It’s a choice to shop for and have good food in the house.

It’s a choice to start every morning with 25 pushups and jumping jacks.

It’s a choice to focus on getting more from less.

It’s a choice to stop judging yourself (and others).

It’s a choice to bike more around town.

It’s a choice to wake up 10 minutes earlier and make quiet time to plan your day.

It’s a choice to shut off the TV and go to bed on time.

It’s a choice to see the world as your gym.

It’s a choice to do more of what is important and less of what isn’t.

It’s a choice to focus on solutions instead of blame.

It’s a choice to toss out the scale and not obsess daily over a number.

It’s a choice to not get caught up in drama and opinions.

It’s a choice to learn cooking from other cultures.

It’s a choice to control what information you let into your life (and how often).

It’s a choice to become a role model through changing yourself first.

It’s a choice to see cooking home meals as enjoyable.

It’s a choice to stop using the excuse “I’m too busy”.

It’s a choice what foods and drinks go into your mouth.

It’s a choice to relax and enjoy the health you have now.

It’s a choice to get up and walk around every hour or so.

It’s a choice to be out in nature daily.

It’s a choice to teach your kids how to cook (not using a microwave).

It’s a choice to prioritize your day rather than just stay busy.

“It is not enough to be busy. So are the ants. The question is: What are we busy about?” – Henry David Thoreau (Click to Tweet)

It’s a choice to eat less often but enjoy how you do it more.

It’s a choice to read less and apply what you already know more.

It’s a choice to stop worrying about what others may think of you.

It’s a choice to use a jump rope for 5 min a day.

It’s a choice to question everything you hear.

It’s a choice to cook in bulk so meals are quicker to prepare/eat during the week.

It’s a choice to not think you are lacking something right now to take action.

It’s a choice to hit the supermarket instead of the drive-thru.

It’s a choice to pursue what you are passionate about.

It’s a choice to go out and play with your kids.

It’s a choice to prioritize keeping your mind clear and not distracted.

It’s a choice to fear/worry less and smile more.

It’s a choice to find and purchase local food.

It’s a choice to only check email once a day (but keep your inbox clean).

It’s a choice to see sustainable results in the small daily actions.

It’s a choice to live by your own definition of health and fitness.

It’s a choice to embrace challenge and change.

“Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is not safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.” ~ Helen Keller (Click to Tweet)

It’s a choice to go outside for lunch and get some sunshine.

It’s a choice to turn off the TV (or get rid of it).

It’s a choice to exercise daily how you enjoy.

It’s a choice to stop stressing over things you can’t control.

It’s a choice to see strength as overcoming the daily struggles.

It’s a choice to talk less and act more.

It’s a choice to see your time as all under your control.

It’s a choice to see health care starts at home (and in the kitchen).

It’s a choice to call up a friend and go hiking on the weekend.

It’s a choice to focus on only one important “to do” task a day.

It’s a choice to focus your happiness on appreciating what you already do have.

It’s a choice to get out and meet new people with similar interests.

It’s a choice to go do activities that you enjoy for the sake of doing them.

It’s a choice to let go of people who are more toxic than helpful.

It’s a choice to use a journal for 10 min everyday to clear your head.

It’s a choice to stop checking Facebook or Twitter 20x a day (or do a short “fast” from social media).

It’s a choice to let go of the past and focus on your next best step.

It’s a choice to observe and change daily habits that are self destructive.

It’s a choice to create and nurture daily habits that are more productive.

“Choices are the hinges of destiny.” – Pythagoras

Most importantly, it’s your choice whether you do it today or put it off till tomorrow.

It’s your choice whether you take action right now.

One Day At A Time

Bigger results are just the sum of your smaller daily actions, which are the things you choose to do.

It doesn’t always have to be big drastic actions (like quitting your job), but you do need to make the small daily ones work for you.

The first step (and often hardest) is knowing where you want to be in the first place. This may require some quiet time (especially out in nature).

Time to take control of your choices. Time to envision how you want to eat, work, play and live every day. Time to clear your life of what you don’t want and fill it with what you do want. Time to write down the small daily steps that need to be taken to get there.

• Step 1: Get a blank sheet of paper, set aside quiet time, and envision what simple actions you want to do today. Write down your ideal lifestyle. What one thing is on your to-do list. Keep it short and simple (not overwhelming).
• Step 2: Make it happen and try not to let your day fill up with other “distractions”. It’s your choice what to do.
• Step 3: Repeat every day.

When you see each small daily action as a choice, you will feel more in control. Your “little victories” will add up and be the only motivation you need.

In a world full of people choosing more distractions, less than ideal foods, not moving much and staying in the same rut, I challenge you to choose a better path full of inspiration and purpose.

It is said that a good teacher can only open the door, but it is you that has to walk through it.

The door is now open. What do you choose to do right now?

“This is your life…and it’s ending one minute at a time” ~ Fight Club (Click to Tweet)

About: This was written by “2 Meal Mike” O’Donnell of the IF Life. You can connect with Mike on Twitter or Facebook.

For those who have been around the site or followed me on Twitter & Facebook, you probably will recognize many of the quotes on simplicity below.

I am a big fan of keeping things simple (but not overly simplistic in substance). It is more about reducing the clutter and noise, so you can do less and get more from it.

To focus on what really matters (and brings the most results and enjoyment in return) and letting go of the rest.

It’s not always easy, and takes daily practice but the rewards are worth it.

So I wanted to put together in one place all the quotes on simplicity that I have come to enjoy over the years, and hope they can inspire you as well.

