The Science of Holistic Wellness: How Quality Foods, Sleep, and Exercise Transform Your Health

Holistic wellness is more than a buzzword; it's a comprehensive approach to health that considers the whole person—mind, body, and spirit. Unlike conventional methods that often treat symptoms in isolation, holistic wellness aims to address the root causes of health issues. This approach is supported by a growing body of science that demonstrates how factors like high-quality foods, restorative sleep, and appropriate exercise can dramatically improve your overall well-being. In this blog post, we'll explore how these elements not only help with weight loss but also boost energy levels, eliminate gut issues, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

1. High-Quality Foods: The Foundation of Holistic Wellness

The Role of Anti-Inflammatory Foods

The quality of the food you eat is a cornerstone of holistic wellness. Nutrient-dense foods like vegetables, fruits, lean meats, and healthy fats provide the vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that your body needs to function optimally. These foods support cellular health, boost immune function, and help regulate metabolism—all of which are crucial for maintaining a healthy weight and preventing chronic diseases.

How Quality Foods Impact Energy Levels

High-quality foods fuel your body more effectively than processed, inflammatory options. For instance, proteins from sources like chicken, fish, and beef provide amino acids essential for muscle repair and growth, which in turn supports overall energy levels. Complex carbohydrates from vegetables and safe starches offer an appropriate but not overwhelming supply of carbohydrates, without the blood sugar spikes and crashes associated with refined sugars and flours. Healthy fats from sources like avocados, nuts, and olive oil are essential for brain health and hormone regulation, further contributing to sustained energy.

Gut Health and Diet

The foods you eat also have a profound impact on your gut health. Eliminating inflammatory foods such as wheat, alcohol, and processed foods can rapidly solve issues like bloating, constipation, or more serious conditions like IBS and permeable gut syndrome. As the gut heals, brain fog vanishes and mental clarity skyrockets.  Furthermore, the balanced gut microbiome that results from the elimination of problematic foods can help reduce inflammation throughout the body which is linked to a variety of chronic conditions, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.

2. Quality Sleep: The Underestimated Pillar of Health

The Science of Sleep and Its Impact on Wellness

Sleep is often the missing piece in the wellness puzzle. High-quality sleep is essential for numerous bodily functions, including hormone regulation, muscle repair, and cognitive function. During deep sleep, your body produces growth hormone, which is crucial for tissue repair and muscle growth. Adequate sleep also helps regulate the hormones ghrelin and leptin, which control hunger and satiety. When these hormones are out of balance due to sleep deprivation, you're more likely to overeat and gain weight, particularly around your midsection.

Sleep and Energy Levels

Sleep directly impacts your energy levels and overall vitality. Poor sleep can leave you feeling groggy, reduce your motivation to exercise, and trigger sugar cravings that lead to poor dietary choices. On the other hand, restorative sleep boosts energy, enhances mood, and improves your ability to handle stress—all of which contribute to a more active and fulfilling lifestyle. Many of our clients report discontinuing their CPAP usage and a complete resolution of sleep apnea and other sleep disturbances. 

Sleep and Gut Health

There's also a bidirectional relationship between sleep and gut health. Disruptions in your circadian rhythm, the body's internal clock, can negatively affect the gut microbiome, leading to issues like increased gut permeability (often referred to as "leaky gut") and inflammation. Conversely, a healthy gut can promote better sleep by producing neurotransmitters like serotonin, which is a precursor to melatonin, the hormone responsible for regulating sleep-wake cycles.

3. Appropriate Exercise: More Than Just Weight Loss

The Benefits of Resistance Training and Other Exercises

Exercise is another key component of holistic wellness, but not all exercise is created equal. Resistance training is particularly beneficial for those of us in our 40s and beyond. This type of exercise helps build lean muscle mass, which increases your resting metabolic rate, meaning you burn more calories even when at rest. Resistance training also improves insulin sensitivity, which can lower your risk of type 2 diabetes. But perhaps most importantly, resistance training is our major weapon against frailty.  If you’d like to be active and vibrant in your later decades, time in the weight room now will pay massive dividends down the road. 

Exercise and Energy Levels

Exercise boosts energy levels by enhancing the efficiency of your cardiovascular system, allowing your heart and lungs to deliver oxygen and nutrients more effectively throughout your body. Regular training also increases the production of endorphins, often referred to as "feel-good" hormones, which can help reduce feelings of fatigue and improve overall mood. The combination of anti-inflammatory food, high quality sleep, and regular resistance training give a massive advantage when it comes to maintaining mental health in a challenging world. 

 4. Reducing the Risk of Chronic Disease

The Synergy of Diet, Sleep, and Exercise

The holistic approach to wellness doesn’t just focus on one aspect of health but rather how all these elements work together to create synergy in the body. When you eat anti-inflammatory foods, sleep well, and exercise appropriately, you're not just improving your physique — you're setting the stage for long-term health. These habits collectively reduce systemic inflammation, improve immune function, and enhance the body's ability to repair and regenerate.

Preventing Chronic Diseases

This integrative approach lowers the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and even certain cancers. For example, a diet rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds from fruits and vegetables can help neutralize free radicals, which are linked to cancer development. Regular exercise helps maintain insulin sensitivity reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke. Quality sleep supports immune function and helps the body effectively fight off infections and illnesses.

Conclusion

Holistic wellness is about making lifestyle choices that nourish your body, mind, and spirit. By prioritizing high-quality foods, restorative sleep, and appropriate exercise, you're not just losing weight—you’re enhancing your overall health, boosting your energy levels, improving your gut health, and significantly reducing your risk of chronic diseases. It's a science-backed approach that empowers you to take control of your well-being and live a more vibrant, fulfilling life.

Ready to take action to start putting these tools to use? Consider booking a free consultation for the Holistic Transformation Program

Is Wheat Wreaking Havoc on Your Gut?

Wheat has been a dietary darling for thousands of years, but lately, it’s come under the microscope for potentially wreaking havoc on our health—especially when it comes to gut issues. Once a wholesome grain, today’s wheat is not what it used to be. Thanks to modern farming, genetic tweaks, and processing methods, it’s evolved into a possible villain for your digestive system. So, what’s the deal? Gluten, glyphosate, and gut permeability (a.k.a. “leaky gut”) all play a role in why wheat may not be as innocent as it seems.

Gluten: The Usual Suspect

Let’s start with the star of the show: gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye that’s notorious for upsetting stomachs—literally. It’s made of two proteins, gliadin and glutenin, but it’s gliadin that tends to stir the pot, especially in people who already have gut issues. Here’s how:

1. Celiac Disease and Its Gluten-Sensitive Cousins

Celiac disease is the poster child for gluten-related gut drama. It’s an autoimmune disorder where eating gluten turns your immune system into a wrecking ball, attacking the small intestine and leaving behind a mess of inflammation and nutrient absorption issues. But even if you don’t have celiac disease, gluten might still be giving you grief. People with non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) can experience bloating, fatigue, and even joint pain—without their intestines taking as much of a beating as those with celiac disease. Still, inflammation is inflammation, and gluten often adds fuel to the fire. In fact, we’ve yet to work with anyone who genuinely thrives on gluten. 

2. Gliadin: The Gatekeeper of Leaky Gut

Gluten isn’t content with just causing digestive mayhem. Gliadin, in particular, encourages the production of zonulin, a protein that controls the “tight junctions” in your gut lining. These junctions are the body’s security detail, deciding what gets in and what stays out. When zonulin levels spike, those gates loosen, and the gut turns into a free-for-all, allowing things like undigested food, toxins, and who-knows-what-else into your bloodstream. This not only leads to inflammation but also sets the stage for a host of health issues.

Glyphosate: The Silent Saboteur

Gluten doesn’t work alone in this story of gut chaos. Enter glyphosate—the active ingredient in many herbicides, most famously Roundup. This chemical is often sprayed on wheat crops just before harvest to dry them out, a process called desiccation. While it’s great for farmers, it’s not so great for your gut.

1. Glyphosate: Gut Bacteria’s Worst Enemy

Your gut is home to trillions of bacteria, and you want the good guys to outnumber the bad ones. But glyphosate disrupts that balance, leading to dysbiosis, where harmful bacteria get the upper hand. A happy gut means better digestion, nutrient absorption, and immune health. When the bad bacteria take over, you’re left with bloating, food sensitivities, and a higher risk of developing conditions like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and autoimmune diseases.

2. Glyphosate and Leaky Gut: A Double Whammy

Glyphosate also messes with your gut’s tight junctions, just like gluten. That means more opportunities for harmful substances to sneak into your bloodstream, leading to inflammation that shows up everywhere—brain fog, joint pain, you name it. When gluten and glyphosate team up, your gut doesn’t stand a chance.

Gut Permeability: The Leak That Wreaks Havoc

The term "leaky gut" has gained popularity for a reason. In a healthy gut, the lining acts like a bouncer at a nightclub—only letting in the good stuff. But when it’s damaged, harmful particles slip through, triggering immune responses and inflammation. And wheat, with its gluten content and possible glyphosate contamination, is a major player in creating this permeability.

 1. Inflammation: The Root of Autoimmune Disease

Once those unwanted guests slip through your gut lining, your immune system goes into attack mode. Over time, this chronic inflammation can lead to autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, and lupus. In other words, wheat might be making your immune system work overtime for all the wrong reasons.

 2. Leaky Gut’s Many Faces

Leaky gut doesn’t just affect your digestion. It can show up as fatigue, skin rashes, brain fog, joint pain, and even mood disorders like anxiety and depression. When your immune system is constantly fighting off invaders, the symptoms can pop up in places you’d never expect.

So, What Happens When You Kick Wheat to the Curb?

