Spoon-Fed: Why almost everything we’ve been told about food is wrong

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Because I am somewhat obsessed with the subject of nutrition, much of the material in this book was not a huge surprise to me - although still interesting to read about in detail and from the point of view of a scientist and medical researcher. The contents may be an absolute revelation to readers who are not so devoted to reading up on this subject. I have long resisted what I think of the ‘faddy’ belief systems and it turns out that if you eat moderately of a wide variety of minimally processed whole foods you are probably going to be okay. All of our modern research basically confirms that traditional eating habits were fine all along. Butter, lard, pasta, cow’s milk, coffee: all of them fine in moderation. The trouble is, although identical twins have many similarities, they can often be quite different – despite sharing the same genes. “Trying to understand why one twin is sometimes overweight and the other skinny; one gets diabetes or cancer and the other doesn’t, has been a major theme for the past 20 years,” Spector says. Empowering and practical, Food for Life is nothing less than a new approach to how to eat - for our health and the health of the planet.

Spoon-Fed was written before the pandemic but it covers ground that is as relevant now as ever. For weeks, I had been reading alarming headlines on the link between low vitamin D levels and an elevated risk of dying from Covid-19. But Spector’s chapter on vitamins convinced me that vitamin D pills are not a panacea, despite the way they are currently being marketed. “Overuse of vitamin D supplements has been linked in several trials to weakened bone density, as well as increased falls and fractures,” Spector writes. This book presents lots of research in a fluid way to make a point about diet/nutrition. This very light touch on the evidence allows an easier read, and the author generally explains (sometimes repeatedly) what our “take-aways” (lol) should be.Pregnant women do not need to eat for two. At most they require an additional 200 calories a day, and that is in the last trimester. A lot of pregnancy weight gain could be due to this myth being perpetuated. There are a number of recurring themes in the book, the most salient being that, because we all have different genes and, more importantly, differing biomes, we differ in our responses to diet - total calorie-intake, composition of our diet, even the timing of our meals - and also in our response to exercise. Hence, dietary advice based on what is best for the average individual is of only limited value for any of us (which however begs the question of why it is worth bothering with the scientific literature, which inevitably reaches conclusions about average individuals!). Stravovanie berie ako dôležitú súčasť našich životov a tak, ako je každý z nás iný výzorom a povahou, na každého platí v stravovaní čosi iné. The high-octane, polemical approach that has become popular amongst a certain set of evidence-driven, 'rationalist' authors — a symptom perhaps of their vying for limited attention in a social media landscape already overwhelmed with the misinformation they're combating — isn't one I'm fond of, and doesn't often have the effect, I suspect, they're after. I'd have preferred a subtler, analytical, less 'campaigney' lense - even at the risk of it making for a drier read. Tannins and bitter tastes are another positive sign, in foods such as high quality coffee, green tea, extra virgin olive oil, dark chocolate and red wine

Most mental-illness develops in some form before the age of 14, so a good varied diet early in life is crucial for prevention. Mothers eating junk food in pregnancy appear to produce children with more behavioral problems, while children who eat poor diets are also at increased risk The ground-breaking exploration of food myths from what we should be eating for breakfast to whether we should really avoid ultra-processed foods. I plan on re-reading select chapters including a very good chapter on pregnancy advice and how guidelines are over-restrictive and non-science based and that it is safe to drink some coffee, eat some sushi and have the odd sip of wine or beer. This book is Tim Spector's personal attempt to bring us all out of our own traditions and out-dated beliefs and into the clear light of dietary advice in the year 2020. His writing is simple, accessible and interesting. He chooses direct and widely held beliefs as the focus of each chapter and lays out various arguments and evidence to challenge these beliefs. I had a huge number of my own beliefs challenged and I loved how clear he was in some of his writing.And another thing, I haven’t heard a midwife advise a pregnant woman to “eat for two” for twenty years- if then. I can’t say no midwife says it, but that is definitely not standard advice nor would it be on any of the written information provided. But he references this saying that his friend was advised this by a midwife. That one-off anecdote does not evidence make.