Why We Get Sick

The Hidden Epidemic at the Root of Most Chronic Disease--and How to Fight It

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Pub Date 21 Jul 2020 | Archive Date 03 Aug 2020

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Description

2020 Foreword Indie Award Honorable Mention in the “Health” Category

A scientist reveals the groundbreaking evidence linking many major diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease, to a common root cause—insulin resistance—and shares an easy, effective plan to reverse and prevent it.

We are sick. Around the world, we struggle with diseases that were once considered rare. Cancer, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, and diabetes affect millions each year; many people are also struggling with hypertension, weight gain, fatty liver, dementia, low testosterone, menstrual irregularities and infertility, and more. We treat the symptoms, not realizing that all of these diseases and disorders have something in common. 

Each of them is caused or made worse by a condition known as insulin resistance. And you might have it. Odds are you do—over half of all adults in the United States are insulin resistant, with most other countries either worse or not far behind. 

In Why We Get Sick, internationally renowned scientist and pathophysiology professor Benjamin Bikman explores why insulin resistance has become so prevalent and why it matters. Unless we recognize it and take steps to reverse the trend, major chronic diseases will be even more widespread. But reversing insulin resistance is possible, and Bikman offers an evidence-based plan to stop and prevent it, with helpful food lists, meal suggestions, easy exercise principles, and more. Full of surprising research and practical advice, Why We Get Sick will help you to take control of your health.
2020 Foreword Indie Award Honorable Mention in the “Health” Category

A scientist reveals the groundbreaking evidence linking many major diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease...

Advance Praise

“If one reads headlines about the health of folks in developed nations, it’s a depressing read. Heart disease, diabetes, neurodegeneration such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s . . . all increasing. We know more about these diseases than ever before, yet we seem virtually powerless to do anything about them. But what if, instead of all these conditions and disease being separate and unconnected, one physiological state— elevated insulin levels—was the driver of all this suffering? In Why We Get Sick, Benjamin Bikman unpacks the root cause of modern diseases and provides a concise road map to help you regain or maintain your health.”

—Robb Wolf, New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author

“This book is a unique, rigorous contribution to understanding insulin resistance as an underlying cause of chronic disease and aging. Well written and highly accessible, Dr. Bikman has written a book for both scientists and the average reader who seeks a path back to good health.”

—Nina Teicholz, science journalist and New York Times bestselling author of The Big Fat Surprise

“It’s time to make ‘insulin resistance’ part of the public lexicon. That so many people are unaware of this widespread condition with serious ramifications is a monumental problem, and it’s one that Why We Get Sick sets out to solve.”

—Dr. Aseem Malhotra, cardiologist and professor of evidence-based medicine

“Thoroughly researched and extensively documented, Why We Get Sick is a comprehensive and indispensable primer on insulin resistance and how it affects virtually every system in the body. Dr. Bikman presents not only an easy-to-understand guide to how and why insulin resistance develops, but a treatment handbook as well. If you want to understand the underlying basis for most of the diseases plaguing the  industrialized world right now and how to remedy them, this is the book for you. Highly recommended!”

—Michael R. Eades, MD, New York Times bestselling coauthor of Protein Power

“If one reads headlines about the health of folks in developed nations, it’s a depressing read. Heart disease, diabetes, neurodegeneration such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s . . . all...


Available Editions

EDITION Other Format
ISBN 9781948836982
PRICE $26.95 (USD)
PAGES 270

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Featured Reviews

Written for the layperson, this book go into depth with explanations for biological processes, how hormones and our body systems work together, and how humans have evolved over time alongside industrialization (and how that affects us today). You could answer the question on the cover with one word, and the author refers to it many times, but he takes the time to break it down so that everyone can understand what's going on (first), why it's going on (second), and what we can do about it (third). He even breaks up the third section into what you have control over versus what you don't.

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I have long suspected that I have insulin resistance although I have never had a doctor address this matter to me in appointments. However, the author provides a very useful list of symptoms in the beginning of the book that I matched on pretty much every point and which has pretty much confirmed my own suspicions. I think this book could be a very important step forward in bringing insulin resistance to the attention of many who are unknowingly suffering from it and hopefully to the medical professionals who might help them. It contains a world of very useful, informative information on what the condition is, how it develops and how to deal with it. I am grateful that the publisher offered me the opportunity to review this book. I would note that the only thing I did not like was that the digital copy for review had no table of contents and repeated formatting issues. If these can be corrected, it would be idea. Despite this issue, I would rate the content at 5 stars and trust that the publisher will recitfy the other concerns.

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5 stars!

Wow. This book is extraordinary. I am very conscious of health in my life and read quite a lot about it. Inflammation always seems to be the root of most issues, however I found it interesting to read about the effects of insulin on the body and how that can cause Alzheimer’s and infertility. It was truly a very informative read. I like how Dr, Bikman broke it down and made it easy to understand.

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I got so interested in this that I read it one sitting, and immediately changed my home delivery of food to a more appropriate diet, although I have been adding coconut oil, I was not aware that fermented foods have an effect. Exercise will be more difficult but I am determined to do it. I am massively concerned about my health and anything I read reflects that fact. Thank you to Benjamin Bikman for helping me do this.

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This was really interesting. Who would of thought insulin resistance was the cause of most illnesses. I read this book in twenty minutes I was so engrossed in Benjamin,s findings . I'd definitely recommend this book for everyone to learn the cause of illnesses and how to prevent it .

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This is a fascinating book full of great information. It has motivated me to make some changes to live a healthier life! I highly recommend this great resource.

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The premise of Why We Get Sick is that insulin resistance is behind most modern-day illness and sickness that we experience. I was skeptical going in, but Bikman manages to make a solid argument here.

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The first important thing to note is that Benjamin Bikman based his book on trustworthy research and studies - not on his own whims and fancies. The second thing is that he is not trying to sell you any supplements or expensive consultation programmes. You can also be fairly sure that he’s not being funded by any of the big industries. What’s more - he is an expert on insulin resistance, being a biomedical professor who had earlier on stumbled upon the fact that insulin seems to be the one common factor in almost every chronic disease that we are facing today.

I am convinced that this book has the potential to change the health and lives of countless people if they would just follow the simple suggestions that he has towards the end of the book,

Why we get sick is immensely well-written and easy to understand. I hope doctors or doctors-to-be would read it so that they can make real improvements in the health outcomes of their patients instead of endlessly supplying medications that often do not ultimately have a positive impact. Everyone who experience chronic illnesses or want to prevent them should also pick up this life-saving book.

Highly recommended.
Thank you NetGalley and Benbella for the ARC. This is my honest review.

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