|
🏆 What is the holy grail of diets:
I got this message on instagram and as I was replying, it kind of hit me, this is the "holy grail" of diets.
It seems obvious. But I know I made this mistake for 10+ years.
I assumed: Fitness (i.e. body composition) = Health
I assumed that if I lost the fat, if I could get the body I wanted, then health would be a natural, automatic byproduct. Fast-forward through a decade of research and diet experiments and finally discovering how to achieve the body I wanted, and I found myself with low energy, low mood, low libido, digestive issues, sleep issues, brain fog, joint pain...
When I opened my eyes it was plain to see that a blind focus on body composition is short-sighted. One of the reasons for my blind spot (and that of so many others) is that since most people are overweight/obese, improving body composition is a necessary component to achieving health, but alone, it's not enough.
When I see all these diets focused on improving body composition, I want to shout, "You're missing (at least) half of the equation!" Without the other half it's bound to fail. It's why if we look at any diet intervention for >2 years, the success rate approaches 0%.
Why is it that almost every diet fails?
The answer is pretty obvious to me now (they're missing the other half of the equation).
Calorie counting, constant hunger, constant restriction, deprivation, and relying on willpower isn't a long term strategy. You can't starve your way to long term success.
While there are a million ways to find some body composition success, there are far fewer ways to find body composition and health (long term).
It's the holy grail of diets: Health + Fitness (for good)
The holy grail is when you love how you look and you also feel great, you aren't deprived or starving, you're free to eat, and finally free to actually live. You are free from disease (and dis-ease). And free from the top risk factors of future disease (like insulin resistance, obesity, poor gut health, and chronic inflammation).
It took me 20+ years to put all the puzzle pieces together (which I assembled into the Meat Health Method - the process taught in Meat Health Academy)
Long story, short: A properly structured meat-based diet is the holy grail; it's how to get healthy and fit (for good).
What is a "properly structured meat-based diet?"
|
👎 How did we get it all wrong:
Last week in the "Meat Health Mastermind," (Academy students have the opportunity to jump on monthly coaching calls) I was asked:
"How have the experts gotten everything so wrong?"
These experts tell us that red meat causes cancer, saturated fat clogs arteries, vegetable oils are the healthy fats, whole grains are heart healthy, and that we should be scared of protein (GNG, mTOR, IGF-1, AGEs, ect...). Crazy.
While the answer is complicated, including everything from the inherent difficulties in human nutritional research (i.e. epidemiology, FFQs, infinite variables to control for), echo chambers, technology, religion, and mal-aligned incentives, there is also just out-right corruption.
"Evidence-based medicine's indiscriminate acceptance of industry-generated 'evidence' is akin to letting politicians count their own votes."
|
📘 What book I hope someone rewrites:
As I was writing the previous paragraph, I laughed, because I generally criticize books for having 1-page of a good ideas, and 299-pages of fluff. This book is the exact opposite. A 100-pages of great ideas and 0-words (nonetheless pages) of fluff. Someone please add some fluff to this book!
|
⚒ What project are you working on:
I seem to always enjoy Paul Graham's essays, and his last one, A Project of One's Own, didn't disappoint. What's project are you working on?
...to the kind of people who like working this way, nothing else feels as right. You feel as if you're an animal in its natural habitat, doing what you were meant to do — not always happy, maybe, but awake and alive.
|
🧠 What early career advice I found intriguing:
"You should always strive to do the work either 1.) no one else can do or 2.) no one else wants to do. Be a star or a janitor. Be like Mr. Clean - the perfect mix of sex appeal and down and dirty effort."
|
💲 What I was hesitant to share:
I read 2 fantastic financial pieces this week. I was hesitant to share both because the second one is kind of dense, and who wants to claw through a financial report on a Saturday morning? But I figured you could bookmark it and come back later if you so desired:
|
🛳 Is it a ship, spaceship, or house:
Zaha Hadid is recognized as one of the greatest architects of the last century, yet she only designed one private house in her lifetime, Capital Hill Residence, which floats above the treetops, overlooks a forest, and combines fluid sculpture with livable space. It looks part ship, part spaceship. I love houses like this (well...there are no
other houses like this, but you know what I mean).
I told her, 'When I wake up, I don't want to see any neighbors. I want to see blue sky and the trees. I want to feel free.' She asked, 'How high are the trees?' I told her around 30 meters. So she took a napkin and drew. I told her I like it, and we started to develop my house from there."
-The Russian James Bond, discussing his plans with Zaha Hadid
|
As always, it's an absolute pleasure and an honor getting to spend some time with you, hope you have a great weekend!
Kevin
A Saturday morning roundup on health and wealth, art and science, creativity and innovation, laughs and life by Kevin Stock.
|
|
|
|
|