Cutting wheat out of your diet could be the reset your gut needs. Here’s what you might notice when you bid wheat farewell:

 1. Reduced Inflammation

People who ditch wheat often feel less bloated and achy, thanks to reduced inflammation. This can also improve skin conditions like eczema and even lower markers of inflammation throughout the body, leading to better overall health.

2. Happier Digestion

With wheat out of the picture, your gut lining gets a chance to heal, which can mean fewer IBS symptoms like bloating and diarrhea. Plus, healing your gut helps keep unwanted particles out of your bloodstream, reducing the chances of autoimmune flare-ups.

3. Clearer Mind, More Energy

Many report that going wheat-free clears the mental fog and boosts energy levels. Since the gut is linked to neurotransmitter production, healing it can also improve your mood and mental clarity.

4. Weight Loss

Wheat often sneaks into processed foods, which are loaded with refined carbs and sugars. Cutting out wheat typically means cutting out those processed foods, leading to weight loss and better metabolic health.

5. Supporting Gut Health on a Wheat-Free Diet

Eliminating wheat is just the beginning. To truly heal your gut, focus on anti-inflammatory foods like veggies, fruits, healthy fats, and lean proteins. Fermented foods and probiotics can restore your gut’s balance, while bone broth and collagen help repair the gut lining.

Conclusion: Breaking Up with Wheat for Good

Wheat might have once been a dietary staple, but today, its gluten content and glyphosate contamination are a recipe for gut trouble. Whether it’s increasing gut permeability or sparking systemic inflammation, wheat is a key player in a host of health issues. But eliminating wheat can be a game-changer, reducing inflammation, healing the gut, and improving overall well-being. If chronic symptoms have you down, a wheat-free diet could be the step you need toward better health.

What is a Holistic Approach

We built the Holistic Transformation Program to give people like you the tools to be in control of your health and fitness.  The word holistic to us means intervention through lifestyle habits like what you eat, how you exercise, and when you sleep.  

It means taking action to prevent health problems before they arise instead of waiting to get sick and reacting. Perhaps most importantly though, it means YOU are in control of your health and fitness. You can make decisions for yourself based on your values and not cede control to your doctor or other healthcare practitioner. 

Health and fitness are not something that come from pills or visits with your physician.  They’re a product of your everyday habits.  What you eat each day, how much you exercise, and when you sleep are by far the most powerful tools any of us have to improve our overall health.  

There are reliable evidence based ways you can not just lose weight, but put yourself in your dream body.  By losing body fat and adding muscle you will not just look great, but improve your energy levels and confidence while dramatically reducing your risk of chronic disease.  

You can eliminate bloating and GI issues, clear up your skin problems, and get off your CPAP.  Even elimination of hypertension, prediabetes, and acid reflux are straightforward with a holistic approach.  

It’s habits over pills and medications. And it’s powerful. If you know how, you can feel totally different in as little as two weeks.

A holistic approach means you’re treating the root causes of the diseases, not just ameliorating the symptoms.  Holistic prevention is always preferable to medical intervention when possible.  It’s less risky, less painful, less inconvenient, and less expensive.   

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.  Wouldn’t you rather eliminate the risk of Type II diabetes by changing what you eat now versus managing the disease later in life? Diabetes medications only slow the progression and reduce the symptoms, they’re not a cure.  Might that mean less cake and candy today? It might.  For some of us that’s a desirable tradeoff to avoid managing an expensive and painful disease for the rest of our life. 

Also, did your doctor ever tell you high blood pressure is curable? Permanently. Yes, even for those with genetic predisposition.  The fix is in your food, sleep, and exercise.  While there are medications that can reduce the symptoms of high blood pressure the only real cure is holistic. 

Lastly, a Holistic approach puts you in control. As a good friend once said, relying on your doctor to interpret what’s happening with your body is like having your priest read the bible for you.  While doctors are incredibly valuable when you’re sick, they do not have the tools to guide you to optimal health and fitness.  Doctors treat disease. We teach a holistic approach. 

Doctors are like lifeguards and trainers are like swim coaches. If you need a lifeguard a swim coach won’t help. But if you do need a lifeguard, chances are at some point you needed a swim coach and didn’t get one.  

By learning specifics about how to eat, sleep, and exercise, you can make better decisions that leave you in control of not just your overall health, but how you look and feel day to day.  You’ll be able to choose what habits are worth it to you and which aren’t to better align your values with your actions, leaving you feeling in control of your body. 

In conclusion, a holistic approach  is about empowering you to take charge of your health through actionable, evidence-based habits. Rather than waiting for health issues to arise, this approach gives you the tools to prevent them by addressing the root causes—your daily choices in food, exercise, and sleep. This is not just about avoiding disease; it's about achieving a level of health and fitness that allows you to live your best life, free from the need for constant medical interventions.

By choosing a holistic approach, you're choosing to be proactive, to take control of your health, and to live in a way that aligns with your values. It's about more than just avoiding illness; it's about thriving. Whether you're looking to shed pounds, gain muscle, eliminate chronic issues, or simply feel more energized and confident, the power is in your hands. The path to lasting health isn’t paved with pills or quick fixes, but with the consistent, intentional habits you build every day.

We believe that with the right guidance and commitment, you can transform not only your body but your entire outlook on health. This is your journey, and with a holistic approach, you're not just a passenger—you're the driver.

Supplements for Snoozing: Sleep Stack Dream Team

Hey there you drowsy dudes and dames,

Ever wish you could drift off to dreamland as effortlessly as turning off a light switch? Well, it’s time to stop counting sheep and start counting on science! In this edition, we’re diving into the dreamy world of sleep supplements—your ticket to restful nights and refreshed mornings. So grab your favorite herbal tea, get cozy, and let’s explore how you can snooze smarter.

We know from working with hundreds of clients that there’s huge power in habits around sleep. Specifically, keeping a consistent bedtime, shutting down screens an hour before lights  out, and prepping a dark, cool, and quiet bedroom tend to dramatically improve sleep quality and duration.  

That being said, there’s a lot to be said for the efficacy of some powerful over the counter sleep supplements. Below we’ll introduce you to our favorite stack that’s cheap, backed by scientific studies, and safe for use long term. 

Without further ado, let's meet the sleep dream team:

Magnesium plays a significant role in improving sleep quality by enhancing sleep architecture, regulating neuroendocrine functions, and reducing inflammatory stress. Supplementation with magnesium can be particularly beneficial for those with magnesium deficiency, leading to better sleep outcomes and reduced sleep disorder symptoms.

Glycine has been shown to improve both subjective and objective measures of sleep quality. It reduces sleep onset latency, increases sleep efficiency, and enhances overall sleep satisfaction. These effects are mediated through mechanisms involving core body temperature reduction, NMDA receptor activation in the SCN (the timekeeper of your circadian rhythm), and inhibition of orexin neurons which are responsible for regulating wakefulness. Glycine's ability to modulate neuropeptides and increase serotonin levels further supports its role in enhancing sleep quality.

GABA plays a significant role in improving sleep quality by reducing sleep latency and increasing sleep duration. The primary mechanism involves the activation of GABAA receptors, which promote sleep by reducing neuronal excitability essentially calming things down in your brain. While there’s debate about whether orally taken GABA will cross the blood brain barrier, the sleep enhancing effects might be explained by the calming effect of GABA on the nervous system outside the brain. . 

L-theanine plays a significant role in improving sleep quality by enhancing sleep duration, efficiency, and latency. It achieves these effects through the regulation of neurotransmitters and its ability to reduce anxiety. Additionally, combining L-theanine with other compounds listed above can potentiate its sleep-promoting benefits. It’s also worth noting L-Theanine can be taken with your morning coffee to improve the lift from caffeine while reducing jitters. 

Links and dosages

For optimal results take the full stack of supplements at one time 30-60min before bedtime as a part of your wind down routine. 

Magnesium: 400-800mg - 2 to 4 scoops 

Glycine: 3g (3,000mg) - 6 capsules

GABA: 300-500mg - 3-5 capsules

L-Theanine: 200mg - 1 capsule

Your New Secret Weapon: The Holistic Transformation Program

Let's get right to it... 

Are you going to be our next client success story? 

I built the Holistic Transformation Program to give people the tools to take complete control of their health and fitness.  By learning what actually works when it comes to nutrition, exercise strategy, supplementation, sleep optimization and more clients are looking and feeling better in their 30s, 40s, and 50s than they have ever before. 

What Is It?

The HTP is a 12-week online course that leads participants through building habits that drive rapid change.  It includes an in-depth educational curriculum delivered in bite sized weekly segments with lots of one on one coaching to provide accountability, individualization, and support.  

We teach the fundamental and powerful levers of anti-inflammatory food, exercise, macronutrients, sleep, hydration, exercise, supplementation, calorie deficits, reverse dieting, and more. 

Who is it for?

We’re looking for clients that want a step change in their health and fitness level.  This can present as a desire to lose weight, improve energy levels, resolve bloating, acid reflux, and GI issues, improve blood markers of health, eliminate hypertension or pre-diabetes, and generally be in the best shape of your life. 

Whether you want to lose 50 lbs or optimize your athletic performance, this program will take your fitness game to the next level. 

Why did we build it?

While it’s common to hear the phrase “diet and exercise” cited as a solution to many modern health issues, there aren’t readily accessible directions on specifically what actions to take if you want change.  So many of our potential clients are already putting in effort to be healthier, but just aren’t seeing a return on that investment. 

We teach the fundamental mechanisms of health and fitness that are at play in any diet or workout program so you can make intelligent decisions based on your values. 

This is not dogma. The HTP presents indisputable facts of fitness based on physiology, biochemistry, and physics.

