Science shows us why diets fail
Diets fail. Do less, not more.
For 80% of people who try to change how they eat, the diet doesn’t last. The Take-Out Diet starts from the science of why, and gives you six simple things to take out.
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Read the six steps
The short version: the six things that deliver most of the benefit, and why the rest is noise.
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Vitamins, antioxidants, water, weight gain and more, each with the evidence behind it.
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Six things to take out
1. Added sugar
Sugar is inflammatory. Stop eating any food or food product with added sugar. Whole fruit is fine, not too much.
2. Simple carbs
Depending on your goals, take out white flour and white rice. Eat whole foods, not food products.
3. The calorie counter
Take out a calorie counter for six weeks. It helps your mind understand how much you eat. Do not obsess. Just learn.
4. Some food, 2 days a week
For two days, or some days, take out some food, to bring intake in line with activity.
5. Sitting down
Don’t sit for more than 30 minutes at a time. Health improves.
6. Seed oils
Avoid polyunsaturated seed oils and stay with olive.
Why I wrote this book
Thousands of books. Millions of ways to take your money. I wanted to know what the science actually says, so I read the research, hundreds of papers, with a background in agricultural science, plant biochemistry and statistics. The answer was simpler than the industry would like: do less.
- Restore confidence in yourself.
- No guilt.
- Get support from your friends.
The takeout diet gave me confidence to understand how I could control my own weight and health.
Tony Nash
Read the chapters
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The Take-Out Diet is getting a new edition in early 2027
I’m rewriting The Take-Out Diet for a new edition in early 2027. Here’s why, and what will stay the same.
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The Take-Out Diet
The book’s conclusion: a 12-week plan built on six steps. Take out fructose, simple carbohydrates, polyunsaturated oils and low-sacrifice foods, count calories for two…
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Making Sense of Statistics
Statistics are tools: they can show whether a difference is real, but never why it happens. The bell curve rarely fits biology, samples are…
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Epidemiological Studies
Epidemiology spots trends across large populations, but it shows correlation, not cause. A European study linked each daily sugary drink to 22% higher diabetes…
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Cherry Picking Science
Three peer-reviewed papers on high-fructose corn syrup reach three different conclusions. Researchers, writers and companies all select the evidence that suits them, and null…
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Science and Studies
How does science really work? Some fields test hypotheses, others collect and classify, and biology is moving between the two. Experience matters, but anecdotes…
Get the free guide
Three free chapters from The Take-Out Diet. Start with the story and the science, then decide what you want to change.