eating unhealthy food and over-report eating healthy food. So dietary questionnaires aren’t always accurate.

    They also rarely look at a single food item (such as eggs) in isolation.

    Even if these studies mention eggs, the population studied can vary in age, gender and ethnicity. So the findings may not apply universally.

    How about other evidence?

    Laboratory based experiments looking at how egg proteins are digested in the bowel may offer some clues.

    When researchers fed constipated rats protein from egg yolk, their constipation improved. This could be due to an egg yolk protein called phosvitin. This retains water around itself in the colon (the large intestine) and makes the stool bulkier and easier to pass.

    Human gut
    We’re learning more about how the gut handles eggs. Christos Georghiou/Shutterstock

    How about humans? As far as I’m aware, no specific research involved feeding people eggs to see if this cured their constipation or made it worse. But we know a little about what happens in the gut when people eat eggs.

    Although eggs are quite a digestible food for humans, research shows even cooked egg proteins are not completely digested and absorbed in the small intestine.

    A small amount reaches the colon where it is linked to increased numbers of good bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium and Prevotella. There’s often more Prevotella, in particular, in people with looser stools.

    So some research supports the idea eating eggs improves constipation.

    What about eating lots of protein?

    Eggs are rich in protein. Could a diet with lots of protein cause constipation?

    No, protein itself is not to blame, according to research involving adults and children in the United States.

    That study found someone eating a diet low in carbohydrate was more likely to be constipated after eating extra protein (the equivalent of an extra two small eggs a day). That’s compared with someone eating a moderate amount of carbohydrate.

    Why the difference? The researchers said low carbohydrate intake could be linked to less Prevotella in their stools, potentially making the stools firmer.

    This makes sense. Fibre is a type of carbohydrate the body can’t readily digest. Low dietary fibre is linked to constipation.

    If we have adequate fibre in our diet then eat extra protein, this won’t worsen constipation. It may actually improve it.

    However, not eating enough fibre on a high-protein diet is very likely to increase the risk of constipation.

    Fried egg on top of steak on plate with rosemary sprig
    Adding fibre to your high-protein diet could help. Daniil Demin/Shutterstock

    Kids with allergies

    There’s also a type of functional constipation associated with kids’ food allergies.

    A study from Greece tested children with chronic (long-term) constipation to see if they had food allergies.

    The children found to have food allergies ate a diet without these foods (including eggs) for eight weeks. Constipation improved in most of these children.

    How are food allergies in children and constipation related? A type of immune cell found in people with allergies – known as mast cells – can affect the bowels. These cells can contribute to bowel muscles not contracting well. Food is less able to move along, leading to constipation.

    So if all other causes of a child’s constipation have been ruled out, and they have a food allergy, their constipation may be allergy-related.

    However, it’s recommended to try healthy eating, with enough fluid and fibre first. If that doesn’t resolve the constipation, the child could try an elimination diet, under medical supervision.

    What are we to make of all this?

    Overall, there’s no firm evidence that eating more eggs leads to constipation.

    Provided you eat a diverse diet containing fibre along with your eggs there should be no increased risk of constipation.

    If chronic constipation doesn’t get better with extra fluids and fibre, talk to your doctor.

    Vincent Ho, Associate Professor and clinical academic gastroenterologist, Western Sydney University

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

    Share This Post

  • 6 Micro Habits That Reshape Your Body (No Gym Needed)

    The 10almonds Team

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    It feels like almost nothing, but it makes all the difference:

    Do it the easy way

    First know this: your body shape is mainly driven by what you eat, how much you move, and how consistently you sustain both over time.

    1. Protein first: choose your protein source first at each meal to increase fullness during and after eating, reduce snacking, and slightly increase calorie burn through digestion.
    2. Add fruit & veg: include at least one additional fruit or vegetable with every meal to increase fiber, micronutrients, and meal volume while naturally improving portion balance.
    3. Tie water to meals: drink water with (and between) meals to support energy, reduce fatigue from dehydration, and help manage hunger without relying on willpower.
    4. Move for your phone: put your phone the other side of the room, so every check requires walking, sneakily increasing your daily step count while decreasing sedentary behavior.
    5. Take longer routes: deliberately choose longer routes (when walking, not when driving!) for everyday tasks, to accumulate extra steps and boost daily energy expenditure.
    6. Use waiting time: walk, otherwise exercise, or even just do a quick chore, while waiting for things like a kettle to boil to sneak in yet more extra movement.

