Many lifestyle factors impact sleep, including nutrition. Read on to learn about the link between sleep and eating, and find out how you can achieve deep, restorative sleep.
The post The Link between Sleep and Eating and What to Eat for a Good Night’s Sleep appeared first on Chris Kresser.
This list of healthy oatmeal recipes brings you all the oatmeal flavor combos you could ever imagine. With its high fiber content, oatmeal is sure to keep you full all morning to conquer the day ahead! Check out the 50 best oatmeal recipes on the planet plus a guide in making the perfect bowl of
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READ: The 50 Best Oatmeal Recipes on the Planet
Between postpartum hair loss (six times!) and Hashimoto’s, I saw too much hair go down the drain in the past. I use castor oil for hair growth and this hair growth serum, but there’s a lot more to how to stop thinning hair. Here I cover how to care for thin hair and encourage hair …
Continue reading 11 Natural Remedies to Stop Thinning Hair...
I am here with Nathan Barry, a friend of mine and also the founder of a business called ConvertKit which powers the email and newsletter that many of you subscribe to. He like me was homeschooled and dropped out of college. He now runs a hundred million dollar company. In this episode, we delve into …
Continue reading 361: Homeschooling and Raising Entrepreneurs With Nathan Barry...
Hi everyone! I hope that summer is treating you well so far, and you’re staying in good health and good spirits during what has been a heartbreaking year. How are you and your families doing right now?
At long last, I have some fun news to share with you today! This cookbook reveal was supposed to go out to you in May, then in June, and then in early July, but with everything going on in the world it just didn’t feel right, so I delayed it multiple times. I’m not sure it feels right even now, but I’ve had a lot of questions about the new book’s listing on various retailers online, so I knew I couldn’t delay any longer. I’m holding onto the hope that this news will bring a smile to your face and a bit of cheer. :)
If you haven’t guessed already, my new cookbook, Oh She Glows for Dinner: Nourishing Plant-Based Meals To Keep You Glowing, is finally complete and it comes out in a couple of short months! It’s been a wild ride to cross the finish line (never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be wrapping up a cookbook during a pandemic and lockdown), but after 3 years of working away on this project, I’m absolutely thrilled to let you know all the juicy (pun intended) deets about this new book. If you subscribe to my newsletter, you may have seen the sneak peek pop into your inbox yesterday!
Here’s a little behind-the-scenes from earlier this year when I was going over the book design!
Shifting from “behind-the-scenes” mode to “in-the-spotlight” mode doesn’t come easily for me (I’m much more of a behind-the-scenes kinda gal!), so this “launching into the world” part of the creation process is a big challenge for me on a personal level, and oh boy, the nerves I have right now are unreal. I’d be perfectly happy to work away diligently behind-the-scenes and never have to self-promote. ;) Do any of you relate? I’m always up for a good challenge, though, and getting to reconnect with you all is the icing on the vegan cake!
This book would not have been possible without your encouragement, patience, and support throughout the whole process! It also wouldn’t have been possible without my small-but-mighty team made up of Nicole and Eric. They are my rocks, my sanity savers, my reasons for inappropriate fits of laughter, my sounding boards, my reminders to drink more caffeine and breathe, and it goes on. My incredible, diligent group of recipe testers (a special shout out and thank you to Anna, Carin, Tana, Tammy, Laurie, Caroline, Danielle, Vanessa, Lynn, Audrey, Stephanie D., Anne, Kathy, Stephanie S., Andrea, Beth, Katie, Lindsay M., Bridget, Laura, Lindsay V., Erin, Heather, Suzanne, Adrienne, Stephanie M., Carolina, Kirsten, Lori, Marina, and Kristen) have tested, and tested, and tested these recipes right alongside me and shared the most helpful feedback. And last but not least, I have so much gratitude for the amazing teams at Penguin Random House Canada and Avery!
I held this book in my hands for the first time last week! I can’t even tell you how fast my heart was a-thumpin’ when I opened the box! It is always slightly terrifying and thrilling to open one of my books for the first time, and it really never gets any easier to send my heart and soul’s work off into the world. But I am so darn proud of this book. It’s my very first hardcover book, too!
Oh She Glows for Dinner is a reflection of what you, my dear readers, have asked me for the most over the years—more plant-based, crowd-pleasing dinner recipes!