What can you expect from the Program?

Most participants lose a significant amount of weight and experience improved energy levels in just the first two weeks of the program.  

By four weeks you can expect to be sleeping better and most GI issues will have improved or completely disappeared.

At the six week mark you’ll understand macronutrients as a powerful lens through which to see food as well as how to tailor exercise to your personal goals.  Hint: almost nobody is exercising optimally for the changes they want.

When you get to 8 weeks into the program weight loss is happening at a steady, rapid, and predictable rate.  The scale will work for you, not the other way around. The days of hating the scale will permanently be behind you. 

As the program comes to a close at the 12-week mark participants are looking more like themselves in the mirror, their energy is through the roof, GI issues are a thing of the past, sleep is restful and restorative, and they have an unshakable feeling of control over their body, fitness, and relationship with food. 

Big weight loss goals take time, so after the program ends we offer the option to continue with one on one coaching at whichever level of engagement gives you the support, accountability, and accessibility that make the most sense for your ambitions and preferences.  We don’t leave anyone high and dry at the end of 12 weeks.

How to Start

If you're interested, but have questions, the next step is to book a free consultation where we can learn about you, address your concerns, and see if you're a fit for the program.  

Click here to book your time slot

Want to see some results?  

Check out our client success stories

Two Rules for Successful Cheat Meals

Let's talk about cheat meals.  To set the stage, let's say you’ve joined a nutrition program, you’re eating super clean, feeling amazing, and even losing weight that you never thought would come off.  It’s going well, REALLY well. 

But on the horizon you see some turbulence brewing.  Your birthday / anniversary / major holiday is coming up and you’d like to celebrate with some foods you haven’t had in a while.  How do you incorporate the occasional treat without fear of destroying your hard earned progress? What should you expect to happen after that treat? And how do you navigate this without unnecessary stress or guilt? 

There are two rules we tell clients to follow as they think about stepping out of their clean eating plan.  They are:

1. Premeditate your treats, do not be opportunistic 

2. Once you’ve made your decision, execute with joy and be disciplined about any negative emotions. 

Premeditation means we want food murder in the first degree.  This is well thought out ahead of time with a plan of what you’re going to have, when, and how you’ll get back on track. Half the joy is in anticipation anyways, right?  The real value here though is that you will be making a rational decision ahead of time that you can commit to and not an emotional decision in the moment.  Avoiding emotional snap decision making lets you better align your behaviors with your values and removes some of the power of cravings and short term temptation around food. 

This premeditation can look like “I’m going to go out for ice cream on Friday with the kids, but after that I’m back on plan” or “I’m going to enjoy dinner out with my wife for our anniversary, but just food, no alcohol, and I’ll be back on plan with breakfast.” You can see how this bounds the situation and allows you to indulge without letting the train come completely off the tracks for a full day or more. 

Rule #2 is equally important.  Once you’ve committed to a plan of action, enjoy yourself and be careful not to let negative emotions creep in. If after you’ve enjoyed your treat you start to feel guilty or ashamed of having “cheated” on your clean eating, you’re setting yourself up for failure. It’s important to note that you PLANNED for this treat. You made a rational decision with good intentions given the information you had at the time. You wanted this and there’s no reason you shouldn’t have it. You’re doing great! 

If you start to feel negatively about your treat though this can quickly spiral into “well I’m already eating off plan, why not just go big” or “this day is already a loss, lets get some chips and queso.”  A planned cheat meal is nothing to feel guilty about and certainly isn’t a mistake.  The negative thoughts that might creep in after are a red flag that you’re about to make a mistake though.  Stick to your plan. Enjoy your cheat meal, smile, and revel in the freedom you’ve given yourself. 

Next it’s important to know what you can expect after a cheat meal.  While results will vary based on the individuality of your body, what you indulged in, and what your behaviors looked like before the cheat meal, you can expect a few things to happen. 

FIrst, your body weight will jump up the next day, usually in the ballpark of 1-4% of your body weight, which can easily mean several pounds.  This is an inflammatory response to what you ate and not a body composition change. You have not gained body fat overnight.  Just to prove the point, for you to add 3lbs of body fat overnight, you would need to eat 10,500 calories more than you burned that previous day with 100% of that being stored as body fat.  It’s just not possible.  The weight gain is fluid retention associated with gut inflammation. 
You may also experience other symptoms after your cheat meal like bloating, brain fog, lack of energy, disrupted sleep, nasal congestion, GI issues, and even joint and muscle aches.  We’ve even had clients experience a recurrence of chronic back pain just from a change in the food they’re eating.  

The good news is that the weight gain and other accompanying symptoms will be short lived. Weight from an inflammatory response usually comes off within 2-4 days if you get back to clean eating immediately. The other symptoms tend to resolve even quicker with the exception being some autoimmune symptoms.  AI symptoms can persist longer depending on the individual and what they ate.  

Inflammatory symptoms aside, it’s also important to recognize that treat meals will often mean a significant increase in caloric intake for that day over your normal plan.  If you’ve been experiencing weight loss of roughly 1lb per week, that means you’re in a calorie deficit of ~500cal per day, or 3,500 cal a week.  

Even a well planned single cheat meal can easily increase calorie intake by 1,000-2,000 calories wiping out several days of clean eating and hard earned progress.  This is a factor you should take into account when making a decision about whether or not the cheat meal is worth it to you.  Also, it leads us to conclude that infrequent cheat meals don’t really have the power to stop your progress, but weekly or more often can absolutely stop you in your tracks. 

In conclusion, while on a strict nutrition plan and making progress, you shouldn’t have to abstain completely from cheat meals and treats you love, but be selective and choose the opportunities that mean the most.  Think ahead and plan out what you’re going to have and avoid being opportunistic.  Lastly, enjoy yourself.  You’ve chosen this as an opportunity to enjoy life a little bit. Don’t let guilt or negative thoughts disrupt your enjoyment or lead to a bigger slide.

The Perfect Time To Start a Nutrition Program

Ever wondered when the right time is to kick off a nutrition program? Spoiler alert: the best time was yesterday, and the second best is today. Sounds bold? Stick with me.

You might be thinking, “I’ve got a dream vacation to Italy in two months, and this program is 12 weeks long. Should I wait until after my trip to dive in?”

Not necessarily.

Embracing Life’s Challenges

After working with hundreds of clients, one thing is clear: learning to handle life’s curveballs is a crucial part of any nutrition program. Changing your habits for the long haul means navigating vacations, social events, and stress without derailing your progress. By starting now, you'll learn to manage these situations more effectively than ever before.

Got a business trip coming up? We’ll teach you how to eat clean on the go, plan ahead, and rethink your airport and dining-out strategies. Whether you’re jet-setting or road-tripping, there are practical tricks to keep you on track.

Assessing What’s Worth It

Part of the program is about evaluating the costs of certain foods and behaviors—not to eliminate them entirely, but to decide what’s worth it to YOU. Not only do people’s reactions to foods differ but so does the value each brings.  Maybe a beer and a hotdog at the ballpark is your jam, or perhaps you’d rather save your indulgence for your niece’s wedding cake. It’s all about finding what actions align with your values.

Sustainable Change

Our goal is to first help you look and feel your absolute best. Once you experience that transformation, you’ll know how to enjoy life’s culinary pleasures without sacrificing your health or fitness. You’ll learn what’s worth it and what’s not, making the program sustainable for life. Imagine knowing that those tortilla chips at happy hour aren’t worth it, but a cozy glass of whiskey on a winter night is.

When your friends see how great you look and the newfound happiness you’re carrying around they might ask your secret, how do you eat to make this happen? You’ll be able to say with confidence, I eat whatever I want.  But underlying that is a knowledge of what works, what’s worth it, and what you can avoid without feeling left out.

One Small Exception

The one caveat? It’s helpful to have 2-3 weeks from the start of the program without major disruptions like international travel or backcountry camping. Smaller things like birthday parties and work outings really aren’t that challenging to navigate. After that initial period, you'll be equipped to handle any potential disruptions with a little guidance from your coach.

Final Thoughts

Don’t delay your progress for a trip or event that might actually become one of the most informative parts of your journey. Start the program today, head to Italy in a couple of months, and discover what’s worth it to you. Learn how to navigate life’s pleasures and challenges with newfound confidence.

Ready to take the plunge? Let’s do this!

Tyler

Click the link below to schedule your consultation.

Holistic Transformation Program Consultation Calendar

Megan’s Success Story

And now for a happy story... 

Today’s edition of the Pulse is dedicated to one of our clients who is seeing wild success.  Megan heard of the Holistic Transformation Program through her two of her friends. She saw them both lose more than 40 lbs each while glowing with energy and happiness throughout the Program. 

As a mom in her early 50’s with a demanding legal career, an evening side gig in the fitness industry, and very little extra time on her hands, Megan had some hesitation that big change was possible. Watching her friends transform piqued her curiosity though, and she wanted to know more.  

At the time of our consultation, she wanted to get up in the morning and enjoy getting dressed instead of dreading how she looked in her clothes.  She had even stopped wanting to go out to events and social settings because dressing up was so demoralizing.

Furthermore, the late afternoon slump was killing her. Every day around 3pm her energy would tank.  Could that be fixed too?  Her stretch goal was to not just boost her overall confidence, but to be excited to put on a bathing suit again. That seemed scary and almost too far away to consider. 

In her mind that body was about 30 lbs different from her current state.  Was it possible to get the weight off AND have more energy?  Would her tight schedule, old back injury, or metabolism get in the way?

During our initial consultation, she admitted to being a little nervous that the Program would work for her, despite seeing her friends experience dramatic change.  After all, they were younger and more athletic to start with. But the fact that they were also working moms with lots of competing priorities on their plate gave her hope she could follow suit.