“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” ~ Confucius

“Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity.” ~ Plato

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” ~ Leonardo da Vinci

“Simplicity is the glory of expression.” ~ Walt Whitman

“Nothing is more simple than greatness; indeed, to be simple is to be great.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

“As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness.” ~ Henry David Thoreau

“The art of being wise is the art of knowing what to overlook.” ~ William James

“Progress is man’s ability to complicate simplicity.” ~ Thor Heyerdahl

“Reduce the complexity of life by eliminating the needless wants of life, and the labors of life reduce themselves.”~ Edwin Way Teale

“I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.” ~ Lao Tzu

“Simplicity is making the journey of this life with just baggage enough.” ~ Charles Warner

“In character, in manner, in style, in all things, the supreme excellence is simplicity.” ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” ~ Socrates

“The waste of life occasioned by trying to do too many things at once is appalling.” ~ Orison Marden

“It is not a daily increase, but a daily decrease. Hack away at the inessentials.” ~ Bruce Lee

“Simplicity is the final achievement. After one has played a vast quantity of notes and more notes, it is simplicity that emerges as the crowning reward of art.” ~ Frederic Chopin

“Knowledge is a process of piling up facts; wisdom lies in their simplification.” ~ Martin H. Fischer

“It is vain to do with more what can be done with less.” ~ William of Occam

“Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” ~ William Morris

“The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.” ~ Hans Hofmann

“There is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness, and truth.” ~ Leo Tolstoy

“If you can’t explain it to a six year old, you don’t understand it yourself.” ~ Albert Einstein

“Clutter and confusion are failures of design, not attributes of information.” ~ Edward Tuft

“Our life is frittered away by detail. Simplify, simplify.” ~ Henry David Thoreau, Walden

“How many things are there which I do not want.” ~ Socrates

“Possessions, outward success, publicity, luxury…to me these have always been contemptible. I believe that a simple and unassuming manner of life is best for everyone, best for both the body and the mind.” ~ Albert Einstein

“Voluntary simplicity means going fewer places in one day rather than more, seeing less so I can see more, doing less so I can do more, acquiring less so I can have more.” ~ John Kabat-Zinn

“Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of non-essentials.” ~ Lin Yutang

“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius…and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.” ~ E.F. Schumacher

“Be content with what you have, rejoice in the way things are. When you realize there is nothing lacking, the whole world belongs to you.” ~ Lao Tzu

About: This was written by “2 Meal Mike” O’Donnell of the IF Life. You can connect with Mike on Twitter or Facebook.

That’s just how things go in the mainstream. Start small, builds up a following and then is launched by others as the “newest and revolutionary” diet.

However it seems that this idea is not really that new or revolutionary. (*Gasp* I know!)

In fact, the idea of promoting “skipping breakfast” in a published book goes all the way back to….1900!

The No Breakfast Plan (and The Fasting-Cure) was published back in 1900 by Edward Hooker Dewey MD. Dr Dewey was a strong promoter of using more natural approaches to allow the body to heal itself rather than compromise it with other treatments (drugs or excess food intake).

He was a strong believer in that using excess energy for digestion (eating all the time) was only depleting the energy required for Nature’s ability to repair our bodies.

I have since found that my greatest service at the beds of the sick is as an interpreter of symptoms rather than a vender of drugs.

As my experience enlarged so did my faith in Nature; Most of the cases of disease that fall to the care of the physician are trivial, self-limited, and rapidly recover under even the most crucifying dosages; Nature really winning the victories, the physician carrying off the honors.

Feed, feed the sick whether or not, say all the doctors, say all the books, to support strength or to keep life in the body, and yet Nature was absurd enough to ignore all human practice evolved from experience, and in her own way to support vital power while curing the disease.

I’m sure if Dr Dewey was around today his views about “symptoms” as “Nature’s cries for help” would not have changed much in our ongoing battle with chronic diseases and obesity.

While it’s not a “diet” book (or one geared for muscle building), it is still an interesting read considering this was done 100+ years ago and many people are coming back to these same conclusions today (with some better science to explain it all).

I’m sure some will want to critique many aspects of the book, but I suggest when reading (anything) that you use an open mind, critical thinking and do as Bruce Lee would have done.

Absorb what is useful, Discard what is not, Add what is uniquely your own. ~ Bruce Lee (Click to Tweet)

Here are some more quotes from Dr Dewey’s book which you can get the full text for FREE online too (see below).

In time of health, if we eat when we are not hungry, or when very tired, or in any mental worriment, we find that we suffer a loss of vital power, of both physical and mental energy. How, then, can food be a support to vital power when the brain is more gravely depressed by disease?

As soon as the stomach and bowels became empty the friends noticed that nervousness largely disappeared. His sleeps were much longer, because not broken by coughing as before; and as the brain was not taxed with food masses there was an accumulation of power that was clearly revealed in the cheer of expression and a calmness as if heavenly rest had come at last.

The meals, thence on, would be so far apart that all would be keenly relished; and there could be no loss of weight when meals would be so taken.

Overeating is so universal from the general ignorance of practical physiology that few stomachs have a time for a full clearing with the needed rest before the time of another filling arrives. Through a fast we may let the diseased parts in the digestive tract rest as we would a broken bone or wound on the body.

There came a morning when for the first time I remembered that when in ordinary health I had no desire to breakfast; but there was a sense of such general exhaustion from power wasted over an unusual food mass not needed at the previous evening meal that my morning coffee was craved as the morning dram by the chronic toper. Only this, and a forenoon resulted of such comfort of body, such cheer, and such mental and physical energy as had never been realized since my young manhood was happy in the blessed unconsciousness of having a stomach that, no matter how large or how numerous the daily meals, never complained.

As for the dinner that followed, it was taken with an acuteness of relish and was handled with a power of digestion that were also a new, rich experience; but the afternoon fell far short of the forenoon. The experience was so remarkable that I at once gave up all eating in the morning, and with such reviving effects upon all my powers that the results began to be noticed by all friends.

So originated the no-breakfast plan. Up to this time I had never had a thought of advising anyone to do without food when desired; much less that any of the three daily meals should be given up. My war was against feeding when acute sickness had abolished all desire for food, and this I had been able to conduct many years without exciting suspicion of a general practice of homicide.

The improvement in my own case was so instant and so marked that I began to advise the same to others, and with the result that each would make known the redeeming work to suffering friends, and so the idea spread in a friend-to-friend way.

The no-breakfast plan with me proved a matter of life unto life. With my morning coffee there were forenoons of the highest physical energy, the clearest condition of mind, and the acutest sense of everything enjoyable.

A farmer with a large assortment of ailments came to me for relief through drugs. He was simply advised to take coffee mornings, rest mainly during forenoons, and when a normal appetite and power to digest would come he would be able to work after resuming his breakfasts. This man, who was more than fifty years old, was the first manual laborer to be advised to observe a morning fast.