Dinner is something I think most of us have struggled with (I know I sure have!), and when you throw “plant-based” into the mix it can be even trickier to figure out. If you’ve ever shrugged your shoulders over what to make for a vegan meal and resorted to toast or a bowl of cereal, you certainly aren’t alone. I knew I had to create this cookbook to help answer the ever-burning “what’s for [plant-based] dinner?” question. As an added benefit, the recipes in this book also make incredible (and often portable) lunches! You’ll also find the perfect, satisfying sides to add to your dish, meal-worthy salads for every season, hearty & healing soups and stews, and a bounty of flavour-poppin’ sauces, dressings, parmesans, and pestos that you can make to change up the flavour profile (or simply punch up your dish even more). And I threw in a delicious dessert/drink chapter, of course, because it wouldn’t be an Oh She Glows cookbook without some sweet, healthified treats! ;)
Dietary and Cooking Labels
Each recipe indicates whether it is nut-free, gluten-free, soy-free, grain-free and/or oil-free, raw/no bake or one pot. Out of 106 vegan recipes in this cookbook, 101 are gluten-free or have a gluten-free option, 90 are nut-free or have a nut-free option, and nearly all are soy-free. I also share whether the recipe is kid-friendly, freezer-friendly, and/or if any advance prep is needed. My “on the glow” label tells you whether the recipe is portable. My goal was to pack in as much helpful info as I could for you (dare I say this is my most informative book yet?)…you know me, go big or go home…lol.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Almost all of the recipes in this cookbook also include specific storage and reheating instructions, customized to each recipe. My recipe testers and I spent so much time testing the recipes to take the guesswork out of them for you!
Active Time and Total Time
Each recipe tells you how much active time and total time will be required. Active time is the time you are actively preparing food in the kitchen. Total time reflects how long the recipe takes from start to finish. If applicable, we also share Soak time and/or Chill time.
Full-page colour photographs
I am so excited to share that I did the food photography and food styling for the recipes in this book – there are more than 100 of my photographs inside!
Glow Getter Meal Plans
This book includes 4 meal prep plans! Each time-saving plan provides step-by-step instructions, so you can prep or fully make 3 dinner recipes in just 60 to 90 minutes. I knew it was important to create plans that would actually work for a busy lifestyle. I’ve tried plans in the past that take 2.5 to 3 hours each week, and they just didn’t fit into my life. These plans don’t take long (60 to 90 minutes at a brisk pace) and they set you up with a few hearty meals each week!
Menus To Get Your Glow On
I also share my tried-and-true menus for special occasions or themed nights, such as Girls’ Night, Mother’s Day, Game Night, The Oh She Glows Cookbook Club Night, and more. If you have ever struggled with how to combine recipes for special meals, I really hope this will give you the inspo you need to simplify your planning. Don’t forget to check out our bonus bundle below as it includes 4 designed printable menus which correspond to menus found in the book!
Helpful Recipe Lists
My Helpful Recipe Lists index at the back of the book provides at-a-glance searching of recipes by allergy label or preference, so you can find all the gluten-free recipes grouped together in one spot, or all the kid-friendly, freezer-friendly, nut-free, one pot, and on the glow recipes.
My Pantry Staples, Kitchen Tools and Appliances
I’ve included a condensed list of the essential pantry items I keep on hand along with my favourite tools and appliances. If I have a preferred brand, I share those names with you, so you know exactly what I use in my own kitchen.
The Oh She Glows for Dinner Bonus Bundle is here!
The response to my pre-order bonus bundles for my previous two cookbooks was so enthusiastic, I knew I had to raise the bar and add in some exciting and unique new bonus features. This Oh She Glows for Dinner Bonus Bundle is definitely my favourite, most cheerful and creative pre-order bundle yet. All the *heart eye* emojis for this one. I had so much fun collaborating with local artist, Kayla Whitney, to create an adorable, custom Oh She Glows “Glow” downloadable art print for you to print and hang on your walls! This is my very first custom Oh She Glows print and it looks so bright and cheery on the wall. If you end up hanging the print in your house, we’d LOVE to see it! Simply tag it with #ohsheglowsfordinner on social media.
In addition to the “Glow” art print, you’ll receive 4 artfully designed Oh She Glows for Dinner menus to download and adorn your dinner table on special occasions. Super-handy Glow Getter Meal Plan printables from the new book will make prepping the plans even easier when your book arrives. It’s so convenient to print the meal plans and place them on your counter so you can cross things off as you work through the plan. Lastly, I couldn’t make you wait until October to get cooking, so I’ve included 4 advance recipes in this bundle—a few of my summer-friendly ones that we’ve been enjoying during this hot season!
Please note: We earn a small commission if you purchase an item through our affiliate links above. Thank you so much for your support!
I can’t wait to hear what you think!!
With love and gratitude,
Angela xo
Each week, we review feedback from coaching clients and readers of the site and our emails. One of the most common frustrations is figuring out what to eat, specifically knowing what to look for in a healthy diet.
The reason for the struggle is that it’s not clear where to begin to fix the problem. It’s not like eating one food suddenly improves your diet.
In fact, you’re likely already aware of what stands in your way. We hear three common barriers:
A lack of time is a struggle for everyone. But, trying to make time becomes easier if you can eliminate confusion and increases motivation.
And, despite being different issues, they are both deeply connected.
In the book Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard, authors Chip and Dan Heath explain that your lack of clarity undercuts both.
In their book, the Heath Brothers were speaking about business and answering the question, “Why won’t your employees do what you want?”
The answer is “Because they don’t know exactly what that is, or how to do it.”
That’s true for your health, too.