She gathered her courage, smiled, and committed to putting herself first and going for it. Diving into the program she lost 10lbs in the first two weeks… WHOA.  That the scale could change that quickly without her being hungry was surprising, and motivating.  Her energy was ALREADY up significantly.  

The habits around food were new, and that was a challenge, but it wasn’t hard at all once she got in the groove.  Adjustments to her sleep, exercise, and supplementation were paying off and compounding the benefits she felt from nutritional overhaul.  

A couple months into the program she was losing weight at such a steady rate she had to pinch herself.  Every week 1.5-2lbs came off like clockwork.  Her aches and pains had disappeared, bloating and stomach issues were a thing of the past, and even her nasal congestion unexpectedly stopped.  

Right in the  middle of the Program she went to her niece's wedding, something she’d been looking forward to all year.  She let herself enjoy the food and even had a few drinks without disrupting her progress.  She felt in control, and understood how all of this works. After all, isn’t this process really about learning how to navigate events, travel, and other real life scenarios? 

It took five months, but Megan is down 44lbs (having revised her body weight goal by 10 lbs mid journey) and loving life.  She has cranked up her energy and driven her confidence through the roof, she’s got a whole new lease on life.  Feeling young, confident, and energized in your 50’s is something she hadn’t known was possible.

When asked what she might tell someone considering entering the Holistic Transformation Program she says matter of factly “The program is completely doable as long as you're ready to make changes”

If you’re curious about that change, we’d love to chat and see if you’re a good fit.  The first step is to book a free consult via the link below. 

Holistic Transformation Program Consultation Calendar

We’re looking forward to hearing from you! 

The Spoon Is Mightier Than The Treadmill

We all know someone that’s fallen into this trap. 

Maybe that day comes when you’re finally going to get in shape. You’re motivated, and this time feels different. Change is in the air and you’re ready to commit.  So what do you do? Yup, you guessed it. You lace up the trainers and go out for a run. 

And that is your first mistake.  

Exercising as a sole strategy for weight loss is pretty futile.  While it is technically possible, you’re unlikely to be successful without first taking a hard look at what you’re eating. Now don’t misunderstand me, I’m not anti-exercise.  I owned a CrossFit gym for more than 10 years. Exercise is powerful and we can all benefit from it. 

That being said, exercise when used alone, specifically cardio, is most likely to cause you to gain weight, not lose it.  Let's take a look at why. While sleep, protein intake, and other variables are important when it comes to losing weight, it's beyond debate that calories in vs. calories out is the primary mechanism that decides if we’re gaining or losing weight.  

It’s physics.  If there are more calories entering your body than being burned, the energy will build up. Your body’s primary mechanism for storing energy is unfortunately to add volume to your fat cells. Conversely, to lose weight you need to burn more calories than you eat.  Let's take a look at an example with some specifics. 

Let’s say you want to start to lose weight at the rate of 1lb per week, a conservative rate for most people.  A pound of fat contains 3500 calories.  To burn that in a week you’ll need to burn 500 calories per day more than you eat (500 cal per day deficit x 7 days in a week = 3500 cal burned per week).  You’ve also decided that you’re going to exercise, in the form of running, to create this additional calorie burn.  

While there’s some variation, most people burn about 100 calories per mile of running. To hit your daily calorie burn goal you’re looking at running 5 miles per day, 7 days per week. That’s pretty daunting in its own right, but what makes this situation even more challenging is the unspoken assumption that you won’t change anything about your food intake.  

Cardio has many benefits, but one downside is it can make you ravenously hungry compared to alternatives like resistance training.  Running five miles per day tends to make people a LOT hungrier than they were before they were exercising.  The increase in hunger signaling is so strong that if you’re not monitoring your food intake it can be very easy to eat not just enough to cancel out the 500 calories you burned, but far more, putting you into a calorie surplus and gaining weight.  

Add to that the common mindset of “I ran 5mi today! I can have a beer and some tortilla chips” and most people in this simplified scenario will be losing ground on their weight loss goals. Additionally, even if you’re successful at maintaining your food intake AND hitting your calorie burn goals, most of the weight you lose will be muscle mass not body fat.  Cardio is a muscle wasting activity, not muscle building.  Just think about someone you know who runs a lot but doesn’t lift weights. Do they have well developed and defined muscles? Without some rather extraordinary genetics, definitely not. While losing some muscle while losing weight is inevitable, keeping as much muscle as you can should be a top priority for aesthetic, health, and longevity reasons. 

So what’s a better strategy? After 15 years of coaching here’s how we approach effective, sustainable weight loss: 

1. Improve your food quality by eating mostly meat, vegetables, fruits, and healthy fats. This has a heavily anti-inflammatory effect along with keeping people full longer with less calorie intake

2. Add exercise in the form of resistance training not to burn calories, but to signal the body to burn body fat instead of muscle

3. Control food intake through tracking calories and macronutrient targets to achieve an optimal calorie deficit. 

4. Fine tune your hormonal state for weight loss through improved sleep, targeted supplementation, and superior hydration.

We very consistently teach our clients how to lose as much weight as they want at the rate of roughly 1% of body weight per week.  In our experience this is about as fast as you can go and still minimize muscle loss. For a 200lb individual that’s 2lbs per week. It might not seem like much, but in reality it’s rapid and sustainable progress. 

We’ve had clients lose and keep off more than 200lbs using this method.  Bottom line, it WORKS.  

If you want to know more, schedule a free consultation with us! We’ll tell you all about how the Program will work for you. 

Three Powerful Food Lenses

Buckle up buttercup, this is a big one.

The unvarnished truth is that you’re probably making some pretty dumb decisions with what you eat. Now don’t take that too hard, what I mean is that you’re eating things that have an impact on how you look, feel and age that simply aren’t worth what they cost you. 

There’s no morality in food. There are no good or evil foods.  There is only biochemistry and thermodynamics.  There are effects of food, both positive and negative. If a food brings you momentary joy, or is part of a family dinner experience, or maybe has cultural significance, clearly there’s a benefit there.  But is it worth the gut inflammation, body fat, or chronic disease it will cause?  That’s a decision only you can make.  We can teach you how to stop guessing and get exactly what you want out of your food. 

Lets introduce a few lenses through which you can assess the food you eat to better understand the costs of the dietary decisions you’re making. 

Food quality

The food quality lens is all about ingredients. What is it that you’re eating and does it cause inflammation?  Gut inflammation can manifest in many forms from bloating and indigestion to full blown autoimmune conditions like Hashimoto’s, rheumatoid arthritis, IBS, and Crohn's.  Cleaning up your food quality is by far the biggest lever each of us has when it comes to feeling better. The good news is changes can be  achieved in a very short period of time. We address this in week 1 of the Holistic Transformation Program, where most participants lose 5-10lbs as they flush out inflammation. 

Meats, fruits, cooked vegetables, and healthy fats are generally well tolerated by the vast majority of humans.  These are anti-inflammatory foods in the sense that they don’t damage your gut and are digested easily.  A diet of only beef, berries, spinach, salmon, and olive oil (as one  example) would leave almost everyone with higher energy levels, less bloating and GI issues, and dramatically improved inflammatory state. It might even clear up your dermatological issues, improve your sleep, and eliminate that bloated belly straining your t-shirts. 

Foods like wheat, palm oil, and alcohol are heavily inflammatory for close to 100% of people that consume them.  These foods can cause short term weight gain by inflaming the gut and causing fluid retention in the abdomen, and in extreme cases, extremities as well.  Short term this can lead to feeling uncomfortably full, acid reflux, and brain fog.  Left unchecked gut inflammation leads to joint pain, allergies, and wide ranging food sensitivities as well as a huge uptick in chronic disease risk.

Have you ever stepped on the scale to see you’re up a couple pounds from the day before? You’re inflamed.  Rapid changes in body weight are indicative of inflammatory state, not a change in body composition which changes much more slowly. 

Lastly, there are gray area foods like dairy and corn that have a high degree of variation in affect from person to person. For some they can be heavily inflammatory while others tolerate them well in moderate to high quantities.  If you want to figure out which foods are causing you problems, running an elimination diet is by far the best way to find out. Check out the details of how to here. 

If you want to improve your nutrition and fitness, food quality is the most effective place to start. 

Macronutrients 

The macronutrient lens looks at what forms of energy are in the food you’re eating.  The primary macros  are protein, carbohydrate, and fat.  You can find these on a nutrition label of packaged foods, or a quick internet search for real foods like meat, fruits, and veggies.  

Protein gets a lot of press and rightly so. Protein is by far the most important macronutrient for most of us. Proteins are broken down into amino acids by our body to fuel almost all our daily organ functions. The ones we need and can’t make are called essential amino acids and are found in all types of animal meat and fish.  

Any amino acids left over after running your daily bodily stuff is used to support and repair lean muscle mass.  Interestingly protein is not a primary fuel source for the human body meaning that if you consume more than you need it’s typically just eliminated and not stored as body fat. Protein is also the most satiating macronutrient keeping you full longer per calorie than fat or carbs. It would be hard in practice to cause yourself a problem by eating too much protein. 

More on the benefits of protein here…

The next macro is dietary fat.  Dietary fat often suffers from the confusion of sharing a similar name with body fat, although the two are less directly linked than you might think. Dietary fat is a slow burning fuel source that doesn't carry the same risks of overconsumption as carbohydrates because it does not cause an insulin response. Fats are critical for hormone production, brain function, nutrient absorption, and even health of your hair and nails. For most of us, a  large proportion of daily energy intake should come from fats, primarily monounsaturated and saturated fats. Olive, coconut, avocado, and animal sources  make up most of our intake.  Dietary fats aren’t quite as satiating as protein, but they’ll keep you full longer than carbs per calorie. 