Several months after, he came to me with news that his ailing had all departed, and that he had been able to do harder work on his coffee breakfasts than ever before with breakfasts of solids. And if he so worked with power during forenoons, why not others? Why not all?

This no-breakfast plan was so contagious that I was not long in finding that farmers in all directions were beginning to go to their labors with much less food in their stomachs than had been their wont, and in all cases with added power of muscle.

The desire for morning food is a matter of habit only. Morning hunger is a disease under culture, and they who feel the most need have the most reason to fast into higher health. They who claim that their breakfasts are their best meals; that they simply “cannot do one thing” until they have eaten, are practically in line with those who must have their alcoholics before the wheels can be started.

Now it has been found by the experience of thousands that by wholly giving up the morning meal all desire for it in time disappears, which could hardly be the case if the laws of life were thereby violated; and the habit once fully eradicated is rarely resumed.

I do find all the references to the “coffee breakfast” strike home, as I have adopted the same routine as well (and wonder if Dr Dewey would also support my coconut oil addition to it too).

The last quote I will put from the No Breakfast Plan also appears from a previous work of Dr Dewey called “The True Science of Living” as a testimonial from a Rev G. S. Richards in the introduction. I thought all the points were so interesting (and relevant to many people’s experiences) that I have included them all below.

Taking the theory upon which this system of living is based into account—and even to my lay mind it seemed most reasonable—and the testimony which I personally received from both men and women, delicate and biliously strong, workingmen, merchants, doctors, and preachers, delicate ladies for years invalided and in a state of collapse, and some who had never been ill, but were a hundred per cent. better for living without breakfast, I resolved to give up my breakfast. I pleaded at first that it might be my luncheon instead, for I have all my life enjoyed my breakfast more than any other meal. But no! it was the breakfast that must go.

So on a certain fine Monday morning I bade farewell to the breakfast-room. For a day or two I suffered slight headaches from what seemed to me was the want of food; but I soon found that they were just the dying pains of a bad habit. After a week had passed I never thought of wanting breakfast; and though I was often present in the breakfast-rooms of friends whom I was visiting, and every tempting luxury of the breakfast was spread before me, I did not desire food at all, feeling no suggestion of hunger.

Indeed now, after a few months, the thought of breakfast never occurs to me. I am ready for my luncheon (or breakfast if you please) at one o’clock, but am never hungry before that hour.

As for the results of this method of living, I can only relate them as I have personally experienced them:

1. I have not had the first suggestion of a sick headache since I gave up my breakfast. From my earliest boyhood I do not remember ever having gone a whole month without being down with one of these attacks, and for thirty years, during the most active part of my life, I have suffered with them oftentimes, more or less, every day for a month or six weeks at a time, and hardly ever a whole fortnight passed without an acute attack that has sent me to bed or at least left me to drag through the day with intense bodily suffering and mental discouragement.

2. I have gradually lost a large portion of my surplus fat, my weight having gone down some twenty pounds, and my size being reduced by several inches at the point where corpulency was the most prominent; and I am still losing weight and decreasing in size.

3. I find that my skin is improving in texture, becoming softer, finer, and more closely knit than heretofore. My complexion and eyes have cleared, and all fulness of the face and the tendency to flushness in the head have disappeared.

4. I experience no fulness and unpleasantness after eating, as I so often did before. As a matter of fact, though I enjoy my meals (and I eat everything my appetite and taste call for) as never before, eating with zest, I do not think I eat as much as I used to do; but I am conscious of better digestion; my food does not lie so long in my stomach, and that useful organ seems to have gone out of the gas-producing business.

5. I am conscious of a lighter step and a more elastic spring in all my limbs. Indeed, a brisk walk now is a pleasure which I seek to gratify, whereas before the prescribed walk for the sake of exercise was a horrible bore to me.

6. I go to my study and to my pulpit on an empty stomach without any sense of loss of strength mentally or physically—on the other hand, with freshness and vigor which is delightful. In this respect I am quite sure that I am in every way advantaged.

Whether you choose to eat a light breakfast, skip breakfast or get addicted to just a morning cup of coffee with coconut oil, it’s all your choice. If you find what works, that is all that matters….but personally, I don’t see myself going back to the old “breakfast” habit that only made me more tired and less alert.

You can download the full text/book for the No Breakfast Plan (and The Fasting Cure) FREE from either:

• Project Gutenberg (HTML, Text, Kindle, EPUB formats)
• Amazon (Kindle format only)

About: This was written by “2 Meal Mike” O’Donnell of the IF Life. You can connect with Mike on Twitter or Facebook.

CC photo credit: Anjakb

It is that time of year, when the gyms and sports/fitness stores are all excited. This is the time of year right after New Years in which people come out to spend money on something to help them lose that weight finally!

I’ve seen it over and over again having worked in this industry for well over a decade. All the best intentions in the world, open wallets and sadly eventual burnout. A cycle that is repeated yearly by people over and over again.

I suggest a different mindset this year. Instead of spending $1000s on some new fancy machine to put in your home to “motivate” you (or spending big bucks for gym memberships or DVD workouts), focus on your lifestyle first.

Be Active, Eat Better

I’ve always believed that “cardio” (or aerbobic exercise) should not be your main priority in losing weight.

This is not to say that you shouldn’t be “active” (as you should), just do it more in a fun lifestyle way…as I’ve never seen anyone smile at the gym running or biking in place.

You should also prioritize weight loss through your diet, and one of the biggest weapons there is to create a lifestyle where you are cooking (and controlling) most of your meals.

Of course I also encourage simple resistance training with body-weight or other simple equipment (bands, kettlebells, dumbbells, etc), but this is about other lifestyle changes that can make a big difference.

So instead of a new treadmill…here are 30 other things (in no particular order) you can go spend your money on that will hopefully keep you active, eating right and more importantly part of a lasting lifestyle solution you enjoy!

