6 Must-Read Books for a Healthy 2020

I commute about 10 hours a week. I know, I'm "crazy". Driving is a part-time job for me. What's even crazier is that I don't mind the commute anymore. I got into audiobooks pretty early on in my commuting life (and overcame road rage - mental health is important too!). I've read more books over the last 1.5 years than I have in my whole life. Reading a book (or listening to one) is my favorite way to learn about a novel idea. Podcasts and YouTube videos are great but sometimes have too much fluff, in my opinion.

Books about nutrition, health, and longevity obviously hold a special place in my heart (since I'm a dietitian and all I do at work is think about nutrition). I would like to share the books I've stumbled upon that have changed my personal eating habits and the direction of my career.

The Six Must-Read Books for a Healthy 2020 
1. The Obesity Code by Dr. Jason Fung 
This book changed my life! I began intermittent fasting about 6 months before I read this book but I hadn't fully understood why I had lost weight and kept it off after starting the 16/8 time-restricted eating regimen. This book goes into the details of why insulin is the culprit to weight gain.

2. The Longevity Solution by Dr. James DiNicolantionio and Dr. Jason Fung
This book is filled with valuable information on the components of living a long, healthful life.  And it includes pictures and mechanisms. Dietitians love mechanisms. I read this book as a hard copy (not on Audible). One of my favorite books on longevity.

3. Food - What the Heck Should I Eat? by Dr. Mark Hyman 
This book goes through the different food groups and debunks myths. Many foods are deemed "healthy" or "bad for you" - Dr. Hyman reveals the truth. Although Dr. Mark Hyman can sound a little arrogant at times and has put down dietitians and nutritionists, he still presents valuable information on food. I agree with most of his claims.

4. The Good Gut by Dr. Justin and Erica Sonnenburg 
This married couple is at the forefront of microbiome research. They have become a trustworthy source for emerging scientific information regarding the world of bacteria within us. A majority of my patients have gastrointestinal health problems and  I found this book helpful in understanding a large component to gut health: the microbiome. This book gives the overused Hippocrates quote even more momentum.
“All Disease Begins in The Gut.” - Hippocrates.

5. The Circadian Code by Dr. Satchin Panda
Dr. Panda produces a lot of research on intermittent fasting and health outcomes. I follow his work closely because he is at the forefront of research. This book provides information on understanding your internal clock: Circadian Rhythm. It's SO much more than just a sleep/wake clock.

6. The Longevity Diet by Dr. Valter Longo 
This book provides information on Fasting-Mimicking Diet (FMD) and nutrition recommendations for living a long, healthy life. If prolonged fasting is difficult for you, FMD can be considered an alternative. This book dives into plant-based nutrition and limiting your animal product consumption which has all been shown in longevity research to increase lifespan.

Remember, the authors do NOT know it all. You should always be skeptical of new information and conduct further research on your own. It is important to read these books if you are a healthcare professional (and especially if you are a dietitian or RD2B) because patients/clients may ask you about the claims in these books. Utilize critical thinking when processing new ideas from books. I found all 6 of these books helpful in bettering my health and the health of my patients.

Protein Sour Candy Recipe

This quarter I had a food science course and we had to develop a product that we think should be in the market. Of course my mind went straight to protein... and so did my partner. (We are gym junkies). I thought about protein cereal because I love cereal and there is only one brand I know that has 10 grams per serving. I thought about high protein ice cream, but that would have been an okay idea. Finally we thought of a protein candy. Our target market was obviously going to be individuals that workout regularly and need a protein snack before, during, or after the gym. We even thought this would be a great snack to have during the day to keep muscle protein synthesis stimulated. And so the creating of the Muscle Gummy came to be... with sour liquid BCAA inside!
Over 10 weeks we struggled a bit, slowly overcoming one obstacle after another.  We finally finished our final product this weekend just in time to present tomorrow!

Protein Gummy Recipe

Ingredients

BCAA Liquid: Yields about 50 drops

½ tsp bpi Sports BCAA supplement

¼ cup water

1 tsp tapioca Starch

¼ tsp Citric Acid

Gummy: Yields about 40 Cubes

¼ cup cold water

1 tsp Raspberry syrup

3 packets Knox original Gelatine Unflavored (33g)

¾ cup warm water

1 Tbls Raspberry syrup

1 Scoop Isopure Unflavored Whey Protein Isolate (16g)

Additional Sugar and Citric Acid to coat candies

Procedure

1. Add BCAA to Water and mix well,  add tapioca starch and mix well
2. Heat mixture while stirring constantly until desired consistency
3. Remove from heat and mix in Citric Acid
4. Use a measured syringe to form .625 mL droplets on a cookie sheet and then place in freezer immediately for later use

1. Add ¼ cup water to bowl and add 1 tsp raspberry syrup
2. Sprinkle gelatin over top to begin forming gel and let sit 1 minute
3. Heat ¾ cup water and add 1 Tablespoon Raspberry syrup
4. Pour warm juice mixture over gelatin mixture and mix well
5. Once mixture has slightly cooled add protein powder and mix well
6. Pour 7/8th of the  mixture in a shallow 4/6 bread pan and let stand until slightly gelled
7. Place the rest of the mixture on a hot plate and monitor temperature at >100◦F to avoid gel formation but below boiling (avoid overheating the goal her is just to prevent gel formation)
8. Carefully place frozen BCAA in desired locations (use a cookie cutter for your shapes and references)
9. Pour the remaining warm gelatin mixture over the top to seal the liquid inside.
10. Place in the Refrigerator immediately, and cut into 4 rows of 10

Upon consumption dip or dust the gummies with 5 to 1 sugar and citric acid mixture  

Note: Video below does not show how to insert liquid BCAA into the gummy base. 

Final Result

Our goal was to create a product with 10 grams of protein per serving. We managed 9 grams, so we are satisfied with our ending product! I could get into all the food science concepts incorporated, such as weeping, spherification, and foaming. All of which we had some problem overcoming.  But I will save that for another day!

Thanks for reading.