📚 A&B #131

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👋 Hey everyone,

Here are a few popular posts you may have missed:

• 5 Non-fiction books I wish I could reread for the first time.

• If you want to have a healthier relationship, read this book.

• 20 FREE newsletters that will make you smarter, healthier, and wealthier.

🤓 Course Update:

Thank you to everyone who responded to last week's email.

I'm blown away by the interest in the reading course, we already have 200+ people on the waitlist.

Now there's only one thing left–building it!

(Once again, if you're interested in the course reply "A" to this email and I'll email you personally when it's available.)

📚 Book Summary:

This week's book is I'm So Effing Hungry by Amy Shah.

If you ever struggled with food cravings or having a sweet tooth, this book is for you. The author shares the science behind why we have cravings and how to reduce and manage them.

Here are 3 key lessons from the book:

📖

1) 3 Easy Ways To Eat Less

If you find yourself always craving more food or something sweet, here are three quick hunger hacks backed by science:

1. Get more sunlight:

You've probably heard a lot of the benefits of sunlight from Andrew Huberman such as it enhances your mood, helps your body make vitamin D, helps you sleep better, and much more. But here's another benefit: regular sunlight exposure also activates alpha-MSH which leads you to eating less.

2. Eat foods high in tyrosine:

Similar to alpha-MSH, tyrosine curbs appetite. Foods high in tyrosine include bananas, almonds, beets, apples, cherries, eggs, meat, and fish. And when it comes to eating animal protein, avoid processed meat like deli meat since they're loaded with antibiotics and preservatives.

3. Veggies > Proteins > Carbs:

Ever wondered why restaurants give you bread to start your meal? That's because eating a carb before a meal stimulates a big release of glucose and dopamine that makes you want to consume even more food.

So if you want to feel full faster, avoid the bread and eat your meal in the following order: Start with your vegetables or salad. Then eat your protein or fats. And lastly, eat your carbs such as rice or potatoes.

📖

2) 3 Crazy Health Facts

There were a lot of health facts in this book that surprised me, here are three of them:

1. Loneliness = You'll Eat More

Scientists at MIT found that being alone for 10 hours caused activity in the brain similar to going without food for 10 hours. In other words, people desire social contact just as much as they desire food. So if you spend too much time alone, chances are you'll try to get dopamine from eating more food instead.

2. Avoid Soda Fountains

Have you ever noticed soda from soda fountains tastes better than from a store? That's because fast food chains like McDonald's buy the soda syrup but puts in less carbonated water than the standard ratio. As a result, the drink tastes much sweeter. They also give customers wider-than-average straws so that more soda hits their tastebuds all at once.

3. Do Yoga

Researchers found that yoga can reduce binge eating by 51%. Experts suggest that doing yoga can increase body awareness which also leads to greater mindfulness at meals and better management of emotional eating.

📖

3) Consume More Water

A simple yet super effective method for eating less is to drink a glass of water before every meal. This will help you feel more full and help prevent overeating.

Another helpful tip is to have more high-water foods such as:

• Peach

• Celery

• Orange

• Lettuce

• Zucchini

• Pineapple

• Grapefruit

• Cucumber

• Cantaloupe

• Cranberries

• Raspberries

• Watermelon

These nutrient-dense foods are 90% water or more so, like water, they will help fill your stomach.

✅ Actionable Advice:

1) To curb your hunger:

• Eat more sunlight

• Eat foods high in tyrosine

• Eat your veggies first, meats second, and carbs last.

2) To become healthier:

• Make time to socialize with friends and family.

• Avoid soda–especially at soda fountains.

• Try yoga (here's a great intro video to do it at home).

3) Eat more high-water foods:

• Better yet, make a fruit salad with high-water foods (ex: oranges, cantaloupe, and pineapple).

PS: Here's how one reader applied a lesson from last week's newsletter to improve their life:

Madhuri was reading my newsletter when she got a notification that her flight was delayed. She was hoping to get home early so she could have complained and gotten upset at the delay, but instead of doing that (since it was out of her control), she decided to make the best out of her situation and spent the extra time exploring the city.

📖 Reading Lesson:

15+ Reading tips from Naval Ravikant.

⭐️ Weekly Quote:

“The limits of my language mean the limits of my world.”

–Ludwig Wittgenstein

PS: Here's a chart worth saving.

Thank you for your support everyone, I'll see you next Sunday!

Read on,

Alex W.