1. New hiking shoes (or some barefoot style ones to walk in)
2. Dancing lessons (any kind you like…even “breakdancing”)
3. Season pass to a local, state or national park
4. Kayak or canoe
5. Dog and walking leash
6. Monthly CSA subscription (for local veggies and meats)
7. Basketball (headband optional)
8. Martial arts lessons
9. Frisbee (or set for disc golf)
10. Tennis racquet and balls (headband not optional)
11. Bike (street, mountain, BMX, new, used….or heck even a Trikke)
12. Surf-board or paddle-board (stand up)
13. Coffee travel mug (to walk with vs sit around inside)
14. Good coffee to go with mug above (and don’t forget some coconut oil to put in it)
15. Pass for indoor rock climbing facility (or go climb outside if you know how)
16. Cooking lessons
17. Volleyball net and ball
18. Backpack (then use it)
19. Scuba lessons
20. Snow skis (downhill/cross-country) or snowboard
21. Jump-rope (only get good at stuff you practice)
22. Fishing rod (to just be outside…like fly fishing)
23. Registration for the popular 5k obstacle mud runs or even a zombie run (seriously, who doesn’t want to be chased by zombies?)
24. Trail map and compass (go get lost in a good way)
25. Crock-pot (for easy “real food” cooking)
26. Kite (hey…why not? Better graphics than video games)
27. Warm thermal/cold wear (layer up…no excuses, aka “suck it up”)
28. Ice skates (and a hockey stick…I’m biased on this one)
29. Snow shoes (for my Northern friends to get around in)
30. Juicer (easy way to get in those fruits and vegetables…Jack LaLanne would approve)

These are just a few suggestions as there are many other activities or ways to just go be active (or go “play”) in life. Do it solo or with others, however you enjoy.

Lead By Example

Eat more “real foods” cooked at home for you/your family, as a lean and healthy lifestyle really starts there.

Lead by example, no need to preach. You will inspire others to do something once they see your own results (whether it be weight loss or just being happier/healthier).

It doesn’t need to be extreme or excessive (that’s more marketing).  A simple active lifestyle adds up and you get the benefits from the sum of all the things you do over time.

“If your dog is fat, you are not getting enough exercise” ~ Anonymous (Click to Tweet)

Spend less time watching TV or surfing the web. Go outside to relax your mind and engage your body. You have the time, just need to manage it.

Take a short digital break/fast and go old school (analog). Leave the cell phone and iPods at home and take in the full experience of what you do. Reconnect with people around you, the community, your family/friends, get back to nature and most importantly yourself.

Go at your own pace. Sprint, walk, stop, jump, climb, play, be still, look around, and talk to people. That is what life is about.

When you are doing what you love to do day in and out, you will no longer need all those motivational posters or slogans….or a new treadmill.

So what are you going to get this year?

About: This was written by “2 Meal Mike” O’Donnell of the IF Life. You can connect with Mike on Twitter or Facebook.

Don’t speak unless you can improve the silence. ~ Spanish Proverb (Click to Tweet)

I’ve been writing here at the IF Life since 2008, and have enjoyed spreading info and helping people from the beginning.

Sadly though I ran into a bit of a writer’s block in the last year, as I felt I had said everything that needed to be said in big articles. My updates became a bit more scarce, as I didn’t want to sacrifice quality in my writings.

I also believe in keeping things simple and only focusing on what really matters, not hyping the details that do very little (other than make you obsess over them that is).

So things got silent for a while.

But I also realized that silence may not be helping anyone either. So I took time to really reflect on what would best help you (the reader) going forward in 2013.

I’m a fan of “less is more”, a long time minimalist at heart, and find daily musings of people like Seth Godin do more to inspire me than some lengthy post with too many action items.

I love to write, and find it much more enjoyable to do in smaller “bursts” (much like my workouts..and eating).

So that’s what you can expect in 2013. Continued quality of information in a more frequent and focused fashion.

Weekly bite sized bits of insight, tips, reminders, motivation, research and action items.

I also plan to expand the “community” interaction with more direct Q&A and reader stories too. I consider this site not just my place to write but also a home for “everyone” who enjoys the way of the simple “IF” Lifestyle.

After all it is the small things that add up that really make the biggest impacts in our long term lifestyle and results. So that’s where I am going back to focus on.

Bigger topics will probably be broken up into a “series” of easily digestible parts (as reflection on what small actions to take right now matters).

As always you won’t see annoying sales pitches, hype or drama (usually done for more attention), “secrets” withheld, fluff articles or even any ads (third party) on the site. That’s not how I “roll” (as the kids say).

I don’t expect everything to be a “home-run” (as the “perfectionist” in me is something I need to overcome as well), but I’m here to keep you motivated and focus on the things that matter.

I also plan on more “action” orientated programs for 2013 (ongoing workouts, 30 day tutorials) to help you make progress one small step at a time.

I’m excited to get going and have lots of things I want to cover. Even have a new web-design for tutorials, easy browsing of “best” articles and optimized for mobile/tablet reading coming very soon.

Hope you enjoy all that is to come!

You can subscribe (or change subscription options) to the articles/updates via email, RSS, and Twitter (I’m also on Facebook but find it a less reliable way to get the updates).

If you grow tired of me (or better yet no longer “need” me because you are now your own expert), then you can unsubscribe at any time. I promise, no hard feelings.

About: This was written by “2 Meal Mike” O’Donnell of the IF Life. You can connect with Mike on Twitter or Facebook.

This is another volume in the popular “Trainer Tells All” series (Vol 1, Vol 2, and Vol 3 seen here). So here’s some more small bits of “wisdom” with less “noise” for you. Sometimes I just like writing these so I can go back and re-read myself…as we all need those little reminders time to time. Enjoy!