For a confusing time over the preceding several decades there was a widespread hypothesis that dietary fat causes heart disease, particularly saturated fats.  This hypothesis has been shown to be widely baseless and predicated on some poorly executed science further skewed by powerful profit incentives.  

Carbohydrates are the last macronutrient we’ll cover.  Carbohydrates aren’t inherently evil, but overconsumption can quickly cause problems.  When you consume carbs they enter the bloodstream as blood sugar.  As your blood sugar rises the storage hormone insulin is released to store this energy. The sugar in your bloodstream, often along with the triglycerides as well,  can go one of several places including being stored in your muscles, liver, or fat cells, with the latter having the most storage capacity by far. 

This process is absolutely critical to our ability to store energy for periods when we will have to go a period of time without eating. That being said, overconsumption of carbs leads to the accumulation of body fat, insulin resistance, and fuels chronic diseases such as cardiac disease, cancer, dementia, and diabetes.  While carbs can be valuable for fueling and recovering from high intensity exercise, there is no such thing as an essential carbohydrate. You could live your whole life with a high level of fitness and health without any significant carbohydrate consumption.  It’s also worth mentioning that carbohydrates are the worst macronutrient when it comes to satiety.  Think about a time when you’ve eaten a whole bag of candy or a loaf of bread at a restaurant. If you’re hungry, carbs are the last place you should look to satisfy your hunger. 

More on if carbs are actually evil…

Calories

The last lens we’ll introduce today is calories.  Stepping into the physics world for a moment, thermodynamics and conservation of energy tells us that if there’s more energy entering a system than being expended the energy remains in the system. In a human body our primary way of storing energy is as body fat.  

While weight loss and weight gain shouldn’t be oversimplified to just calories in vs. calories out, that energy balance is absolutely part of the driving equation.  Protein and carbs each contain 4 calories per gram, while dietary fat contains 9 calories per gram. Add up all the macros of your food and you’ll arrive at your total energy intake.  

Generally speaking, if you’re eating far more calories than you’re burning you’ll gain weight as that energy is stored in your body.  Conversely, if you burn far more than you consume you’ll have to make up the deficit by burning tissues from your body for fuel.  Which tissues your body burns is largely dependent upon how you’re exercising, sleeping, and your hormonal profile.  

If you’re putting on body fat, one of the factors at play is a caloric surplus.  Conversely, we use very specific targeted calorie deficits in the Holistic Transformation Program to effectively and predictably cause rapid and sustainable fat loss.  

Putting it all together.  

If we use just these three food lenses to look at what we’re eating, it tells us we’d be better off eating primarily anti-inflammatory whole foods that are rich in protein, healthy fats, with a little bit of carbs and doing so at an intake level that fuels activity but doesn’t allow for the accumulation of body fat. 

If that sounds enticing but the details are a little vague, we can help. We’ve built a program that takes all the guesswork out of how to implement your new found knowledge around foods.  

The first step is a free consultation where we can learn about you and see if you might be a good fit to work with us.  Click the link below and get something on the books!  We can’t wait to chat.

Gallbladder Gone? Here’s How To Thrive!

Hola friends,

Yesterday I was on a call with a client that had her gallbladder removed years ago.  This procedure is quite common and tends to leave people with lifelong digestive and GI issues… that is, until they work with me! In my experience, some simple dietary changes and supplementation support can completely resolve these digestive issues and get people feeling MUCH more comfortable day to day. 

In today's discussion, let's delve into the function of the gallbladder, why it is often removed, its role in digestion, and how to manage digestive health post-removal.

The Function of the Gallbladder

The gallbladder is a small, pear-shaped organ located beneath the liver. Its primary function is to store and concentrate bile, a digestive fluid produced by the liver. Bile plays a critical role in the digestion and absorption of dietary fats. When we consume fatty foods, which is necessary for optimal health, the gallbladder releases bile into the small intestine, where it helps break down fats into fatty acids, making them easier for the body to absorb.

Why is the Gallbladder Often Removed?

Gallbladder removal, or cholecystectomy, is a common surgical procedure. It is typically performed to address gallstones, which are hardened deposits of digestive fluid that can form in the gallbladder. Gallstones can cause severe pain, inflammation, and infections. In some cases, they can block the bile ducts, leading to more serious complications like pancreatitis. Other reasons for gallbladder removal include gallbladder cancer and biliary dyskinesia, a condition where the gallbladder doesn't empty bile properly.

While I’m no surgeon, it seems worth mentioning that  in some scenarios, providing your gallbladder some supplemental support can improve function and eliminate the need for complete surgical removal. When surgery is on the table, it’s almost always worth considering every other option. 

Digestion Without a Gallbladder 

As mentioned earlier, the gallbladder's main role is to aid in fat digestion by storing and concentrating bile. When the gallbladder is removed, the liver still produces bile, but instead of being stored in the gallbladder, it drips continuously into the small intestine. This continuous flow of bile can be less efficient at digesting large amounts of fat at once, which can lead to digestive issues such as diarrhea, bloating, and gas, especially after consuming fatty meals.

Managing Digestive Health Post-Gallbladder Removal

If you've had your gallbladder removed, it's important to take steps to support digestive health. Here are some tips and supplements that can help:

Dietary Adjustments:

   - Higher Carb to Fat Ratio: Since the body can no longer regulate the release of bile, it's helpful to consume smaller amounts of fat at meal time. Opt for lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, with a small amount of fat in each meal. Keeping metabolic health in mind, a higher carb to fat macronutrient ratio may be appropriate. 

   - Frequent, Small Meals: Eating smaller, more frequent meals can help the digestive system handle fat more efficiently. This is consistent with our recommendation of eating 4x per day and avoiding intermittent fasting which necessitates fewer and larger meals. 

   - Fiber Intake: Incorporating soluble fiber into your diet can help manage diarrhea by adding bulk to the stool. Foods rich in soluble fiber include brussels, sweet potatoes, asparagus, apples, and carrots. Supplements like psyllium husk should generally be avoided with a preference for whole foods due to the propensity of these fiber supplements to challenge the gut in unnecessary ways. 

Supplementation Protocol

   - Bile Salts: Taking an Ox Bile supplement can dramatically help improve fat digestion and absorption. We typically see great results with 1-2g of high quality Ox Bile taken before each meal. 

   - Digestive Enzymes: Supplementing with the right digestive enzymes can assist in breaking down fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, easing the digestive process. We consider this a Level 2 approach and will recommend titrating up digestive enzyme supplementation prior to each meal if Ox Bile doesn’t completely normalize digestive symptoms.  

   - Probiotics: Maintaining a healthy gut flora is essential for overall digestive health. Probiotics can support a balanced gut microbiome, reducing symptoms like bloating and gas. We’ve seen the most client success with the brand Seed, likely due to their unique delivery system and high diversity of bacterial strains.

Understanding the role of the gallbladder and how to manage digestive health without it is key to maintaining overall well-being. By making dietary adjustments and incorporating beneficial supplements, those without a gallbladder can continue to lead a healthy, active lifestyle without significant digestive discomfort.

Want some help fine tuning your post-cholecystectomy supplementation and dietary approach?  Reach out, we’d love to help you get into a more comfortable rhythm. 

Tyler

Sun Savvy: Healthy Sun Exposure and Sunscreens

Howdy you hot weather hombres y hermanas, 

As summer heats up, our focus turns to enjoying the sun safely. Moderate sun exposure has incredible health benefits including significant improvements to immune system function, bone density, mood stability, cognitive function, and heart health.  

That being said, it’s important to avoid getting too much sun and burning which isn’t just uncomfortable, but can lead to increased risk of skin cancer and premature skin damage and aging.  

How to Get Healthy Sun

Getting the right amount of sun exposure can help you harness the health powers of the sun without suffering the risks of too much.  Just like lifting weights, you can improve your “sun strength” by slowly adapting your skin to sun exposure.  

Start small by exposing large portions of your bare skin to the sun for a short period of time, say ten to fifteen minutes every other day.  The goal is to get enough exposure to stimulate melanin production, or tanning, without going so far as a burn. Melanin improves your skin’s natural tolerance to sun by absorbing and dissipating UV radiation. 
Those of us with fairer skin tones will have less tolerance to sun exposure than those with already darker skin, so when in doubt, start with shorter time periods or times of day where the sun is at a lower angle providing less intense exposure.  Slowly increase your duration and intensity in the sun as your tolerance improves.  

When I was living in Texas I could adapt my fair skin to tolerate 90-120 minutes of direct mid-afternoon Texas sun without burning, but it took a little patience. 

Good and Bad Sunscreen

If you’re going to be in the sun longer than your tolerance allows, it obviously makes sense to use sunscreen. But which sunscreen you choose matters.  

Physical blockers, also known as mineral sunscreens, contain active mineral ingredients such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. They work by sitting on top of the skin and physically deflecting UV rays.
Chemical blocker sunscreens contain compounds such as oxybenzone, avobenzone, and octinoxate. They work by absorbing UV radiation, converting it into heat, and then releasing it from the skin. 

While both seem to be effective at mitigating overexposure to the UV rays, I opt exclusively for mineral sunscreen that uses chemical blockers.  While these sunscreens may leave a white tint on the skin and be more of a challenge to rub in, there’s a growing body of evidence that chemical blocker sunscreen has its own risks. 

Oxybenzone, octinoxate, and the others have been shown to not just penetrate the skin, but also cause hormone disruption.  These chemicals can act like synthetic estrogens throwing off your body’s natural hormonal balance and have been found in blood and breast milk samples weeks after last being used.  

