The Hacking of the American Mind: The Science Behind the Corporate Takeover of Our Bodies and Brains by Robert Lustig
The Hacking of the American Mind
Subtitle: The Science Behind the Corporate Takeover of Our Bodies and Brains
Author: Robert Lustig
Genre: Nonfiction, Health
Format: Digital Purchase
Publish Date: September 2017
Read: October 2024
Favorite Quote: These past forty years have witnessed the twin epidemics of the negative extremes of both of these emotions: addiction (from too much pleasure) and depression (from not enough happiness).
Synopsis: As a pediatric endocrinologist, Robert Lustig stumbled on to an alarming finding: Americans are getting more and more unhappy. While researching his first book, Fat Chance, he discovered our brains are being hijacked by sugar and disrupting dopamine and serotonin receptors. When our dopamine and serotonin get out of whack, our reward and contentment areas of the brain interact differently, causing our reward tolerance to increase, and our contentment level to decrease. Lustig embarked upon a quest to discover if we can right the ship, reduce our change of metabolic syndromes, and increase our overall happiness.
Why does this book beguile? The Hacking of the American Mind was recommended to me by a good friend who is equally passionate about health and wellness. I loved this book. While other books in this space focus on the bodily aspects of health and metabolic syndromes, Lustig’s approach from a neuroscientific viewpoint was fascinating.
The Hacking of the American Mind helped me better understand why I can’t quite shake “treat syndrome.” You know, when you have a bad day and you need a lil treat? Or you have a great day and you deserve a lil treat? Yeah, that’s me! Lustig’s work helped me clarify what’s happening deep within my brain and how the “basic functions” are disrupted by my lil treats (of candy and cookies and sugary coffee drinks). Sugar and caffeine are the main culprits and - no surprise - that’s a big chunk of the standard American diet. This book will make you want to get your act together and throw your sugar in the trash!
Rating: 5/5
If you’re interested in this, read*: Outlive by Peter Attia