    With that in mind and without further ado, here are the 6 habits:

    For more on each of these, enjoy:

    Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!

    Want to learn more?

    You might also like:

    15 Easy Japanese Habits That Will Transform Your Health

    Take care!

    Share This Post

Related Posts

  • You can’t reverse the ageing process but these 5 things can help you live longer

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    Hassan Vally – Deakin University

    At this time of year many of us resolve to prioritise our health. So it is no surprise there’s a roaring trade of products purporting to guarantee you live longer, be healthier and look more youthful.

    While an estimated 25% of longevity is determined by our genes, the rest is determined by what we do, day to day.

    There are no quick fixes or short cuts to living longer and healthier lives, but the science is clear on the key principles. Here are five things you can do to extend your lifespan and improve your health.

    1. Eat a predominantly plant-based diet

    What you eat has a huge impact on your health. The evidence overwhelmingly shows eating a diet high in plant-based foods is associated with health and longevity.

    If you eat more plant-based foods and less meat, processed foods, sugar and salt, you reduce your risk of a range of illnesses that shorten our lives, including heart disease and cancer.

    Plant-based foods are rich in nutrients, phytochemicals, antioxidants and fibre. They’re also anti-inflammatory. All of this protects against damage to our cells as we age, which helps prevent disease.

    No particular diet is right for everyone but one of the most studied and healthiest is the Mediterranean diet. It’s based on the eating patterns of people who live in countries around the Mediterranean Sea and emphases vegetables, fruits, wholegrains, legumes, nuts and seeds, fish and seafood, and olive oil.

    2. Aim for a healthy weight

    Another important way you can be healthier is to try and achieve a healthy weight, as obesity increases the risk of a number of health problems that shorten our lives.

    Obesity puts strain on all of our body systems and has a whole myriad of physiological effects including causing inflammation and hormonal disturbances. These increase your chances of a number of diseases, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, diabetes and a number of cancers.

    In addition to affecting us physically, obesity is also associated with poorer psychological health. It’s linked to depression, low self-esteem and stress.

    One of the biggest challenges we face in the developed world is that we live in an environment that promotes obesity. The ubiquitous marketing and the easy availability of high-calorie foods our bodies are hard-wired to crave mean it’s easy to consume too many calories.

    3. Exercise regularly

    We all know that exercise is good for us – the most common resolution we make this time of year is to do more exercise and to get fitter. Regular exercise protects against chronic illness, lowers your stress and improves your mental health.

    While one of the ways exercising helps you is by supporting you to control your weight and lowering your body fat levels, the effects are broader and include improving your glucose (blood sugar) use, lowering your blood pressure, reducing inflammation and improving blood flow and heart function.

    While it’s easy to get caught up in all of the hype about different exercise strategies, the evidence suggests that any way you can include physical activity in your day has health benefits. You don’t have to run marathons or go to the gym for hours every day. Build movement into your day in any way that you can and do things that you enjoy.

    4. Don’t smoke

    If you want to be healthier and live longer then don’t smoke or vape.

    Smoking cigarettes affects almost every organ in the body and is associated with both a shorter and lower quality of life. There is no safe level of smoking – every cigarette increases your chances of developing a range of cancers, heart disease and diabetes.

    Even if you have been smoking for years, by giving up smoking at any age you can experience health benefits almost immediately, and you can reverse many of the harmful effects of smoking.

    If you’re thinking of switching to vapes as a healthy long term option, think again. The long term health effects of vaping are not fully understood and they come with their own health risks.

    5. Prioritise social connection

    When we talk about living healthier and longer, we tend to focus on what we do to our physical bodies. But one of the most important discoveries over the past decade has been the recognition of the importance of spiritual and psychological health.

    People who are lonely and socially isolated have a much higher risk of dying early and are more likely to suffer from heart disease, stroke, dementia as well as anxiety and depression.

    Although we don’t fully understand the mechanisms, it’s likely due to both behavioural and biological factors. While people who are more socially connected are more likely to engage in healthy behaviours, there also seems to be a more direct physiological effect of loneliness on the body.

    So if you want to be healthier and live longer, build and maintain your connections to others.