Let’s say you set out to make a big change in your life, such as losing 10, 20, or even 100 pounds. It feels exciting but also overwhelming. After all, you think to yourself, “I need to adjust my diet, exercise, and even my sleep. Where do I start?”
Maybe you decide to start by eating better, but what exactly does that mean?
Or, you say: “I’m going to work out more.” But, in the back of your mind, you wonder, “How much is ‘more’? Will it be enough to make a difference? And do I really have the time for that?”
These are the sorts of questions that can kill your motivation before you even begin. You aren’t sure what to do next, so you do nothing. Or, maybe you take a step or two, but then feel you aren’t getting results. Soon, the entire plan starts falling apart.
When you aren’t confident that a change is going to make a difference, it’s hard to truly commit to that change.
Before you can gain confidence in your plan, it helps to have more clarity in your plan.
The Heath Brothers explain that when you know exactly what changes to make — and you see them make a difference — you want to keep doing them.
That’s essentially the same idea behind habit-based coaching. You take one step, then another, and another.
The changes needed for weight loss start with something that seems simple. Painfully simple. Perhaps, even boring.
If you’re looking to build a healthy diet, it doesn’t start with extreme restrictions, blood tests, or need to measure every ounce of food. It begins with habits that help put you in control of your diet, no matter your food preferences or lifestyle.
This includes time-tested techniques such as:
All those habits are a big part of an effective diet plan, but you rarely hear them discussed.
Eating slowly and chewing more helps ensure that the right signals are sent to your brain to indicate when you’re full.
Fruits and vegetables keep you fuller for longer, are loaded with valuable nutrients, and have been proven to help you eat less of the things you love but know you need to limit (hello brownie sundae).
And, sleep is likely the most-underrated diet secret because lack of sleep does everything from make you hungry to increase your cravings for salty and sweet foods.
All of that knowledge is great, but following those simple habits can feel like a chore. So, how can you “make yourself” do it?
Motivation is tricky because it feels as if it’s just a decision, but it’s actually far more complex. Motivation is actually part-psychology and part-biology, according to Eleanor Simpson, associate professor of clinical neurobiology at Columbia University.
Beneath every choice you make, your brain does a complex cost-benefit analysis. The calculation takes into account your surroundings, your history, and how you are feeling at that very moment.
That math is more likely to come out in your favor if you’re already seeing results. Think about it: when you’re down a pound or two from last week, or you feel a little stronger in your next workout, it’s easier to keep pushing and believe you’re on the right track.
But, what if you’re just getting started, feeling stuck, or you’re not seeing any changes? This is when you lose faith and motivation, and even the best plan falls apart.
That’s when you need to realize two things:
If you’re looking for a simple technique to help keep yourself accountable, you might want to borrow a tactic that comes from General Stanley McChrystal, a retired four-star general who once led the U.S.’s Joint Special Operations Command, which oversees units like the Navy SEALs and Army Rangers.
According to motivation writer Eric Barker, McChrystal always tells his soldiers:
Now imagine this as a conversation between you and your body. You say:
Try that for any change you make this year. And if it doesn’t work, try listening to the Rocky theme before you do it.
That may sound ridiculous, but it’s effective. Barker explains that, when all else fails, energetic music can improve your performance. (And it doesn’t have to be Rocky. If you prefer hip hop, R&B or even metal, do your thing.) That’s not his opinion, it’s science.
At Born Fitness, we know every individual is unique. There’s no one-size-fits-all nutrition plan. Our team can develop a plan around your lifestyle to help you reach your goals.
If you’re looking for more personalization and hands-on support, our online coaching program may be right for you. Every client is assigned two coaches — one for nutrition and one for fitness. Find out more here.
The Beginner’s Guide To Fat Loss
A New Approach To Fat Loss Nutrition
Eating At Night Does Not Make You Fat
The post What No One Tells You To Look For In A Healthy Diet appeared first on Born Fitness.
This is my first full week of work in a long time (I know, I hate me a little bit, too). I made it through Tuesday, so that’s good! I think the week feels especially…
Ever miss that crunchy texture that foods like chips and crackers used to provide? This easy cheese crisps recipe will hit the snacking spot! Best of all, most cheese crackers, the 1-ingredient list is 100% real food! The next time you need a healthy alternative to crackers or a break from carrots and celery for dipping …
Continue reading 100% Real Cheese Crisps Recipe (Grain Free)...
When it comes to treating attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), we need a radically different approach—one that gets to its root cause, instead of relying solely on medication to suppress symptoms. In this episode of Revolution Health Radio, Dr. Jim Greenblatt and I discuss the benefits that the Functional Medicine approach provides to the way we understand and treat ADHD.
The post RHR: The Functional Medicine Approach to ADHD, with Dr. Jim Greenblatt appeared first on Chris Kresser.
In the midst of this global pandemic, the TED Fellows program is more committed than ever to finding and amplifying individuals making a vital impact in their communities and doing the work of future-making. Read on to learn how to apply, and how the TED Fellows program is meeting this moment.
