Aim to consume around 30 different species of plants per week to promote maximum diversity of gut microbes, which is linked to better immune system health, brain function, and chemical production.
Eat minimally processed, “real food” as much as possible, as this cuts through dietary tribal wars and focuses on food closer to its natural state. Avoid large amounts of regular ultra-processed food, which is linked to metabolic problems, weight gain, and lower energy.
Actively experiment with what, how, and when you eat to find a personalized way of eating that’s right for you, as there’s no one-size-fits-all correct approach. Engage in self-experimentation with diet and health, as personal experience and testing can lead to profound insights and better health management.
Teach children how to recognize real versus fake food with the same enthusiasm as reading and writing, to empower them, prevent misinformation, and improve long-term health outcomes. Stop passing on misinformation about food to children to effect positive change.
Aim for fewer, more substantial meals (e.g., two decent meals a day) instead of frequent snacking, as constant eating is metabolically bad and conditions the body for perpetual consumption.
Incorporate periods of moderate fasting (e.g., time-restricted eating, occasional fasts up to 24 hours) into your routine, as it can psychologically train you to understand hunger and realize you don’t need to eat constantly.
Wean yourself and children off ultra-sweetened products, including those with artificial sweeteners, as they condition taste buds to crave sweetness, making natural, less sweet foods less appealing.
Pay attention to “how” and “when” you eat, not just “what” is on your plate, as factors like meal timing, sleep, and previous day’s activities significantly influence metabolic responses.
Listen to your body’s natural hunger cues, especially in the morning, rather than eating out of habit or dogma, as your body often provides signals about when it truly needs food.
Avoid eating within two to three hours of bedtime, as eating too close to sleep can delay heart rate drop, negatively impact recovery scores, and reduce deep sleep.
Incorporate fermented foods (e.g., full-fat yogurt, kefir) into your daily diet to feed and support gut microbes, which are crucial for overall health.
Advocate for schools to be models of good nutrition by removing vending machines with junk food and promoting healthier eating environments, as schools dictate what’s “normal” for kids. Avoid giving children sugary snacks during school breaks, as they can lead to sugar dips, fatigue, and concentration problems.
Aim to reduce large, regular spikes in blood sugar, insulin, and lipid levels after meals, as frequent large spikes are linked to long-term metabolic problems, weight gain, increased hunger, and lower energy.
Consider reducing or occasionally skipping carb-heavy breakfasts, as personal experimentation has shown better metabolic responses for some individuals with this change.
Reduce or eliminate bread at lunchtime, especially if you experience sugar dips and spikes, as personal monitoring has shown this change can help stabilize blood sugar levels.
Experiment with exercising before eating rather than immediately after, as personal experience suggests this can lead to better metabolic outcomes for some individuals.
View fish as another form of meat, not a “miracle food,” and consume it as a treat, as its health benefits are often overhyped and farmed fish can contain contaminants. When eating fish, prioritize high-quality, wild-caught varieties and consume them occasionally.
Focus on eating whole, real foods to meet nutritional needs, reducing reliance on vitamins and supplements, as real foods provide a complex array of nutrients that supplements cannot fully replicate.
Be cautious of highly restrictive diets, as they are likely to cause long-term problems, potentially by depriving the gut microbiome of necessary fiber and diversity.
Ensure long-term gut health by consuming sufficient fiber, even on restrictive diets, through sources like seeds, herbs, and nuts.
Approach learning about food and health as a positive challenge, becoming a “citizen scientist” through self-experimentation and sharing knowledge, fostering a positive relationship with food and continuous improvement.
If consuming oats, choose steel-cut oats over instant or processed varieties, as they have a lower impact on blood sugar levels.
Re-learn to enjoy natural, less sweet beverages like water, teas, and herbal teas, to reset the “sweetness thermostat” and appreciate a wider range of tastes.
Adopt eating habits similar to Mediterranean cultures: less snacking, take time for decent-sized meals, sit down to eat, and avoid eating in cars or in front of the TV, as these habits are associated with healthier populations.
Be mindful of your own snacking habits, as parental behavior conditions children’s eating patterns, and children learn by observing.
If monitoring blood sugar, be aware that it primarily indicates carb response; consider other metrics (like fat levels/triglycerides and inflammation) for a complete picture, as relying solely on blood sugar can be misleading.
Do not rely on omega-3 fish oil supplements for heart disease reduction, as randomized trials have not shown a clear benefit for heart disease.
Avoid a reductionist view of food, where you focus on single nutrients or “superfoods,” as whole foods contain complex interactions of hundreds of chemicals that cannot be replicated by isolating one nutrient.
Approach dietary advice with a critical, scientific mindset, trying things for yourself while always considering long-term health and the gut microbiome.
Eat more plants, fruits, and vegetables, as this is a core nutrition advice that most experts agree on.
As a healthcare professional, encourage patients to think for themselves about their health choices and trust their own knowledge, as this leads to better long-term outcomes.
Question established dietary dogmas and find what works for your individual body, as many traditional rules may not be universally beneficial.
Experiment with meal timing, including skipping breakfast or having a larger evening meal, to find what aligns with your individual circadian rhythm and metabolic response, as these can vary significantly between individuals.
Consider intermittent fasting methods like the 5-2 diet, where you have two non-consecutive days of significantly reduced calories, as it can help reduce overall food intake without feeling overly restricted.
If practicing intermittent fasting, focus on eating normal, natural foods on “hungry days” rather than artificial low-cal products, to maintain the quality of food intake and avoid introducing more processed chemicals.