Nutrition

A few weekends ago, I spent the day observing and following the nutritional habits of the healthiest type 1 diabetic I know. I made and ate every meal he did at the exact time he had scheduled. And what I saw and learned defied many popular beliefs about the nutritional needs of a diabetic. Like that diabetics should avoid carbohydrates because they raise blood sugar levels, right? Well, 62% of his calories consumed turned out to be carbs. He didn’t seem to be avoiding them but searching for them. And diabetics should avoid fruit because the high sugar concentration causes spikes in blood sugar levels, right? Well, he had fruit at every meal, nearly ten servings of fruit for the day, and one breakfast dish containing four servings of fruit alone. He wasn’t avoiding these either. In fact, these high-carb, high-fruit, and plant-based… Read More

In my pursuit of optimal nutrition over the past ten to fifteen years, I’ve experimented with a few different supplements but have never really bought into the hype. I have seen many of my friends tout protein, multivitamins, and fish oil. And I’ve seen advertisements and media covering mega dosing vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. For the most part, I ignored my friends’ supplement routines and the media advertisements. Until now, when I decided to take a deep dive into supplements and explore if any supplements were worth taking. Here’s what I found. According to a study in 2019, Theoretical Food and Nutrient Composition of Whole-Food Plant-Based and Vegan Diets Compared to Current Dietary Recommendations, almost all vitamins and minerals can be consumed by eating a variety of plant-based whole foods like vegetables, fruits… Read More

This month, I’ve been reading a book called Eat For Life by Dr. Joel Fuhrman. This book covers his nutrient-rich program for longevity, disease reversal and sustained weight loss that revolves around a whole foods plant-based diet. While reading this book, I came across a fascinating chart that Dr. Fuhrman had developed. This chart listed over 150 different foods and assigned them a Nutrient IQ score. What is a Nutrient IQ score? Apparently, it’s a score that resembles the amount of nutrients within a food based upon serving size. For example, a nutrient-dense food like a 1/4 cup of Red Pepper receives a score of 60 while a nutrient-lacking food like 2oz of Cheese receives a 2. This scoring system piqued my interest as it’s meant to help track the quality of one’s diet. And since I’m continually looking to improve my nutrition, I took this opportunity… Read More

There was a time when my diet consisted of only processed foods. All of which had added salt, oil and sugar to a degree that was both addictive and dangerous in the long term. When I learned about whole foods and the benefit they provided, it caused me to reexamine my diet. In 10th grade, that meant reviewing what was in my lunch box. What my lunch box boiled down to was a peanut butter sandwich, barbecue chips, gushers, sugar frosted cookies and a Kool-Aid pouch. This lunch was the exact opposite of a whole foods lunch. It was heavily processed, salted, oiled and sugared. And, I was eating that everyday. You can see how eventually, that would have caused a problem if didn’t change my diet… obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, cancer, dementia, stroke… ok it would have caused more than a few problems… Read More

10 years ago, back in high school health class, I remember learning about meal timing. We were taught that spreading your food out over the course of the day through meals and snacks was optimal for your body. I started following this advice and haven’t really revisited it since. That means I had my breakfast at 6:30am and ate approximately every 3 hours after that until my nightly smoothie bowl that could be at 10:30pm. What this meant was that my body was in a state of eating, digesting and absorbing nutrients for at least 16 hours everyday (6:30am – 10:30pm). That also meant my body was only in a fasting state, where most healing and self-repair happen, for 8 hours straight (while I slept). But, research is showing that increasing the duration of the fasting state provides a litany of benefits. This research is reshaping the way I and tons of other health focused individuals are eating everyday… Read More

Each month I provide an update on my progress to bettering health and happiness. This may include a variety of activities like challenging my brain in scored games, expanding my knowledge through books, trying a new recipe, starting a new workout program, reviewing the latest research articles and watching creative, idea-worthy talks… Read More

With the holidays around the corner, I thought I’d come up with a list of my favorite gift ideas that’ll help make you happier and healthier. Each idea is intended to help optimize your fitness, nutrition, sleep, cognitive health, or financial independence. I also focused on products or services that’ll have lasting benefits and aren’t the typical use once, and throw in the closet gifts. I hope you find benefit in these ideas and I’m excited to know which one’s are your favorite! Let’s get to it… Read More

Watermelon seeds, acai berries, pine nuts, seaweed, maca powder and black garlic. These are just a few superfoods that have hit headlines within the past few years. Foods that are extremely nutrient dense. Exotic foods found around the world. Foods that have the ability to fight cancer, prevent heart disease, melt fat, increase energy levels and make you feel super. And if these superfoods are new to you, seem exotic, and have tons of health benefits, you’re probably eager to learn more. Because we’re always looking for a shortcut, a “get rich quick” strategy, a new method to achieve quicker and better results. But, are superfoods really that super?… Read More

Almost every city street now has a shop that sells CBD. It’s known to help reduce pain, treat depression, alleviate anxiety, wipe away acne, heal the heart, cure brain cancer, and bring people back from the dead. Basically, CBD is rumored to do everything. And it now comes in oils, gummy bears and roll-on topicals. Intrigued?… Read More

Most people are confused by what makes up a vegan diet. They usually ask me, so do you just eat a lot of salads? How are you getting your protein? Aren’t the meals fairly bland? While I don’t call myself a vegan, I do eat a mostly whole foods plant based diet. This means I avoid animal products but every once in a while I do sneak-in a dessert that may have egg in it, or try my girlfriend’s burrito that has a little cheese in it. But, other than that I follow a vegan diet. And my vegan diet is probably much more exciting, fulfilling, and sustainable than your traditional american diet. Here is everything I’ll usually consume in a day… Read More