The Bottom Line

Don’t be afraid of the sun! Just like Superman, we draw fantastic benefits from moderate and individualized sun exposure.  Having a light tan not only looks healthy, but also can be a visual sign of higher vitamin D levels leading to improved immune function, superior cardiovascular health, stronger bones, upregulated cognitive function, and overall better moods. 

When you plan to be out in the sun longer than your skin can handle safely, throw on some mineral sunscreen for protection and toss the old chemical based sunscreens in the trash.  

Your sun seeking sensei, 

Tyler

Using AI to Make Meal Prep a Breeze

Hello you Meal Prepping Maven,

Lets talk about using AI to simplify the age old question: What's for dinner?

The practice of batch cooking your meals ahead of time, commonly referred to as meal prep, is a great way to facilitate better nutritional practices and save a ton of time.  In the Holistic Transformation Program we use this technique as a bedrock habit upon which we build more complex and nuanced nutritional strategies.  

But meal prep takes work. You have to figure out what to cook, what to shop for, find recipes and cooking techniques that fit your macro targets and ingredient restrictions.  It can be a lot. 

Enter your new meal prep assistant, AI.  We’ll share with you at the end the exact script you can copy and paste into ChatGPT to get meal prep ideas, but first let's talk through how we got there. 

Getting Started

We start with the basics, what do we want ChatGPT to build for us?  I’d like some meal ideas including ingredients lists, cooking instructions, and a shopping list: 

Make a plan for meal prep that will cover 4 meals a day for 4 days including ingredients lists, cooking instructions and a shopping list.

Next, let's be specific about what ingredients we want to use.  In the Holistic Transformation Program we eliminate a LOT of inflammatory ingredients like wheat, dairy, and alcohol. Instead of naming every single item on the list, we find it easier to just say Paleo friendly ingredients, minus eggs to keep things compliant for those in the initial stages of the program: 

Use paleo diet ingredients and exclude eggs

Macros

While we’re at it, we want to be specific about some macronutrient restrictions. We want high protein, relatively low carbohydrate meals. While you can also add some specificity around dietary fat intake if you’re in the middle of a cut, we decided to leave that open to interpretation at this point. 

To get your protein target per meal, take your body weight and divide by four to get your protein grams per meal. For example, a 160 lb person would want roughly 40g of protein per meal. Also, we find most people thrive on roughly 100g of carbs per day unless they’re actively changing their body composition. 

Each meal must contain at least 40g of protein, and less than 25g of carbs.

Lastly, let's just reinforce that we want our meals made from meat and plants, either fruit or vegetables.  While it’s certainly possible to be healthy and incorporate other food groups, almost everyone will thrive on this combination of nutrient dense, gut safe food. 

Meals should be constructed primarily from meat, vegetables, and fruits.

Put it all together, and we get an output like the excerpt you see below: 

 Meal 1: Breakfast - Turkey Sausage Patties with Sautéed Spinach

- **Ingredients**: 8 oz ground turkey, 1 cup spinach, 1 tbsp olive oil, garlic powder, salt, pepper

- **Instructions**:

  1. Form ground turkey into patties, season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder.

  2. Heat olive oil in a pan over medium heat.

  3. Cook patties until browned and fully cooked.

  4. Remove patties and add spinach to the pan, sauté until wilted.

  5. Serve patties with sautéed spinach.

 Meal 2: Lunch - Grilled Chicken Breast with Avocado Salad

- **Ingredients**: 8 oz chicken breast, 1/2 avocado, 1 cup mixed greens, 1/2 cucumber, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp 

lemon juice, salt, pepper

- **Instructions**:

  1. Season chicken breast with salt and pepper.

  2. Grill or pan-fry chicken until fully cooked, then slice.

  3. Toss mixed greens, sliced avocado, and cucumber in a bowl.

  4. Top with sliced chicken.

  5. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice.

 Meal 3: Dinner - Baked Salmon with Asparagus

- **Ingredients**: 8 oz salmon filet, 1 cup asparagus, 1 tbsp olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper

- **Instructions**:

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).

  2. Toss asparagus in olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and spread on a baking sheet.

  3. Place salmon filet on the same sheet, season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

  4. Bake for 20-25 minutes until asparagus is tender and salmon is cooked through.

Now we have four days worth of meal ideas to choose from that I know have clean ingredients and hit my macronutrient targets. To change this into batch meal prep all I have to do is increase the quantities in each recipe as well as the shopping list.  I find using a 4-6x factor works nicely to get some mileage out of your efforts in the kitchen. 

You can also modify the script to exclude anything that doesn’t fit your preferences, like seafood, or brussels sprouts.  Or ask for specifics like having fruit at breakfasts.  

While AI certainly isn’t perfect yet, and admittedly still needs some double checking, we still find a TON of value in using it to do the grunt work of figuring out what’s for dinner.  

We hope you’ll give it a shot and let us know what your experience is like! 

The ChatGPT Script: 

Make a plan for meal prep that will cover 4 meals a day for 4 days including cooking instructions and a shopping list. 

Use paleo diet ingredients and exclude eggs, each meal must contain at least 40g of protein, and less than 25g of carbs. 

Meals should be constructed primarily from meat, vegetables, and fruits. 

Why It’s Harder For Women To Lose Weight

Alright Ladies, this one's for you... 

The bad news is after coaching hundreds of people to their dream bodies I can say there are very real reasons women have a harder time losing weight than men. The good news is that these limitations are entirely habit based and completely within your control if you truly want the change.  

No, it doesn’t have anything to do with your hormones or metabolism. Yes both of those things change as you age, but not enough to overwhelm your ability to lean out and live in an athletic, energetic, and toned body at any age.  

Let's get into it… 

Meet Meat

The first thing holding women back is an odd but very common aversion to eating meat.  While very few people entering my programs are strict vegetarians, none of the women I work with start out eating anywhere close to enough meat to satisfy their daily protein needs. 

Somehow along the way our culture has given the impression that eating more meat is “heavy” and that the super fit women with enviable bodies are primarily plant fueled.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  

A high protein diet supports lean muscle mass which you need lots of to achieve a toned athletic look. In addition to aesthetics, carrying more muscle improves overall health in countless ways. 

Meat also is highly satiating, keeping you full longer and avoiding the risk of getting snackish and falling off the rails between meals.  

Lastly, protein isn’t a primary fuel source for the human body like fats and carbs are, meaning that an excess of protein consumption is unlikely to be stored as body fat.  Eat too many carbs and it absolutely turns to body fat while excess protein simply gets eliminated without risk.  

It often takes my female clients a little while to get over how much meat they need to eat, but when they do they LOVE how it makes them look and feel.  

Resisting Resistance

The second habit that puts ladies a step behind when it comes to weight loss is craving cardio.  Yes, aerobic and HIIT workouts can give you a great boost of endorphins, and while there’s undoubtedly health and fitness benefits to heavy breathing exercise, it won’t help you much when it comes to weight loss. 

The role of exercise in a weight loss program is to stimulate the preservation of muscle mass, not pursuit of increased calorie burn.  Those that do heavy resistance training in a calorie deficit lose almost entirely fat mass while those that don’t lift lose more muscle than fat.  You have to keep your muscle mass to look good once you’ve lost the fat! Again, more muscle = huge chronic health benefits. 

Cardio not only doesn’t preserve muscle mass as well as lifting, it has the tendency to make you ravenously hungry. The uptick in hunger from an intense HIIT workout usually causes an inadvertent increase in caloric intake that can easily double or triple what you burned in your workout, eliminating any chance at sustainable calorie deficit.  

Stick to heavy lifting for gains you can see without the added stress of fighting huge hunger pangs.

Selfless Sabotage

The last thing I see putting women at a disadvantage when it comes to weight loss is perhaps the toughest to tackle.  Most common amongst moms, women often have so much on their plate that they put themselves last in their daily priorities.  Their kids, careers, errands, spouses, and social events are all vying for time, energy, and attention.  

While these women deserve respect and applause for their superhuman efforts, it’s worth a reminder that putting your own oxygen mask on first is necessary if you plan to be at your best.

The women I work with that see the best levels of success get comfortable taking time for themselves.  This can be tough at first, but is well worth the investment.  

They prioritize feeding themselves clean, nutritious food at consistent times throughout the day, not just what they can grab on the go or snack off the little ones plates. Time gets set aside for exercise, meal prep, and (gasp) a healthy bedtime that allows for sufficient rest and recovery.  

If you want to see a force of nature at work, watch a poorly fed, sleep deprived mother who hasn’t worked out in years start to carve out time for herself.  Bit by bit the energy levels, confidence, and mood start to shoot through the roof.  The time you take away from other things to invest in yourself comes back to your loved ones and other priorities in spades.

Turning Weaknesses Into Strengths

Now that you know, as a woman, what puts you at a disadvantage for weight loss, you’ve got the upper hand.  Turn those weaknesses into strengths! 

• Prioritize a high protein diet with 4-6oz servings of meat spaced evenly throughout the day. 

• Start a weight lifting program 2-3x a week to support those all too important muscles for health and aesthetics.  

• Don’t feel guilty when you take a little time to put your own oxygen mask on first. You'll be better at all the hats you wear when you're fueled, rested, and exercised.  

It’s not too much to ask that you get to eat clean and regularly, make time to exercise, and protect your bedtime and recovery.  

Feel like you might be more successful on your journey with some expert guidance and a seasoned pro on your team? We want to see you win… 

Let's chat. Consultations are free! 