• I think starting off with 10 min of fitness a day is a better idea than trying longer extreme workouts. The goal is to build the consistent habit, not burn out.
• Only real spot reduction I know of is liposuction, although you can increase blood-flow during times of increased lipolysis (hormonal signals to release stored fats) to areas with movements that activate muscles around it. In short: do more full body workouts in a fasted state.
• I focus on getting all my supplement needs from real food.
• Don’t train like a professional athlete and eat like a Hollywood super model…as the result will be something that resembles a hormonal car crash.
• Stress overload is probably what most people burn out on with a diet. There has to be balance and recovery. Hormesis always comes into play (little/intermittent is good, chronic is not).
• The best time to make a change for the better was last month, the 2nd best time is right now.
• Your body “detoxes” at its own rate, no diet or magic drink “speeds” it up. It is a hot marketing angle though nowadays.
• Dieting without some simple resistance training is like riding a bike with a flat tire, making it harder than it needs to be.
• I see a diet industry that focuses on how to lose 10-15 lbs in a week, too bad most people are trying to lose that same 10-15lbs year after year as they play the yo-yo crash diet game. Quick fixes are not a lasting solution.
• Think bodyweight exercises are too easy? Pick an exercise (like pushups) and do a “Burst” of 10 sets of 30:30 intervals (30 sec work/30 sec rest).
• Ever notice how the people who say you need supplements…also tend to sell those supplements? Hmmmm.
• Whether you do or do not eat breakfast is your choice, I only aim to give you the facts so you can make that decision on your own.
• My goal as a trainer and coach has never really been to get more clients, as it has been trying to help people take full control of their own lives (and no longer need me). In that sense, I look forward to putting myself out of business.
• Every time a mainstream article is written with quick tips on “How to Boost Your Metabolism”….a science book commits suicide.
• Legendary bodybuilder Serge Nubret claimed to only eat 1-2 times a day. “Listen to yourself before listen to others. I eat so much in one meal that I don’t need to eat 6/8 times a day, I leave that to those who don’t have a big appetite” ~ Serge Nubret
• I’m not impressed by how many lbs one can lose in a week…I am impressed by how many lbs one can keep off for years.
• Fear less, act more. Eat less, cook more. Whine less, smile more. Worry less, enjoy more. Stress less, play more.
• I made it my professional goal long ago to learn every possible exercise and equipment use. Now I just use mostly body-weight exercises and a resistance band. Funny how I ended up here.
• It’s been shown that TDEE (total daily energy expenditure) is actually greater in obese westerner vs those living a more hunter-gather based lifestyle. Once again, more cardio is not the answer.
• Nature never judges you, hence I enjoy spending more time with it.
• If you want to know what works, then take action and see what happens. Adjust and repeat. No one ever got it right the first time. If you want guarantees, buy a toaster.
• My food philosophy: eat protein for muscles, fat for nutrients, fruits for energy, starches for performance, & dessert/drinks with friends.
• If weight loss is your goal, think of it in terms of overall deficit on a weekly basis. However you get there, you get there. Stop worrying about it hour by hour.
• A dessert a day will keep fad diets away.
• A “high energy” breakfast can inhibit fat oxidation the rest of the day. I’d rather burn more fat during the day and then recover and reload with a bigger meal at night.
• Health care reform starts in the kitchen. Teach your kids how to cook through example.
• The journey is the reward, so enjoy what you do daily…or go find another way.
• Skip the antioxidant pills…they may be negating benefits (insulin resistance/antioxidant defenses) from exercise (mitochondrial hormesis or “mitohormesis” – stress response of mitochondria to ROS)
• If you don’t want to count calories, keep your daily meals somewhat consistent. You can then know if its working or not. Random meals gives random feedback.
• Eat crappy foods and take pills…or eat good foods and get more sunshine. I go with option B.
• I get my nutrients and minerals from real foods. If I feel I am deficient, then I force myself to find better food choices. I choose foods that are high in nutrient density, rather than assume a pill with take care of my needs.
• I get my fish oil from eating fish 1-2x a week. I keep the Omega 3:6 balance by eating more grass fed meats. I focus on better quality foods to reduce toxins and other chemicals that will increase internal damage (oxidative or otherwise). Health I believe is a state of overall balance between damage and repair.
• Vote with your fork and wallet if you want to change the world around you. ”Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” ~ Ganhdi
• I find that doing less helps me to focus on what is important. Complicated does not mean more effective. “It is not a daily increase, but a daily decrease. Hack away at the inessentials.” ~ Bruce Lee
• One simple rule for carbs? Earn them. (exercise)
• I’ve found that most daily worries can be solved by a nice long walk in nature (usually by dropping the anxiety over them).
• Stay active doing things you enjoy and stop calling it “cardio”. Forced exercise is not the solution, nor enjoyable.
• If a person/website says you “need” something other than real food…may want to see if that person also makes money selling it.
• Coconut oil in the morning (I like mine in coffee) may be a less stressful (and more productive) way to get through your morning.
• Unlike what many “experts” say, there’s nothing wrong with eating carbs at night. Focus should be on real foods of course.
• Success of any exercise program for weight loss is mostly due to how a person eats because of it.
• I actually dislike using the word “fasting” as a focus because it seems to get people focused on “more is better” for quick weight loss. You still need to eat right, hence I went with a intermittent “feeding” focus of “2 Meals”.
• Calorie Restriction (CR) seems like a miserable way to go about health (and may not even have benefit compared to a healthy weight anyways).
• People have way too much anxiety about eating all day, which is a stress in itself. Is it any wonder our digestive system is out of whack?
• I don’t really eat much gluten or wheat, but I also can tolerate beer and pizza on occasion.
• The biggest common factor seen in cultures known for longevity may not be any specific diet (outside of “real foods”), as it is people with an enjoyable daily life filled with purpose and community.
• The only diet expert you really ever need is inside of you, if you take time to listen.
• The best workout advice I ever read in a forum online was “Shut up and go lift”.
• I’ll get all my antioxidants from the good sources…red wine, dark chocolate, coffee/tea, spices and fruit.
• Unleash your inner artist and create your own lifestyle (eating, exercise, etc). That is where the real joy comes from.
• Reason #1 to exercise: Keep muscles strong (esp to prevent wasting as you age).
• Reason #2 to exercise: Autophagy.
• Reason #3 to exercise: Mitohormesis.
• Reason #4 to exercise: Handle daily stress better.
• Reason #5 to exercise: Glut4 expression to better utilize more glucose (and enjoy more carbs).
• The more times you find what doesn’t work, the closer you come to finding what will. “Success is going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.” ~ Winston Churchill
• I see the only real failure as not taking any action in the first place.
• “I hate pullups”…says the person who never practices them. No one was ever born an expert. Live life as daily practice.
• I don’t deprive myself of any food choices, but I enjoy eating more real foods now (for energy and body composition).
• I like to use humor to overcome misinformation, hence I call my morning coffee a nice hot cup of “starvation mode” (as I don’t really mean it).
• When people say “You’ll starve yourself fat”….my brain shuts down with a “404: file not found” error code.
• Starvation mode exists…for those really starving themselves, but those people don’t gain fat doing them. They do gain fat when they rebound overeat with a compromised metabolic rate. Assuming overall calorie intake is at maintenance (or a small deficit), no one ever entered starvation mode by skipping a meal…but it sure scares people into buying bars and shakes.
• The one word to remember for lasting results with an exercise program, “consistency”. To get stronger work on “progression”.
• The more I read and understand about eating, the more I realize people had it right long ago without even knowing why.
• I see the body’s state of health like a bank account. Nutrients and recovery are deposits, while stress (from any source mental or physical) and toxins make withdrawals. Most people are overdrawn on their account.
• The best step anyone can take to losing weight and improving their health (and their kids too), is to enjoy cooking more meals at home.
• Skipping breakfast is not a new idea, as “The No Breakfast Plan” was written around early 1900s (and free to read).
• People who tend not to get good results with IF is not because of the “fasting” part, but rather how they are “feeding” and recovering.
• If you see the words “Belly fat” in any ad or article, run…run like the wind.
• I don’t need to “confuse”, baffle or even mystify my muscles, just “piss them off” consistently with brief intensity (or “Bursts” as I like to call it) to get stronger.
• Most people aren’t “over-stressed” as they are really just suffering from “under-recovery”.
• I find it somewhat humorous that the media and marketers are obsessing people to get “six packs” when most just need to lose the “keg” first.
• You can’t out run a bad diet, but I’ve learned how to outsmart a pizza with intermittent fasting.
• Stressing over stress is like putting a fire out with gasoline. Relax…it’s what your body really needs after all.
• Try short fasts from other things (mini stressors) in life. Take a weekend off from being online (including checking email, Facebook, Twitter, etc). Don’t worry, the Internet will be there when you get back.
• Abs are made in the kitchen.
• I don’t graze like the prey…I like to eat big like the predator (after the hunt).
• I no longer worry about how often I have to eat protein, as I just aim to get enough in for the day.
• Most people eat more protein than they really “need”, research would show 0.6-0.8g/lb of BW is plenty even for experienced trainees losing weight.
• Routines make up our day, so make ones that will only help you.
• I never cared about my chronic stress load in my 20s…but I sure know about it now in my 40s.
• The world is your gym. No monthly fees, no lines for a treadmill and open all day. Go outside and play!