Since launching the TED Fellows program, we’ve gotten to know and support some of the brightest, most ambitious thinkers, change-makers and culture-shakers from nearly every discipline and corner of the world.
Whether it’s discovering new galaxies, leading social movements or making waves in environmental conservation, with the support of TED, Fellows are dedicated to making the world a better place through their innovative work. And you could be one of them.
Apply to be a TED Fellow now through August 24, 2020 — that’s coming up soon, so don’t procrastinate!! We do not accept late submissions!
What happens when I’m chosen as a TED Fellow?
What are the requirements?
What do you have to lose?
Nothing! Apply today. The deadline is August 24, 2020 at 11:59pm UTC. We do not accept late applications, so don’t wait until the last minute!
We invite you to find answers to some frequently asked questions and meet all the TED Fellows to learn more about the breadth of this global community.
We’ve tested every lululemon bra (for workouts and everyday wear!), and rounded up all our favorites! Read on for our go-to lululemon bras in the high, medium, and light support categories that are available in A-E cup sizes. We’re so excited to be reviewing all of lululemon’s sports bras today because it’s been highly asked
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We’re sharing an easy sangria recipe that you are going to love! Red wine sangria is made with your favorite Spanish red, orange juice, rum, and tons of sliced citrus. This sangria wine is a great drink for parties and get-togethers. If you’re having a holiday party, be sure to check out our Festive Hot
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I’m here today with Byron Katie, one of my favorite authors and speakers on the topics of mindset, parenting, and about a million other things. She is the author of many books including Loving What Is, I Need Your Love – Is That True?, A Thousand Names for Joy and, A Mind at Home with Itself. In …
Continue reading 360: Four Questions to Change Your Life & Doing The Work With Byron Katie...
This baked lemon pepper salmon recipe is such a delicious and easy way to prepare salmon in the oven. It only takes 12 minutes at 400ºF to whip up this healthy dinner idea! 12 Minute Salmon You read that correctly, this baked lemon pepper salmon only takes 12 minutes in the oven before dinner is
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Well, we survived the weekend of camping. Kind of. Okay, not really. We arrived to the campsite early Friday evening, after working and then handing off the girls to Mark’s parents. The car was PACKED…
These Strawberry Oatmeal Bars are your summer dessert dreams come true! With an easy to make crust and crumble topping, and a filling made of sliced fresh strawberries reduced to perfection, these oatmeal bars are the best strawberry dessert to enjoy all summer long! Enjoy! Always looking for your new favorite bar recipe to bring
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Dry, tasteless chicken-no-more! Use one of these flavorful chicken marinades to infuse flavor into your chicken. You’ll never go back to plain, boring chicken again. I grew up eating Italian-marinated chicken almost weekly as a kid. My mom would marinate chicken breasts in store-bought Italian dressing and then bake it. So simple and such a
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For the past few months, I’ve been standing in front of a red light therapy lamp for about 5 minutes a day. We ordered the red light therapy system when my husband was recovering from surgery since it helps speed wound healing. Now, I’m loving it for its collagen boosting (*wrinkle reducing*), stretch mark reducing, and …
Continue reading The Benefits of Red Light Therapy (Photobiomodulation)...
These avocado baked eggs are an easy low carb breakfast that you can meal prep for the whole week! There is nothing better than a creamy avocado and delicious egg topped with fresh herbs and bacon. Make this avocado egg bake recipe today! Baked Eggs FTW If there is one thing you do in the
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This is the most delicious Strawberry Quinoa Salad made with massaged kale, fresh strawberries, quinoa, cucumber, feta cheese, a delicious creamy balsamic dressing, and a Salad Pizazz!® Salad Topper! Salad Pizazz Salad Topper If you’ve never tried a Salad Pizazz Salad Topper, now is the time! We love having this product in our pantry for
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Check out this 5-day nutrition coaching course to learn: What nutrition advice you can give, how to get clients to follow that advice, how to assess client’s needs, and more.
The post FREE 5-day nutrition coaching course. [For health and fitness pros from Dr. John Berardi]. appeared first on Precision Nutrition.
Make this Pistachio Cherry Granola for the most delicious and healthy breakfast you’ll eat all week! It’s gluten-free and vegan, too! A healthy granola recipe is the perfect crunch to add to any sweet breakfast or snack! We love adding this pistachio cherry granola to our oatmeal recipes, nice cream recipes, and even just on
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Low progesterone can cause or contribute to infertility and miscarriages. Read on to learn progesterone’s role in pregnancy and find out what you can do if you suspect low progesterone.
The post Low Progesterone and Pregnancy: How Progesterone Affects Your Fertility appeared first on Chris Kresser.
