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Fighting Misinformation Since 2012
The information on this site is intended for healthy adults of all ages. The content, including charts and visuals, is grounded in logical reasoning and empirical evidence. Science, by its very nature, is a self-correcting mechanism, and as a result, this site strives to uphold the principles of rigorous research.
Simple Steps
- Your body is a reflection of how well you take care of yourself.
- Eat and drink to nourish your body.
- Exercise to prevent disease and boost mental and physical health.
- Quantity and quality of consistent sleep is critical.
- Calories matter for managing weight.
- Whole foods are optimal for nutrients, energy, fullness, health, and longevity.
- Healthy meals are primarily homemade.
- Incorporate fasting as a tool to enhance metabolic health, improve insulin sensitivity, and promote longevity.
- Carbs, fat, and protein all play key roles in your body.
- Hydrate with unsweetened beverages like water, tea, and black coffee.
- Limit ultra-processed foods. They are sugary, doughy, salty, and fatty foods and beverages.
- Improve overall health with consistent exercise while applying the progressive overload principle.
- Perform cardiovascular exercise to boost your heart and brain functioning.
- Incorporate strength training to strengthen your bones and build muscle.
- Train as a hybrid athlete to help with balance, mobility, power, endurance, agility, and flexibility.
- Manage stress through exercise, mindfulness and breathwork.
- Do regular check-ups, biomarker screenings, and biometric assessments.
Healthspan and Lifespan
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death globally, responsible for 32% of all deaths. Sadly, for many, the first sign of cardiovascular disease is a sudden and fatal heart attack.
Imagine your doctor telling you that your blood tests are "normal," only for you to suffer a heart attack shortly thereafter due to undetected atherosclerosis—something that an ApoB test might have uncovered. Or consider why we wait until reaching "pre-diabetes" to finally take action, rather than addressing lifestyle factors earlier. Would you start smoking at 20 if you knew it would lead to lung cancer by age 50? Even if you don't end up getting lung cancer, why take a chance? Consider the importance of prevention.
Prevention can eliminate the need for a cure—it's often the difference between thriving and merely surviving.
While medicine can help extend lifespan, it doesn't prevent age-related diseases like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or Alzheimer's. These conditions can abruptly shorten your life or make your final years, as well as your family's, deeply challenging and distressing. This can start earlier than you expected, especially if you spend a lot of time eating ultra-processed foods (UPFs) and sitting for extended periods.
Consider that:
- A high waist circumference increases the risk of developing colorectal cancer by 2–3x.
- A high waist circumference increases the risk of developing diabetes by 2–5x.
- Diabetes increases the risk of developing dementia by 2–3x.
- Diabetes increases the risk of developing heart disease by 2–4x.
Ensure that your healthspan (the period of life spent in good health) keeps up with your lifespan. Rather than dying longer, let's live longer. This requires consistent commitment to maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
If you don't make time for exercise, you'll probably have to make time for illness. Robin Sharma
Problems
"I'm always hungry."
Appetites are increasing and we're eating larger portions.
"I don't feel like moving."
We move less and sit around more.
"I can't help eating this."
Bacon is delicious and sugary foods and drinks are more addictive than cocaine.
"I'm always tired and in pain."
Many of us are suffering from anxiety, depression, stress, obesity, diabetes, and lack of sleep. Many of us require medication.
"No matter how hard I try, I can't get the weight off."
We're confused and frustrated. Orange juice is bad for you, yet oranges are good. Why?
Solutions
- Most of your meals must be prepared or cooked at home—this is non-negotiable. Restaurants, fast food outlets, and convenience foods and beverages are almost always lacking in nutrition, high in calories, packed with inexpensive carbs, fats, and salt, and deliberately designed to make you hungrier and overeat.
- Consume mostly plant-based foods, such as fruits, legumes, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and twice as many vegetables as any other portion. Don't forget the herbs and spices!
- Does it contain added sugar? Don't eat or drink it!
- For every hour spent on computer, television, or phone screen time, match it with an equal amount of exercise. Too much? Then aim for just 30 to 60 minutes of exercise each day.
- Many of us can improve our quality of life, feel happier, appear younger, and live longer simply by making sustainable lifestyle changes.
The solutions are here. Internalizing them is a process.
The Big Buts
"But I don't have time!"
Consider the time it takes to travel to a restaurant, wait for a meal (and dessert), wait for the bill (and determine the tip), then consider the time it takes to travel back home (hopefully avoiding traffic congestion). You could argue it's quicker at a fast food restaurant, but it's certainly not healthier nor cheaper.
Cooking can actually save you time if you make lots of meals in advance and produce leftovers in bulk. Some are quick to make, like porridge with nuts, seeds, and berries.
"But healthy foods are expensive!"
Not necessarily. I'm not talking about healthy food products, but rather whole foods. Many fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and seeds can be very cheap—especially in bulk or available frozen. While prices of whole foods do vary by location, it's important to know what's inexpensive in the region you live in. For example, if you live near the coast, fish is likely cheaper.
Buying food in bulk (hello, Costco!) or buying from a local produce or ethnic market will save you significantly more than from most commercial grocery stores and supermarkets. Do a bit of research in your area and you'll discover hidden gems. Online retailers such as Amazon or your local farms can be economical, especially if again, ordering in bulk.
Do consider that individual and societal medical- and health-related costs can be much, much more expensive. Imagine living without needing to buy and take prescription or over-the-counter drugs, or if you're already on them, reducing them.
Lastly, you don't really need supplements, especially since they can be quite expensive—as long as your whole food choices are optimal.
"But I'm tired and I'm not motivated!"
Hunger is one of the most motivating human forces, and making a quick meal is as simple as making Easy Udon, simmering oats, barley, or quinoa, blending a classic bean dip for your carrots and broccoli, or making chimichurri to drizzle on top of your eggs, or microwaving a meal out of Foundation: Express.
Add in an apple, a handful of sunflower seeds, and some walnuts and you'll ultimately feel like having more motivation.
Author's Anecdote
There's a paradox when it comes to the energy and time spent on healthy foods, exercise, and sleep. By investing time in a healthy lifestyle, I've actually increased my energy and productivity by avoiding burnout, fatigue, lethargy, sugar crashes, brain fog, low stamina, and lack of motivation caused by suboptimal choices. The mental clarity and physical vitality that a healthy lifestyle brings provide me with focus and drive all day long.