and lastly I leave you with a little wisdom from the TV series “Breaking Bad” on how to just stop worrying and get out there and eat/live on your terms:

‎”I have spent my whole life scared, frightened of things that could happen, might happen, might not happen, 50-years I spent like that. Finding myself awake at three in the morning. But you know what? Ever since my diagnosis, I sleep just fine.

What I came to realize is that fear, that’s the worst of it. That’s the real enemy. So, get up, get out in the real world and you kick that bastard as hard as you can right in the teeth.” ~ Walter White (Breaking Bad)

About: This was written by “2 Meal Mike” O’Donnell of the IF Life. You can connect with Mike on Twitter or Facebook.

With all the talk about using coconut oil, people have told me I just need to start my own line already. Now I’ve got another use for you.

If I were to say my #1 use for coconut oil, it’s in my coffee (as I refer to often on Facebook and Twitter).

My #2 use would be in cooking (how most people probably use it frequently I bet).

Now…my #3 use is something I have done a while back, kind of got out of the habit…and then got back into it again. It is used for “oil pulling”!

(insert confused silence or thoughts of “what the heck is oil pulling?”)

Preventing Tooth Decay

A recent report from researchers in Ireland found that only coconut oil (vs olive and vegetable oils) when treated with enzymes was able to effectively stop the growth of Streptococcus bacteria:

Scientists found that coconut oil which had been treated with enzymes stopped the growth of Streptococcus bacteria – a major cause of tooth decay.

Speaking at the Society for General Microbiology’s conference, the Irish researchers say that coconut oil also attacks the yeast which causes thrush.

The research team from the Athlone Institute of Technology in Ireland tested the impact of coconut oil, vegetable oil and olive oil in their natural states and when treated with enzymes, in a process similar to digestion.

Only the enzyme-modified coconut oil showed an ability to inhibit the growth of most strains of the bacteria.

It also attacked Streptococcus mutans, an acid-producing bacterium which is a major cause of tooth decay.

Excerpts from: “Coconut oil could combat tooth decay”, BBC online Sept 2012

The key being here that it was the coconut oil “treated with enzymes” (much like digestion does) that were the most effective.

Coconut oil seems to have anti-fungal / anti-microbial properties in vitro, but perhaps there is already an old natural practice in place to help with oral hygiene.

History of Oil Pulling

The “swishing” around of oil in a person’s mouth daily seems to be an old Ayurveda (Indian) practice passed down for thousands of years.

In more recent times a Dr. Karach became a strong proponent of using oil (in this case sunflower) as daily treatement for most diseases. He termed it as “pulling oil” (as it could come from the claim of the oil “pulling” out toxins…also from “pulling” the oil through teeth).

Now when I see something that is promoting a “detox”, I already start to question it’s real effectiveness. Just trolling around the internet I came across many sites that have a variety of “claims” in what oil pulling can do.

Anything can be read from helping to treat:

• Allergies
• Fatigue
• Diabetes
• Migraines
• Skin problems
• Asthma
• Teeth/gum problems
• Bad breath
• Joint pain/arthritis
• Insomnia

and so much more. Perhaps though there is something to the practice of oil pulling that can help to benefit the body’s overall state of health (and I’m not talking about “detox” either).

A Clean Mouth

I’ve mentioned before about how health starts (or ends) in the gut, now perhaps there is a second place…the mouth.

The mouth certainly seems like a good place that bacteria can breed and spread to other parts of the body. That bacteria can also produce more endotoxins and exotoxins.

As you increase bacteria and the toxin by-products through out the body, you will then put a greater strain on the immune system and also likely increase chronic inflammation.

On the flip side by helping to neutralize the amount of bacteria growth you have in your mouth, it may be an important prevention step towards increasing overall immune function and whole body health.

Since I can remember, I’ve always had issues with chronic sinusitis (apparently a deviated septum from a pencil accident in 3rd grade…I’m sure you don’t want the details).

I was good for 1-2 big sinus infections a year. The “fun” kind with sinus pressure, can’t breathe out my nose, then turning into a nasal drip, some sort of bronchial congestion and the fun would go on.

Once I found out about “oil pulling” and gave it a shot, I was amazed at how my yearly sinus infections pretty much went away. So maybe there is something to this after all!

How to Oil Pull

Oil pulling is essentially taking some oil (1 tbsp of coconut oil) in your mouth, and then swishing it around for 15-20 min.

No gargling. No swallowing.

Just move the oil around your mouth (especially “pulling” through the teeth) and let it get to all those places where bacteria can hide out.

As mentioned in the article above, it was coconut oil with “enzymes” that did the best job. Digestion does start in the mouth, as it produces enzymes (hence you are supposed to chew your food more to allow interaction with the enzymes in saliva).

Keeping the oil in your mouth for an extended time allows it to interact with those enzymes (you will see it turn white when you spit it out finally).

Most say the best time to do it is first thing in the morning (after an overnight fast), before you eat or brush your teeth. So to sum up:

1. Take a tbsp right in the AM before eating/brushing teeth
2. Swish/move it around and pull it through your teeth for 15-20 min (I do it while I’m in the shower)
3. Do not gargle or swallow the oil
4. Once done spit it out and give your mouth a good rinse/spit with water. (Note: I don’t suggest you spit it out down a sink drain. You can spit it in the toilet, garbage can or just a spare bottle to toss when full).

So there you have it. Another great use for coconut oil that may help your teeth (and may even help whiten them) and overall state of health. If you want even more uses for coconut oil…well here are 52 of them to try out.

Warning: I have seen mention of people’s fillings/crowns coming out with oil pulling. A “hypothesis” is that the bacteria built up around the filling/crown once removed makes it come loose, but that’s just a somewhat educated guess.

About: This was written by “2 Meal Mike” O’Donnell of the IF Life. You can connect with Mike on Twitter or Facebook.

Calorie Restriction Doesn’t Prolong Life

I could almost hear the collective voices of all the anti-aging proponents saying “What??!!”.

After all, the biggest benefit touted for a CR (Calorie Restriction) lifestyle was “longevity”. Now they say it’s not all that true?

This quickly became a hotly talked about topic online and many questions arose…so I dropped everything, started reading up on the multiple articles and now attempt to logically lay out what I found.

Say It Ain’t So!

The news of this shocking research conclusion came straight from the National Institute of Aging:

Scientists have found that calorie restriction—a diet comprised of approximately 30 percent fewer calories but with the same nutrients of a standard diet—does not extend years of life or reduce age-related deaths in a 23-year study of rhesus monkeys. However, calorie restriction did extend certain aspects of health.

Unlike a previous study on CR in monkeys that showed longevity benefits, this latest study seemed to have found no longevity advantage for the CR group (but did find it some health benefits including reduced cancer risks). Not exactly the outcome the researchers and CR community expected!

But maybe this really isn’t the first time this has happened.

In fact it seems that with some more digging, not all CR animal studies are positive. (Note we lack human studies because we just don’t have any long term data for humans…we live too darn long)

Even in some mice studies from ones captured in the wild and with different strains, show sometimes no advantages and evened shortened lifespan.

Calorie Restriction vs Healthy Weight

There seems to be one big difference between the 2 CR longevity studies on monkeys with opposing results. The first (older) one compared a CR group to a control that ate ad libitum (as much as they wanted). The second was stricter with a CR group and control group that ate specific maintenance levels.

The end results seem to be the control group from the first experiment were more overweight (and had worse health), while the second control group seemed to be stable at a “healthy” weight.

Ricki Colman, a co-author of the first monkey study and an associate scientist at the Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, believes that the differences may reflect variance in the diets given to the animals in the two studies.

“They may be modeling different things,” she says, explaining that in her study, the control animals were allowed to eat freely while in the new research, both controls and those on the restricted diet were limited to specific maximum amounts.

Her control animals, she says, may reflect more of a typical American diet, while the controls in the new research are more like people who already eat healthy amounts.

Colman’s Wisconsin study diet also contained far more sugar— 29% of calories, compared to 4% in the NIA trial. In fact, 40% of control animals in the Wisconsin study developed diabetes, but none of the restricted monkeys did, despite their sugary meals.

Excerpt from Time online article “Want to Live Longer? Don’t Try Caloric Restriction”

What I take from these findings is that when comparing a CR to an overweight control group, there are more obvious health (and therefore longevity) benefits.

However comparing a CR to an already healthy weight control group, there are less dramatic health improvements (which influences longevity).

So in a pursuit for longevity, you may already be doing well if you eat good foods and maintain a healthy weight. This new information may mean that extreme CR (30-40% less maintenance) full time may not provide any real advantage…unless there is something else at work too.

Is it About Protein?

Another article posed an interesting observation as well about protein intake being a key factor in longevity.

Fontana pointed out that key hormonal changes found in both calorie-restricted mice and humans were not detected in either group of monkeys, an absence that he blames on their relatively high-protein diets.

In humans, those hormones decrease only when protein intake is dramatically reduced. It’s not enough to cut calories alone. “It’s possible that we don’t see some of the beneficial effects of longevity in these monkeys because they were on a high-protein diet,” Fontana said.

“The old idea is that a calorie is a calorie. When you restrict it, you have a beneficial effect. Our data and other data suggests this isn’t the case. The quality of the diet matters,” Fontana continued.

Except from Wired’s Experimental Low-Calorie Diet Gets Puzzling Results in Monkeys

I’m going to guess that “hormone” they speak of is IGF-1 (insulin-like growth factor-1) which has been identified as a major contributor to the aging process in many organisms.

What is interesting though is that in even some CR studies, IGF-1 was not lowered when protein intake was not restricted. However compare to a more restricted protein group (or fasting) and you have greater reductions of IGF-1 overall.

Calorie restriction (CR) decreases serum IGF-1 concentration by ~40%, protects against cancer and slows aging in rodents. However, the long-term effects of CR with adequate nutrition on circulating IGF-1 levels in humans are unknown. Here we report data from two long-term CR studies (1 and 6 years) showing that severe CR without malnutrition did not change IGF-1 and IGF-1:IGFBP-3 ratio levels in humans.