    Hassan Vally, Associate Professor, Epidemiology, Deakin University

    This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

    The Conversation

    Don’t Forget…

    Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!

    Learn to Age Gracefully

    Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:

  • The Brain Nutrient That 90% Of Americans Don’t Get Enough Of

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    The 10almonds Team

    Spoiler: it’s choline

    Underconsumed and underappreciated

    Choline is essential for:

    • methylation and brain metabolism
    • mood and cognitive regulation
    • cell membrane integrity
    • acetylcholine production (important for memory and general signaling)
    • and more

    …which all add up to making it quite unfortunate that about 90% of Americans do not get an adequate intake of this vital nutrient!

    Source: Choline: The Underconsumed and Underappreciated Essential Nutrient

    Per some recent research, this does appear to have an important effect on mental health: a meta-analysis of 25 brain spectroscopy studies (370 people with anxiety disorders, 342 controls) found a consistent pattern—people with anxiety disorders had about 8% lower cortical choline-containing compounds (tCho), especially in the prefrontal cortex, that being a region that’s very important for emotional regulation, decision-making, and stress control.

    This is notable because it’s one of the first biomarkers found across multiple anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder), suggesting anxiety may involve measurable metabolic changes—not just psychological symptoms.

    As for why this happens, the researchers suggest that chronic hyperarousal and elevated norepinephrine* (so, “fight-or-flight” activation) may increase the brain’s demand for choline faster than supply can bring it, thus lowering measurable brain choline over time.

    *You can learn more about this here: Neurotransmitter Cheatsheet

    There were other biomarkers too, for example reduced levels N-acetylaspartate (NAA), a marker associated with neuronal integrity, were also seen in some cortical analyses, which suggest further neuronal stress/dysfunction—but that’s beyond the scope of our article today.

    If you do want to read in more detail though, here’s the paper itself: Transdiagnostic reduction in cortical choline-containing compounds in anxiety disorders: a ¹H-magnetic resonance spectroscopy meta-analysis

    As for where to get choline in terms of foods, animal organ meats are generally rich in it but come with other health risks; less risky choline-rich food sources include eggs (especially the yolks) and soybeans.

    Learn more: Food sources of choline and their contribution to choline adequacy in U.S. older adults ← eggs scored best!

    See also:

    And for nuance: Vegetarian & Vegan Diets: Good Or Bad For Brain Health?

    Of course, ensuring you meet your recommended choline intake through diet is a good idea for general brain health, but please do note that this should complement, not replace, other approaches such as therapy, medication if needed, sleep, exercise, and so forth.

    See also:

    Want to raise your choline levels?

    Dietary intake is all well and good, but you might want to consider:

    Citicoline: Better Than Dietary Choline?

    Take care!

    Don’t Forget…

    Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!

    Learn to Age Gracefully

    Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails:

  • Intuitive Eating – by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch

    10almonds is reader-supported. We may, at no cost to you, receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

    The 10almonds Team

    You may be given to wonder: if this is about intuitive eating, and an anti-diet approach, why a whole book?

    There’s a clue in the other part of the title: “4th Edition”.

    The reason there’s a 4th edition (and before it, a 3rd and 2nd edition) is because this book is very much full of science, and science begets more science, and the evidence just keeps on rolling in.

    While neither author is a doctor, each has a sizeable portion of the alphabet after their name (more than a lot of doctors), and this is an incredibly well-evidenced book.

    The basic premise from many studies is that restrictive dieting does not work well long-term for most people, and instead, better is to make use of our bodies’ own interoceptive feedback.

    You see, intuitive eating is not “eat randomly”. We do not call a person “intuitive” because they speak or act randomly, do we? Same with diet.

    Instead, the authors give us ten guiding principles (yes, still following the science) to allow us a consistent “finger on the pulse” of what our body has to say about what we have been eating, and what we should be eating.

    Bottom line: if you want to be a lot more in tune with your body and thus better able to nourish it the way it needs, this book is literally on the syllabus for many nutritional science classes, and will stand you in very good stead!

    Click here to check out “Intuitive Eating” on Amazon today, and give your body the attention it deserves!

    Don’t Forget…

    Did you arrive here from our newsletter? Don’t forget to return to the email to continue learning!

    Learn to Age Gracefully

    Join the 98k+ American women taking control of their health & aging with our 100% free (and fun!) daily emails: