Lights Out is a book that I read a few years back and I keep giving it to my friends. The cover is worn off it now and I have ordered it on Kindle so I can refer to it time and time again.
The book is based on the theory that electricity was the beginning of the end for the human race. To quote from the book-
" We've been told that once upon a time we existed in sync with all biophysical cycles and rhythm in nature. Now, not only do we control the food supply, but we have pushed back the night and the weather...the unending artificial light we live in registers as the long days of summer on that internal sundial because night never falls and winter never comes. As mammals, we are hardwired to store fat when exposed to long days and then to sleep or at the very least to starve...for a while."(Introduction, page 5)
The book also rails against the "low fat lie"(page 120), recommending that you eat fat and meat and even organ meats once in awhile. This book was talking Paleo before Paleo was avant-garde. As far as exercise goes, the authors recommend that you "Don't run, Stairmaster or aerobicize. Lift weights or try Pilates instead and learn to meditate". They also recommend a low carb diet for the winter time and a low carb diet for overweight people all of the time. (page 163)
Here is one of my favorite passages from the book "When you exercise day and night to stave off the weight gain your body and mind crave, you kick in your "stress response" The message that your sending to those systems is "Oh my God, a famine's coming and there's a tiger chasing me!!"(page 14)
They also discuss how runners high is really a response where your brain thinks that you are dying(page 12). They recommend sleeping at least 9.5 hours a night(page 164) and never forcing yourself to stay awake. Of course, that is tough for most folks to do; to go asleep when the sun goes down and to wake up when the sun comes up, but the authors think that it is worth it for a longer, healthier, disease free life.
And sometimes the book gets a little off topic, but I like that also. The authors put themselves out there, and it's cool to see them go where most books in this genre are afraid to go.
Fascinating stuff.