Sleep: Your Secret Weapon for Health, Weight Loss, and Muscle Gains

Let’s talk about the real MVP in your health and wellness journey: sleep. If you think sleep is just a time to rest your weary bones, think again. It’s the unsung hero of chronic health, weight loss, and yes, even your quest for those elusive muscle gains.

The Bedrock of Chronic Health

First off, let’s address the elephant in the room: chronic health. If you’re aiming for longevity and vitality, consider sleep your golden ticket. When you skimp on sleep, it’s like giving your immune system a one-way ticket on the struggle bus to Loserville. Studies show that getting less than six hours of sleep per night can increase your risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer, and most of all Alzheimer’s and dementia. And who wants to trade in their brain for an extra hour of late-night TV? Not you, my sensible friend.

During sleep, your body goes into repair mode, tackling everything from removal of damaged cells to flushing out inflammation. It's like having a tiny team of maintenance workers who only show up when the lights are out. Give them their due, and they’ll keep you running like a well-oiled machine.

Weight Loss: Dream Your Way to a Slimmer You

Now, let’s talk about weight loss. Imagine if I told you there’s a weight loss aid that doesn’t require a gym membership, a special diet, or any willpower at all. Intrigued? Meet sleep.

When you don’t get enough sleep, your hunger hormones go haywire. Ghrelin, the hormone that screams “Feed me!” gets a boost, while leptin, the hormone that signals “I’m full,” takes a nosedive. The result? You’re raiding the breakroom at 3pm to satisfy that snackish impulse. Furthermore, sleep deprivation can lead to insulin resistance, making it harder for your body to process sugars and increasing fat storage.

A good night's sleep keeps these satiety hormones in check and supports your metabolism. This, by the way, is the same mechanism that the GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic target, albeit with some ugly side effects. So next time you’re tempted to binge-watch that new series, keep it to just one episode and consider it an investment in a fitter you. 

All Aboard the Night Train to Gains-Ville

Let’s delve into another crucial facet of sleep: workout recovery and muscle gains. When you hit the gym, you’re breaking down muscle fibers priming them for powerful regrowth. The real recovery happens not while you’re lifting, but during rest, particularly when you sleep.

Deep sleep stages, especially slow-wave sleep, are when your body releases growth hormone. This hormone is essential for muscle repair and growth, as well as nightly rejuvenation throughout the body. Without adequate sleep, your body’s ability to recover from workouts and build new muscle tissue is significantly impaired. Imagine trying to build a house without a solid foundation—sleep is that foundation for your muscles.

Longer and better quality sleep also improves testosterone levels in men and women.  For a quick primer on why you should be invested in your testosterone, check out this past issue of The Pulse. 

Lastly, sleep helps to reduce levels of cortisol, the boogeyman stress hormone that can break down muscle tissue and cause you to put on belly fat. High cortisol levels, often due to sleep deprivation, can negate all those hours you spent pumping iron.

Top Tips for Superior Sleep

So, how does one achieve this nirvana of night-time instead of staring at the ceiling or tossing and turning? Here are a few tips:

1. Keep a regular sleep schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. The consistency will reinforce your circadian rhythm and improve your ability to fall asleep and stay asleep 

2. Create a restful environment: Dark, cool, and quiet is the holy trinity of a sleep-friendly bedroom. If you can’t black out your bedroom and are interrupted by outside noise or a snoring partner, try an eye mask and wax earplugs. We recommend the Manta mask Ohropax plugs to our clients

3. Limit screen time before bed: The blue light from your devices is a sleep thief. Opt for a real book, journaling, or some guided meditation to fill the screen-free hour before bed.  

4. Plan for a solid 8 hours of lights out: Getting a full uninterrupted 8 hours in bed gives you the opportunity for 7+ hours of sleep per night, which we find is a consistent minimum across individuals for looking and feeling your best. 

In conclusion, if you’re serious about chronic health, weight loss, and making those muscle gains, it’s time to prioritize sleep. It’s the ultimate free, feel-good, no-sweat solution. So tonight, tuck yourself in early, and let the magic begin.

Sincerely, your Sleep Sensei, 

Coach Tyler 

P.S. Remember, the pillow is mightier than the treadmill.

Are Carbs Actually Evil?

Today, we're diving into a topic that is often misunderstood: carbohydrates. While carbs are a staple in many diets worldwide, their impact on our health can be far from benign. Let’s explore why carbohydrates can be detrimental, their role in metabolic derangement and chronic diseases, their effect on satiety (or lack thereof), and how some carbs can wreak havoc on our gut health.

Carbohydrates and Metabolic Derangement

Carbohydrates, particularly refined and processed ones, can lead to significant metabolic problems. When we consume high-glycemic carbs, such as sugar and white flour products, our blood sugar levels spike. This causes the pancreas to release a large amount of insulin to manage the glucose influx. Over time, this constant demand on insulin production can lead to insulin resistance. 

This condition is a precursor to metabolic syndrome, which includes a cluster of symptoms such as increased blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels. These symptoms are a causal factor for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. The simple elimination of processed carbs has been shown to reverse high blood pressure, eliminate the need for diabetes medications, and cause dramatic weight loss. 

The Link to Chronic Diseases

As alluded to above, the consumption of high-carbohydrate diets is also linked to a higher incidence of chronic diseases. Studies have shown that diets rich in refined carbs are a major cause in developing type 2 diabetes, many cancers, neurological derangement and Alzheimers, and obesity. The chronic high levels of insulin and blood sugar cause systemic  inflammation, a key driver in the development of chronic diseases. Additionally, the excess glucose from carbohydrates that the body doesn’t immediately use for energy is converted into fat, leading to weight gain and obesity. This further exacerbates the risk of chronic illnesses.

It’s worth noting that nobody is suggesting you avoid natural unprocessed carb sources like blueberries and carrots. Vegetables and fruits are not only a potent source of micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals, but they also contain dietary fiber which is excellent for your gut microbiome and digestive health.  Lastly, plants generally don’t spike blood sugar like processed carb-heavy foods such as pasta, cereal, and most energy bars, however there are exceptions like dates which have a higher glycemic index than table sugar.  

Low Satiety Leads to Overeating

One of the critical issues with carbohydrates, especially those that are processed, is their impact on satiety. Compared to proteins and fats, carbohydrates provide significantly less satiety per calorie. This means that after consuming a carb-heavy meal or snack, you’re likely to feel hungry again much sooner than if you had eaten a meal rich in protein and healthy fats. 

This lack of satiety can lead to increased caloric consumption as you reach for more food to quell your hunger. Over time, this results in weight gain, insulin resistance, and the associated health risks. This is one of the primary reasons changing WHAT you eat can be a powerful way to adjust how MUCH you eat.  Sticking to high satiety, nutrient dense food like meat, vegetables, and fruits will cause substantial weight loss for many while dramatically improving overall health.

The Problem with Processed Carbs and Gut Health

Processed carbohydrates are particularly problematic for gut health. These foods are often stripped of their natural fiber, which is essential for healthy digestion. Fiber aids in maintaining a healthy gut microbiome by feeding beneficial bacteria. Bad bacteria also feed most effectively on processed carbohydrates and sugar. With a dearth of fiber and an abundance of fuel for the bad guys,  the balance of good bacteria can be disrupted, leading to gut dysbiosis. Symptoms of gut dysbiosis include bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and even more severe conditions like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD, and small intestine bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).

Lastly, a common processed carb source, wheat, brings gluten and glyphosate (the pesticide known more commonly as RoundUp) into your digestive tract in substantial quantities.  Both substances will cause damage to the tight junctions in your intestines allowing the contents of your guts to leak into your abdomen. Called colloquially “leaky gut syndrome”, this is the root of many ailments from eczema and psoriasis to Hashimotos and rheumatoid arthritis. 

In Carb-clusion

In summary, while carbohydrates are a major part of many diets, their potential downsides are significant. They can lead to metabolic derangement, contribute to chronic diseases, cause unhealthy weight gain, and negatively impact gut health. By understanding these risks, we can make more informed choices about the foods we consume. Opting for whole, unprocessed carb sources such as fruits and vegetables as well as other foods rich in protein and healthy fats can help promote better overall health and wellness as well as keep you looking and feeling your best. 

Protein Shakes Are Not A Meal

Let's get right to the uncomfortable truth of the day — protein shakes are just not a good meal replacement.  They can be a bit like the flashy sports cars of the nutrition world: they look fancy, they go fast, but they're not exactly practical for the long haul. If you’ve been swapping out your meals for a quick shake, it’s time for a nutritional intervention.

The idea seems perfect, right? Blend some powder, chug it down, and voila—meal sorted! But here’s the catch: protein shakes, especially those containing whey, are about as filling as a paper bag. Whey protein, while pretty well tolerated by everyone regardless of dairy disposition, is rapidly digested and absorbed, which sounds great for a post-workout snack but less ideal for maintaining satiety.

Fast to Crash

The rapid digestion of whey protein means it’s great for starting the recovery process post workout, but it doesn't stick around in your system for long. Think of it as the friend who shows up to the party, makes a quick toast, and is out the door before the ice has melted in your drink. 

It gives you a quick hit of protein but leaves you hungry and craving another meal in no time. Contrast this with a well-balanced meal that includes meat, vegetables, healthy fats and some fruit. These components slow down digestion and help you feel fuller for longer, keeping hunger pangs and snack attacks at bay.

Moreover, relying on protein shakes as a meal replacement can lead to nutritional voids. While they may pack a protein punch, they often fall short in delivering the full spectrum of nutrients your body needs. Vitamins, minerals, fiber, and healthy fats—critical for overall health and wellbeing—are usually missing in action. It's like trying to run a marathon in flip-flops: you might get somewhere, but it won't be pretty or effective.

