Eleven Dietary Principles

For health longevity muscle strength and all that good stuff

These are not in any hierarchal order.

1. Protein-Optimal intake is between 0.6-1gram per lb of bodyweight. If you are very obese, aim for for 1 gram per lb of estimated lean body mass.

2. Eating at the same times daily requires a schedule. Having a schedule requires that you be intentional with your time management. Time management creates a more productive life. Eating on a schedule then is not a goal of and in itself, but part of a deeper effect to assert Agency and purpose. If you eat at the same times daily, you will discover energy levels, digestion, and recovery will be more consistent.

3. Carbohydrates are good for you. Carbohydrates can be where from 10-50% of your daily calorie intake. Whether you need more or less carbs depends on your daily activity, training, metabolic health, glucose utilization. A healthy human can digest carbohydrates. A healthy human can switch between fat oxidation and glucose for energy. A metabolically unhealthy person may need to abstain for a period of time. A healthy human can switch between fat oxidation and glucose for energy. Going low carb can be good if you are diabetic or prediabetic. It is not necessary to be low carb (or no carb forever).

4. The leaner you are, the more muscle you have, and the more you lift weights and do extensive and intensive activity, the more carbs you can eat. Resistance training is the best glucose disposal agent.

5. Fats are essential for health, and should comprise around 20% of your diet. Your fat intake should be a mix of unsaturated and saturated fats. If you want to be very detailed, a recommended ratio in dietetics is Monounsaturated : Polyunsaturated : Saturated at roughly 2 : 1 : 1

Fats are not “bad for you”. Too much fat intake will be stored as bodyfat. Too much fat intake in combination with carbohydrate intake (hyperpalatable foods) leads to fat gain and insulin resistance long term.

6. Macro percentage ratios are directionally useful but are not a guide or anything to be obsessive over. Humans are omnivorous, and the research on the healthiest diets continuously finds an approximate 30/30/30 ratio between the three macronutrients. Basically people tend to eat roughly equal amounts. There is no magic ratio. If you consume sufficient carbs, protein, fat, the calories tend to roughly match each other, and the differences (say higher carb intake) come from higher activity levels.

7. Hydration means sufficient water intake + electrolyte intake. Consume 3-4 liters daily (depending on bodysize and activity levels and how much you sweat). For electrolytes aim for the following

-Sodium-2000-4000mg daily
-Potassium-2500-4500mg daily
-Magnesium-300-500mg daily


8. Pre intra and post workouts-also called periworkout nutrition. Timing your meals around training ensures adequate blood sugar levels, sustained energy, increased amino acids, reduced catabolism, better training performance, and faster recovery time. The belief that when you eat does not matter is bogus. Timing is the overlooked strategy that can be the difference between hit/miss workouts or Awesome training sessions every time you step into the gym.

9. Calories count and macros count and micronutrients count. It all matters. Do you NEED to count all of them? If you have poor autoregulation and can admit that you “dont know shit about fuck” when it comes to nutrition and what is good/bad for you, then tracking calories-macros-micros is an extremely useful experience that will be educational and allow you to develop better habits, awareness, and strategies for life long health. It does not need to be done forever, but as a stage towards health competence.

10. Front loading calories is superior for metabolic management than backloading calories. Waiting all day to eat leads to binging behavior. The adage of “Dinner Like a King, Lunch like a Prince, Dinner like a Pauper” is a good heuristic. Eat more food earlier in the day versus later in the day.

11. Fiber is good for you. Aim for 30 grams a day at least, a mix of soluble and insoluble. Along with fiber, yogurt, sauerkraut, fermented foods, pickled foods, are all excellent for gut biome health.