Dinner is served with these delicious Fiesta Salmon Rice Bowls complete with a corn and bean salad, cilantro lime rice and perfectly cooked salmon filets. Enjoy! We’re big fans of meals in bowls over here on Fit Foodie Finds. Whether it’s this fiesta salmon bowl or this mediterranean vegan buddha bowl or this delicious vegetarian harvest grain bowl,
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As moms, procrastination is all too familiar to most of us. This is because we often have a list of things we’d rather not do! Piles of laundry or dishes, homework assignments, exercise, and handling finances are common tasks that we procrastinate. Add the allure of a smartphone and it’s easy to suddenly find yourself …
Continue reading Why We Really Procrastinate (It Isn’t Laziness)...
Nut butter lovers, get ready to fall in love all over again with this Chocolate Vanilla Swirl Cashew Butter. It only takes 15 minutes to make and the best part is that you can lick the spoon! Is Cashew Butter Healthy? Yes! Cashews can definitely be healthy. They are a great healthy snack when you
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This episode is about all things pregnancy, birth, and postpartum, but not in the usual way. Instead of just focusing on baby, we are taking a close look at the journey we take as mothers through all of these stages. My guest is Diana Spalding, a digital educator and editor at Motherly. She also happens …
Continue reading 359: All About Pregnancy, Birth and Postpartum, and Avoiding Mom Burnout With Midwife Diana Spalding From Motherly...
Sure, some research cautions about an increased risk of cancer. It’s also clearly not something you want to drink before using a chainsaw or driving a minivan.
And some people abuse it.
Then again, wine comes from grapes, which contain health-promoting phytochemicals. And some research points to a potential heart benefit, albeit a small one.
What’s more, you might be a person who has the ability to enjoy it responsibly and in moderation.
So the answer is… it depends.
You could say the same about a range of foods, diets, and nutritional strategies.
That’s because, when it comes to nutrition, there’s a lot we don’t know for sure.
Which can make it pretty hard to give cut-and-dry answers on what to eat for better health.
But if you’re a coach, your clients don’t want to hear “it depends” and “we need more research” every single time you open your mouth.
They want real guidance.
That’s why they hired you, isn’t it?
So what nutrition concepts can you really be confident about?
As it turns out, almost everyone agrees on five evidence-based principles.
And we’re pretty sure about one more.
Plus, there’s a reliable process you can use to evaluate everything else. (More about that at the end of the article).
But before we get into what we know with almost 100 percent certainty, let’s explore why and how we know it.
We can’t answer that question with a specific number.
Truth is, nothing in science is ever completely certain. But we can get pretty darn close by weighing five main factors.
How much research is there? Only a few studies? Or hundreds?
The more vast the body of research, the more confident you can feel about a specific finding or theory.
We look for research conducted by people at the top of their field and published in well respected, peer-reviewed journals.
Specifically, we want to see:
Randomized controlled trials that test a specific treatment on a group of participants. Another group of people (the placebo group) doesn’t get the treatment. But both groups think they’re getting it.
Systematic reviews that discuss the available studies on a specific question or topic. Typically, they use precise and strict criteria for what’s included.
Meta-analyses that use complex statistical methods to combine the findings of several studies. Pooling together the data from many studies increases the statistical power, offering a stronger conclusion than any single study.
We look for research that dates back decades rather than studies that just started appearing during the past few years.
Our confidence goes up when many studies arrive at the same conclusion rather than opposite ones.
Studies have looked at how a nutritional concept affects different types of people, under different conditions, in different geographic locations.
(For a deeper dive into all of this, check out: How to read scientific research.)
So which nutrition claims pass the five-factor test?
Let’s explore.
Everyone knows this one, though not everyone believes it. It’s the energy balance equation, also known as calories in, calories out (or CICO for short), and it looks like this:
[Energy in] – [Energy out] = Changes in body stores
In other words:
When you take in more energy (or calories) than you burn, you gain weight.
When you take in less energy than you burn, you lose weight.
When you take in the same energy as you burn, you maintain.
So you might be wondering: How do we know this with absolute certainty whereas “wine is bad/good for you” is still up for debate?
First, like gravity, this principle is easy to test. With gravity, you can continually release a heavy object. No matter how many times you try it, the object falls.
It’s the same with energy balance. If you reduce “energy in” and increase “energy out,” you always get the same result: Bodyweight goes down.
Second, the energy balance equation comes from the first law of thermodynamics: Energy can neither be created or destroyed, only transferred from one state to another.
Humans can’t create energy from nothing. We convert it from food. And any excess energy we take in doesn’t magically vanish: Your body either increases “energy out” (often by turning up the metabolism) or stores the excess.
Scientific laws are as close to facts as we can get. Can they be updated over time? Sure. In this case, however, the law has stood firm for well over a century.
So, why do some people say “Not all calories are equal!”?
In a word: confusion.
As you can see from the illustration below, many complex factors influence “calories in” and “calories out.” Your brain, especially, can turn up or turn down metabolism, exerting a massive influence on “calories out.”
To better understand the universality of energy balance, let’s circle back to another law you may have studied in physics class: the law of gravity.