Other Sources

Now, let’s stir things up a bit with a look at other supplements. Casein is often touted as the slower digesting brother to whey protein which might sound like a good alternative.  Unfortunately casein will tear up your GI tract and leave you with a serious case of bubble guts.  Slower digesting? Maybe, but not worth the bathroom proximity you’ll have to maintain. 

Finally, what about plant power?  Plant based protein supplements that combine a variety of sources to construct complete amino acid profiles are widely available. The downside is that to create the same muscle building mojo you’d need to to take in roughly 150%-200% of the equivalent animal based protein.  

Plants just don’t seem to be as effective as meat when compared gram for gram.  Given the expensive nature of plant based protein this can get cost prohibitive when trying to hit a gram of protein per pound of body weight per day and then multiplying by the plant based 2x.

In conclusion, while protein shakes have their place—particularly post-workout—they’re not a substitute for real, nutritious meals. So next time you're tempted to reach for that powder, remember: your body deserves more than a quick fix. Nourish it with whole foods, and you'll be fueling your fitness journey the right way.

Stay fit, stay healthy, and always choose substance over speed!

Sincerely your Protein Pushing Protagonist, 

Tyler 

Testosterone Basics

Are you ready to unlock your inner beast and conquer the world? Strap in, because today, we're diving into the exhilarating world of testosterone - and guess what? It's not just for the dudes!

That's right, ladies and gentlemen, testosterone isn't just a hormone for the bros; it's a powerhouse of vitality and strength that knows no gender bounds. So, grab your kettlebells and get ready to pump up those muscles, because we're about to explore why testosterone matters for EVERYONE.

First things first - let's talk about quality of life.

You know that feeling when you wake up in the morning, ready to tackle the day with a smile on your face, a spring in your step, and a glint in your eye? Yeah, that's the magic of testosterone at work. And here's the kicker - it's not just reserved for the boys. Women need testosterone too, and when your levels are in balance, you’re unstoppable forces of nature, ready to take on whatever life throws your way.

Studies have shown that healthy testosterone levels are linked to improved mood, increased energy levels, and better cognitive function. So, the next time you find yourself in a funk, remember - it might just be your testosterone levels begging for a boost.

But wait, there's more!

Testosterone isn't just about feeling good; it's about looking good too. Picture this: You're strolling down the street, feeling like a million bucks, and suddenly, you catch a glimpse of yourself in the storefront window. Who's that chiseled Adonis staring back at you? That's right, it's you, my friend, and you've got testosterone to thank for those bulging biceps, bodacious booty, and killer confidence.

Ladies, ever dreamt of rocking those sculpted arms and killer abs? Well, guess what? Testosterone is here to make those dreams a reality.  Building strength and adding mass isn't just a guy thing - it's a human thing. And you better believe testosterone plays a critical role in the muscle-building extravaganza. So, whether you're a guy, gal, or non-binary pal, don't be afraid to embrace the power of testosterone and unleash your inner superhero.

But here's the thing - testosterone isn't something you can take for granted. Nope, it takes a little TLC and some strategic lifestyle choices to keep those T-levels in tip-top shape. 

First, get TESTED!  

Know where your levels are now and build a battle plan from there.  You can ask your GP to run your levels or get the labs on your own. It’s cheap and takes about ten minutes for a blood draw down the street.  Ladies get yours here. Fellas, use this one. 

Next, take action to top off your test totals: 

Pump Some Iron: Hit the weight room like a boss and crush those compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, and bench presses. Resistance training isn't just about building muscle; it's also a surefire way to boost your testosterone levels and unleash your inner beast.

Catch Some Z's: Don't underestimate the power of a good night's sleep. Your body does some serious hormone regulation while you're catching those Z's, and testosterone production is no exception. So, make sure you're getting the recommended 7-9 hours of shut-eye each night to keep those T-levels in check.
Fuel Your Body Right: You are what you eat, so make sure you're fueling your body with the good stuff. Load up on protein, healthy fats, and plenty of fruits and veggies to support optimal testosterone production. And don't forget to stay hydrated - water is essential for keeping your hormone levels in balance and your body functioning at its best.

In conclusion, my fellow testosterone enthusiasts, let's raise a protein shake to the hormone that makes it all possible. Here's to testosterone - may your levels be high, your gains be mighty, and your swagger be unstoppable!

Sincerely, 

Tyler

Chief Testosterone Officer (CTO)

Walking Stress Management

I feel the need. The need... to breathe.

Is that how the quote goes? I can't remember.

If you’re feeling stressed or fighting some garden variety anxiety, welcome to the club. That seems to be just about all of us these days.  One of the most powerful tools I use with clients to help them manage stress is walking. 

Low intensity physical activity like walking does amazing things for our physiology and mental health as a result.  It dramatically improves circulation, lymphatic flow, and metabolic rate. Also, it boosts creativity, reduces perception of stress, and gives your energy levels a stimulant-free bump.  

To make sure you’re getting the most out of your walks, adhere to the following: 

• Walk in nature if you can. Your local wooded park or even tree lined street will work great, just make sure there isn’t much traffic noise where you’re walking. Honking, revving, and screeching are counterproductive.

• Leave your phone at home, or put it on airplane mode. Looking at your phone while you’re walking negates most of the mental health benefits and puts you right back into anxiety alley

• Practice some walking breath holds 3-5x per 30min walk. Details on this hack below… 

To execute the walking breath hold, take three normal breaths while walking at a steady pace. On the third breath breathe all the way out and hold it empty. Count the number of steps you can take before you have to breathe again. When you do have to inhale, try to return to normal breathing cadence through the nose as quickly as possible. 

Results

• 5-15 steps: your Co2 Tolerance could use some work

• 15-25 steps: you’re about average

• 25-35 steps: your Co2 Tolerance is good!  Do you meditate? 

• > 35 steps: Crushing it, you’re better than most of us. Enjoy the serenity!

This process will create a strong air hunger, which can be new for many people. While the feeling can be intense, don’t worry, there’s very little risk of any harm, minus possibly tripping on a seam in the sidewalk. What you’re doing is challenging your Co2 tolerance. Without getting into the biology, the more Co2 you can tolerate, the better your perception of and resilience to stress. 

Think of this as a workout for your Co2 Tolerance. Just like a muscle, the more you work it the stronger it gets.  You may be disappointed with your initial efforts, but keep pushing and before you know it you’ll be setting new personal  records. If you’re doing it well, you’ll notice your stress and anxiety levels will have changed even by the end of your walk. 

Tips for better scores: 

• Keep a normal walking cadence, don’t speed up

• Instead of fighting the urge to breathe, think about relaxing into it as much as possible

• Raise your vision to the horizon and broaden your focus to take in a wide view in front of you

• Try to go just one or two more steps on each subsequent breath hold. 

What if corporate wellness didn’t suck.

While the number of companies offering employee wellness programs is increasing, these efforts are largely box checking endeavors without much power to “move the needle” on actual employee health and wellness. 

Most of the ineffectiveness of these initiatives comes down to misaligned incentives, indifferent employees, and a murky business ROI, even for the better programs. So what WOULD move the needle? 

Below is my take on what corporate wellness would do if they really wanted to help their employees improve their health and fitness. 

Feasibility aside, if a company were to implement the items below employees could see dramatic improvements in overall physical and mental health, driving down corporate costs associated with absenteeism, turnover, and direct healthcare costs as well as realize an uptick in employee productivity, creativity, and buy in.

1. Overhaul breakroom snacks

Let’s put the granola bars, 100 calorie packs, and other processed food where it belongs: The garbage can. Fresh fruit, vegetables, and high protein options like turkey rolls and smoked salmon should be the norm.  No, this isn’t a shelf stable low cost no effort approach, and that’s the point.  Think fresh food is expensive? Have you priced diabetes lately?

2. Get people moving

If you want to make a human organism sick, keep it from moving.  Oddly it doesn’t take a cage, a screen will do. We know the less people move the more their vital signs look like they’re in a coma. Not surprisingly energy levels, motivation, and creativity concurrently take a nosedive.  

Encouraging walking meetings, hourly movement breaks, and providing access to stretching rooms or outdoor walking trails would be huge. Sacrificing 5-10min per hour, or a longer break a couple times a day, is all it takes to keep your humans out of their screen comas.

3. Set screen time limits

Speaking of screentime, email and slack are killing your sleep quality. If you’re a C-level executive you’re not going to get out of answering emails and texts at all hours of the day and night. But hey, the comp is with it, right? For most though, this culture of urgency is simply unnecessary, and almost certainly damaging.  

Through either company culture norms or actual technologically imposed limits, get people out of their work email, apps, and screens at a reasonable hour.  Almost nobody needs to be checking their email before bed. Allowing, or even forcing, employees to unplug will not only get them to achieve better sleep quality (linked with huge increases in cognition, creativity, and learning) but also have them logging back in after their daily break sharp and refreshed. 

4. Hire an expert

Bringing health and fitness experts like me in on a quarterly basis to present accurate, actionable health and fitness information to employees can dramatically reframe how people think about what they eat, how they move, when they sleep, and more.  

Providing access to expert coaching can be the barrier lowering move that drives individuals to action who otherwise wouldn’t change their downward health spiral. Hosting a short term fitness challenge can be a cost effective way to foster team building and camaraderie in a positive way compared to the traditional alcohol fueled corporate happy hours. Seeing coworkers lose weight, gain confidence, and completely resolve chronic conditions creates a culture of fitness that’s hard to beat. 

If you are in charge of a team and manage people at work, i’d love to collaborate on how to adapt these items, and more, for your people to get the most out of the investment.  Your employees are your biggest asset.  

Wouldn’t it feel great to show them you recognize that?