Nutrition

Nutrition

The goal of nutrition is to optimize metabolic health.

We should focus on consuming enough protein and fiber while avoiding hyper-processed foods, vegetable oils, and added sugars.

Nutritional Framework

There are 3 "levers" we can pull in terms of nutrition:

  • Dietary restriction - restricting what you eat
  • Time restriction - restricting when you eat
  • Calorie restriction - restricting how much you eat

For optimal metabolic health, try to keep average blood glucose less than 100 milligrams per deciliter, standard deviation less than 15 milligrams per deciliter, and avoid spikes over 140 milligrams per deciliter.

An excellent way to track metabolic health is with a continuous glucose monitor. Levels helps you see how food affects your health with personalized insights so you can optimize your nutrition and activity.

Foods to Eat

  • Non-starchy vegetables: arugula, asparagus, bean sprouts, broccoli, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, collard greens, kale, cucumber, eggplant, green tops of beets, dandelion, mustard, and turnips, green beans, fennel, hearts of palm, leafy lettuces (except iceberg), jicama, kohlrabi, leeks, mushrooms, okra, onions, bell peppers, zucchini and summer squash, tomatoes, swiss chard, snow peas, snap peas, spinach, radish, rutabaga, watercress, garlic, ginger, onions, parsley
  • Nuts and seeds: hazelnuts, walnuts, pine nuts, cashews, almonds, flaxseeds, sunflowers, pumpkin, chia seeds
  • Fruits: berries (blueberry, blackberry, raspberry, strawberry, cranberry, elderberry, boysenberry, currants, acai, goji, camu camu)
  • Whole, gluten-free grains: quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth, millet, teff, sorghum, black rice, brown rice, red rice, wild rice (actually a seed), steel-cut oats
  • Small deepwater fish: salmon, mackerel, or other sustainably and organically farm-raised fish.

Foods to Limit

  • Refined sugars and sweeteners: refined white sugar, brown sugar, powdered sugar, artificial sweeteners (aspartame, sucralose, saccharin acesulfame potassium), high-fructose corn syrup, agave, brown rice syrup, evaporated cane juice
  • Processed foods: boxed and frozen (look at the ingredient list and avoid unnatural ingredients) fried foods, baked goods, processed snacks
  • Refined starches: white flour, white rice, pasta, flour tortillas, corn grits, ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, and other products made from processed white flour
  • Uppers and downers: caffeine and alcohol (and nicotine)
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