Like energy balance, it’s also represented by the equation F = ma (force equals mass times acceleration). The basic equation applies to every object, dropped from any height. But a lot of factors affect it—like air resistance—making it seem like it’s not true.
Similarly, with food and humans, the basic equation never changes. It’s true of all foods consumed in all situations.
But, lots of factors can affect different parts of the equation.
What does this mean for you?
If someone wants to gain or lose body mass, they’ll want to consider overall energy balance and how to shift it in their favor. Here are a few ways to do just that. (For a deeper dive, check out calories in, calories out).
| To reduce calories in: | To increase calories out: |
|---|---|
| Consume more fiber-rich vegetables to reduce the number of calories your body absorbs. | Add cardio to burn more calories. |
| Consume more protein to reduce appetite and therefore overall energy intake. | Add strength training to build more muscle, boost overall metabolism, and burn more calories. |
| Eat slowly so you can tune into hunger and fullness signals, and stop eating when you are satisfied, not stuffed. | Increase daily activity by taking the stairs, parking farther from your destination, and/or using an activity tracker to nudge you to take more steps. |
| Use hand portions to guide how much you eat. | Boost protein intake to increase the thermic effect of digestion. |
| Get enough sleep to reduce hunger and cravings for sweets. | Practice self care to reduce stress and improve sleep—both important for a healthy metabolism. |
Why? Two reasons.
Research consistently shows that protein helps you feel full longer and, as a result, lose weight.
That’s, in part, because it takes longer for the body to break down protein than carbs or fat.
Protein also stimulates the release of satiety hormones in the gut.1,2
So when you eat protein, you naturally tend to eat less.
And it makes a big difference. Doubling your protein intake could help you to spontaneously consume 400 fewer calories a day. For reference, that’s roughly the number of calories in 1 ½ cups of ice cream.3
On one day, eat 6 to 8 ounces of plain skinless chicken for every meal. Then track your hunger for the rest of the day, rating it once an hour on a 1 to 5 scale.
The following day, eat 1 ⅔ to 2 cups of cooked pasta for each meal. Again track your hunger on a 1 to 5 scale.
Then take a look at your data to see which method resulted in higher hunger ratings over the course of the day.
Without adequate protein, our bodies just can’t function well. We need amino acids (protein’s building blocks) to produce important molecules like enzymes, hormones, neurotransmitters, and antibodies.
So when we don’t eat enough protein, our bodies plunder it from elsewhere, like our muscles, resulting in muscle loss. This is especially true if we’re eating fewer calories than we’re burning.
On the flip side, a high-protein diet seems to maximize muscle protein synthesis, which should lead to more muscle gain for people who are strength training and consuming enough calories.
This is probably one of the reasons high-protein diets are better for improving body composition than normal or low-protein diets.
A review of 38 studies found that, for people who are out of shape, consuming extra protein won’t magically build any muscle—no surprises there. But for people who are really pushing themselves in the gym, eating more protein seems to boost their results, helping them gain even more muscle.4,5
What does this mean for you?
The right amount of protein for each person varies on a number of factors such as age, gender, and goals.
Someone interested in packing on muscle for a bodybuilding competition might aim for as many as 50 grams of protein (or about two palm-size portions of meat) at every meal. Someone hoping to work off 20 extra pounds is going to need much less than that.
Our free calorie and macro calculator can help you determine the right amount of protein for yourself or a client. Just plug in your info, and it’ll show you how to use hand portions to get enough protein (and carbs, fats, and calories) to meet your individual goals.
Minimally-processed whole foods (such as grains, nuts, eggs, and fish) contain a vast selection of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients (plant nutrients), and zoonutrients (animal nutrients).
Though we’re still unraveling exactly which nutrients do what, a wealth of research consistently points to one resounding conclusion:
Humans are healthier when they consume more whole foods and fewer refined ones.
This is probably because the greater the degree of processing, the higher the likelihood that a food:
This is a lot easier to see when you compare specific whole foods to their more highly-processed equivalents.
As you can see below, the less-processed steak and potato dinner contains about 350 fewer calories and a fraction of the sodium as the fast food burger with fries, as well as a heck of a lot more protein, fiber, and other nutrients.
That’s just one comparison.
But you could analyze any whole food along with its more refined counterpart and see similar differences in calories, sodium, and nutrients.
So it makes sense that a diet rich in minimally-processed whole foods can lead to lower rates of heart disease, cancer, depression, and type 2 diabetes, among other health problems.6-11
Minimally-processed whole foods are also rich in fiber and/or protein—two nutrients that help bolster satiety. And they tend to have fewer calories per serving than highly-processed refined foods.
Both traits make it easier for us to control our weight.
One randomized controlled trial even found that people ate a stunning 500 more calories per day when they consumed a diet rich in ultraprocessed foods compared to a diet rich in minimally-processed whole foods.12 That’s essentially the equivalent of consuming an extra meal a day.
In fact, minimally-processed whole foods may be what all successful diets share in common.
Recent studies have shown that participants experienced the same amount of weight loss—regardless of carb or fat intake—as long as they minimized their consumption of refined sugars, flours, and other processed foods while emphasizing whole foods like veggies.
They also experienced similar improvements in blood pressure, insulin, glucose, and cholesterol levels.13,14
What does this mean for you?
We’re 100 percent confident about the importance of whole foods, but we’re also extremely confident about something else:
Progress is much more important than perfection.
So rather than separating foods into “whole” and “not whole” categories, imagine a spectrum. As you can see from the graphic below, as food becomes more processed and refined, it loses a little bit of its nutritional power.
The goal with whole foods isn’t to get things “perfect.” Instead, focus on making them “just a little bit better.”
A rotisserie chicken from the supermarket may not be a pastured, lovingly hand-raised, heritage Chantecler roasted in a high-end convection oven… but it sure beats chicken nuggets.
(For ideas on how to do this, check out: What should I eat?)
Among the various types of whole foods, produce deserves special mention.
Fruits and veggies are loaded with health-promoting antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients.
And a huge body of evidence from the past 20 years definitively shows that consuming more produce can help prevent a wide range of health problems, including diabetes, stroke, heart disease, high blood pressure, and cancer.
For example, by simply increasing vegetable and fruit intake, experts predict that we could prevent 20 percent or more of all cancer cases, and avoid approximately 200,000 cancer-related deaths annually.15-19
An increasing number of studies also suggest that consuming a diet rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory foods such as fruits and vegetables may lower the risk of developing neurodegenerative disease.20-22
And, when it comes to cognitive performance, food beats supplements. Once nutrients, such as antioxidants, are isolated from produce and inserted into capsules, they seem to lose some (perhaps all) of their power.
Finally, an eating pattern rich in produce can help you more easily control your weight. This effect is thanks to their fiber and water content, which helps fill you up on fewer calories. An entire head of cauliflower, for example, contains only about 150 calories.23,24
What does this mean for you?
No one fruit or veggie is king. Rather than sticking to one magic powerfood—for example, eating blueberries every single day—aim for a variety. Try to eat a wide rainbow of colors everyday, using this chart for guidance.
(Hate veggies? Don’t worry! This infographic will show you how to fall in love with them.)
In coaching over 100,000 clients, we’ve seen one issue pop up a lot. People can nail everything with their nutrition but still struggle to reach their goals.
Often, that’s because they’re not getting enough sleep.
And they only make progress once they prioritize sleep.
What’s the connection?
If you sleep 5 or 6 hours when you really need 7 or 8, you keep your body in a chronically sleep-deprived state, impairing your body’s ability to regulate several key hormones.
End result: You can’t keep yourself away from the cookies.25-27
By not getting enough sleep, you’re just hungrier and you crave sweets more than you otherwise would.
You’re also tired, so you exercise and move less.
And more awake time means more time to raid the kitchen.
Bottom line: Sleep-deprived people tend to eat at least 300 more daily calories than people who get enough sleep.28
In addition to interfering with weight loss, lack of sleep also erodes health.
Just one night of sleep deprivation can lead to increased blood pressure the following day.29-32 Each year, when nearly 1.5 billion people lose an hour of sleep due to daylight savings time, rates of heart attacks jump.33,34
What does this mean for you?
Most of us just aren’t sleeping enough.
Going to bed at midnight and getting up at 6? It’s not going to cut it.
For ideas on how to turn things around, check out our article on hacking sleep.
People often rely on calorie counting to guide what and how much they eat. And while it can be helpful—serving as an external guardrail that protects against overeating—there’s a downside.
When people rely solely on external rules—following strict macros or calorie counts—they tend to lose touch with the internal cues that tell them when to eat and when to stop.35
And while you might assume people need a strict food tracking method to reach their goals, we just haven’t found that to be the case.
This is especially true when they learn to listen and respond to their internal sense of hunger and fullness, a skill known as internal appetite regulation. By relaxing, eating slowly, and tuning into their thoughts, emotions, and bodily sensations, most people can make phenomenal progress with this one important skill.
Research is starting to back up our clinical experience, too, showing that internal appetite regulation can help people to automatically choose higher-quality foods.36,37
Is more research needed? Perhaps.
But after you’ve worked with over 100,000 clients, as we have, you start to build a database of collected wisdom. And often, there’s stuff that you’ve just seen enough times to know it’s a thing.
Internal appetite regulation is one of those things.
We’re so confident about the importance of internal regulation that it’s the second skill our coaches teach most clients.
But it doesn’t work for every single person universally.
A very small number of people may not be able to effectively tune in to internal signals at all.
For example, people with Prader–Willi syndrome have abnormally high levels of the hunger-hormone ghrelin. They constantly feel excessively hungry when their bodies don’t need more calories, so asking them to stop eating when they feel full just doesn’t work.
Conversely, some people who are battling cancer rarely feel hungry and might lose too much weight if they didn’t use external guidance on when and how much to eat.
But these situations are relatively rare. With practice, the vast majority of people can eventually get in touch with their hunger and fullness signals.
What does this mean for you?
Sure, there’s not as much research behind internal regulation as there is for the five main principles listed above.
But the benefits of internal regulation far outweigh the scientific uncertainty and potential exceptions. And you really don’t have to take our word for it. You can test it out for yourself. This 30-day challenge will walk you through everything you need to know.
Beyond the core principles, there’s a lot that depends on the individual.
So what do you do when you want to know (or your client asks): How often should I eat? Should I eat breakfast? Is red meat okay? Should I take a multi? Is keto a good diet?
The answers all depend on a lot of variables, such as:
The best diet, for example, depends on someone’s physiology, food preferences, age, health, budget, and personal beliefs.
Universally, nearly everyone benefits from more protein, more produce, and more whole foods (which is why all three are listed under “what we know for sure.”) But the specifics—how often to eat, what foods to eat, how much to eat, which macros to shoot for—will differ from person to person.
So rather than feeling pressured to have a definitive answer at the ready, in these situations, we like to explore four key questions:
What’s the level of scientific confidence? What is the quality, scope, and consistency of the available research? Of course, finding the answer to this question requires a lot of digging and reading. You’ll also need a bit of research fluency to understand study design, bias, sample sizes, and so on.
If that sounds overwhelming, here’s an easy shortcut: examine.com, a site that analyzes scientific research across a wide range of nutrition topics.
If you’re still struggling, know this: Most nutrition topics are relatively uncertain, and we also can’t always wait around for science to prove everything. In the end, the best way to know whether something will or won’t work for a client may be to try it, as an experiment, to see what happens.
What are the downsides? How might someone struggle to implement this? What are the financial, social, physical, and emotional costs of trying it? Could it potentially cause harm?
For example, some of the downsides of intermittent fasting involve hunger and potentially missing out on meals with family. Similarly, choosing to only eat organic foods comes with a financial cost.
What are the benefits? What are the upsides of trying this approach? How could it help? What are the likely payoffs in terms of health, energy, mood, and fitness? Could the strategy improve someone’s relationships, career, peace of mind, or overall life?
How likely is consistency? Dietary details matter much less than consistent adherence to a particular practice. Is it possible to stick to this nutritional change 80 percent of the time over several weeks, months, and years?
Rank the answers to each question on a 1 to 5 scale.
Scientific confidence
Costs
Benefits
Consistency
Total score: –
Based on those ratings, you can then decide whether this is a strategy worth trying (or work with your client to help them decide).
0-10
Reconsider whether this is the best change for you.
11-15
It’s a draw. Only you can decide if the benefits outweigh the costs on this one. Consider trying it for a few weeks and see what happens. Worst case scenario: You learn from the experience.
16-20
Go for it!
No matter how perfectly you use the assessment tool, however, you won’t know for absolute certainty whether something will work for yourself or a client—until you try it.
That’s the nature of nutritional uncertainty. There’s no getting around that.
But, thankfully, you can use each experience to gather data and learn.
And you can also lean heavily into the 6 principles we’ve discussed here. Just those alone will make a huge difference.
After all, how many people do you know who are consistently doing all of these things well?
No, these aren’t exciting or trendy. But for most folks, simply following these basic principles, most of the time, will get them where they want to be. Plus, if they’re not checking these boxes, they’ll likely have a really tough time with the more “advanced” stuff.
So remember: While nutrition science may not yet have all the answers, it may have all the answers most people really need.
Click here to view the information sources referenced in this article.
Learning how to coach clients, patients, friends, or family members through healthy eating and lifestyle changes—in a way that’s rooted in nutrition science and helps people feel confident they’re focused on what really matters—is both an art and a science.
If you’d like to learn more about both, consider the Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification. The next group kicks off shortly.
What’s it all about?
The Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification is the world’s most respected nutrition education program. It gives you the knowledge, systems, and tools you need to really understand how food influences a person’s health and fitness. Plus the ability to turn that knowledge into a thriving coaching practice.
Developed over 15 years, and proven with over 100,000 clients and patients, the Level 1 curriculum stands alone as the authority on the science of nutrition and the art of coaching.
Whether you’re already mid-career, or just starting out, the Level 1 Certification is your springboard to a deeper understanding of nutrition, the authority to coach it, and the ability to turn what you know into results.
[Of course, if you’re already a student or graduate of the Level 1 Certification, check out our Level 2 Certification Master Class. It’s an exclusive, year-long mentorship designed for elite professionals looking to master the art of coaching and be part of the top 1% of health and fitness coaches in the world.]
We’ll be opening up spots in our next Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification on Wednesday, October 7th, 2020.
If you want to find out more, we’ve set up the following presale list, which gives you two advantages.
If you’re ready for a deeper understanding of nutrition, the authority to coach it, and the ability to turn what you know into results… this is your chance to see what the world’s top professional nutrition coaching system can do for you.
The post The 5 universal principles of good nutrition, according to science. appeared first on Precision Nutrition.