In contrast, total and free IGF-1 concentrations were significantly lower in moderately protein-restricted individuals. Reducing protein intake from an average of 1.67 g kg of body weight per day to 0.95 g kg of body weight per day for 3 weeks in six volunteers practicing CR resulted in a reduction in serum IGF-1 from 194 ng mL to 152 ng mL.

Excerpt from “Long-term effects of calorie or protein restriction on serum IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 concentration in humans“; Luigi Fontana et al; Aging Cell. 2008

So it seems unlike rodents, humans also have to restrict protein if they want the added longevity benefits that may stem from a lower IGF-1 environment. This could also be the same reason for the diminished longevity benefit of CR seen in the more recent monkey study.

In talking about IGF-1 and longevity, this also may include autophagy (protective protein recycling) as a major role player (higher IGF-1 seems to lower autophagy).

Wrapping Up

Hopefully it hasn’t been all that confusing, but I’m going to wrap up my final thoughts on all this.

• Overall I would say this study is not “throwing out the baby with the bathwater” on CR just yet, but helping us to understand more of how it works.
• There were differences in each of the experiments to consider including macronutrient %s, type of foods, older experiment had higher levels of sugar, difference in control group weights, and more.
• CR group in the older monkey study seemed to fare better than the ad libitum (as much as they wanted) group, which lead them to also become overweight.
• CR group in the latest monkey study seem to have similar longevity benefit as the group kept at a maintenance level (did not gain additional weight).
• If protein was higher in the CR group for the latest study, that may explain the reason longevity was not impacted as IGF-1 may not have been significantly lowered.
• CR (full time) is not to be confused with “intermittent” CR or fasting, which has been shown to have numerous health benefits.
• If looking for longevity, having a lean (but not starvation-like) weight along with intermittent protein restriction of some sort may be the new focus (IGF-1 lowering). Exercise can also play a role too.

Even though there is still much unknown, it is studies like this that do allow us to get more insight into what can work for health and longevity.

I don’t think many of you would be shocked to hear that eating better foods and maintaining a leaner body weight does improve your health. Outside of that, longevity in cultures is still a multifaceted equation that can vary from type of foods eaten to stress and quality of life.

In the end I’m not about to jump on the CR (full time) bandwagon in hopes of living a few more years. Eating 30-40% of my daily maintenance, being hungry all the time and end up 130lbs at 6’1″ is not my goal.

However using “intermittent” fasting and/or condensed feeding windows, I believe is still a simple way to lose weight/maintain a lean body and still potentially get health benefits (lower glucose/insulin, lower inflammation, increased stress-response defenses) without the pain of full time CR.

If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health. ~ Hippocrates

Related Articles:

• Advantages of Intermitent Fasting / Feeding
• Going Green With Autophagy

What if I told you there was one simple way in which you could help your body burn more fat, allow you to be focused and alert, energize up your workout performance and potentially give you random superpowers?

OK, maybe I am stretching it on the superpowers but I am serious about the other benefits.

If life was a video game, then using coconut oil in coffee would be my “power up” or a way to “level up” (as the “kids” may say).

Yes, You Can Enjoy Your Coffee

There’s just something about a morning coffee/espresso (or tea for some) that gives a higher enjoyability in which to start the day.

The morning cup of coffee has an exhilaration about it which the cheering influence of the afternoon or evening cup of tea cannot be expected to reproduce. ~ Oliver Wendell Holmes, 1891

In what now seems like “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away”, I thought it would be a good idea to “detox” and stop drinking coffee altogether.

I was mistaken.

That was not so much fun. I wasn’t an addict by any means, but not having that morning coffee was just unsatisfying. Since I missed it, I went and did what any sane person would do…brought it back.

I haven’t looked back since, and have even taken it to another level of “awesomeness”.

“Starvation” Never Tasted So Good

I often like to refer to my morning coffee/espresso drink as my hot cup of “starvation mode”. It’s just my fun/sarcastic way of using some humor to counteract all the people who say that I’m “starving” myself by skipping breakfast…which is not true (and another article topic that I need to cover soon).

Just in case you are new here, I should point out a could quick facts. I’ve covered before that eating more often does NOT speed up your metabolism. This is a key topic of understanding that frees you up to eat on your own terms.

Also your daily metabolism does not rapidly crash by “skipping” a meal (and actually increases in short term fasting). Much of that train of thought I think stems from the first assumption of meals and metabolism mentioned above along with observation of “long” term (weeks/months) starvation diets, not meal to meal physiological responses.

Your metabolism instead plays the long game when it comes to calorie intake and energy needs, and is much smarter than we give it credit for most of the time.

So skipping a meal (in this case breakfast) is not going to suddenly drop one’s metabolic rate into a “starvation mode” response that radically effects one’s ability to burn fat.

In fact, when done right it does the opposite while also having many other “perks” (bad pun I know).

The Best Part of Waking Up

Coming off your nighttime fast (during sleep), your body has already created an optimal fat releasing environment with lower insulin and lower (but stable) blood sugar.

I use the term fat “releasing” because that is how your body works. You have to first free up those stored fatty acids (FFAs) if you want to burn them up for energy.

Now adding in a bit of coffee and you can give a bump to some strong fat releasing hormones (catecholamines) and get on using up those FFAs for energy before your first meal of the day.

People (including myself) have also reported other benefits to having coffee in the morning before eating such as increased alertness, focus, and improved energy/mood (even Scott Adams of Dilbert fame finds his creativeness peaks in the AM with coffee and without a “breakfast”).

Of course one can also take this too far and start to burn out (hormesis effect of stress overload), so balance is key.

Even with an intermittent fasting approach to daily eating, you can and should be able to still enjoy your coffee. There is no reason you should have to feel deprived of it.

Here’s my version.

The more I take time to sit outside and drink #coconutoilcoffee, the more I realize how simple life really can be…we make it complicated.

— Mike O’Donnell (@2MealMike) October 16, 2012

The Secret Ingredient Is…

A common question I get is “what can I put in my coffee”? Since intermittent “fasting” is at the heart of it all, a natural question is about “what constitutes a fast?”.

Technically speaking anything (except water) would officially “break” a fast, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways in which to still get the same overall (or even improved) results.

This has lead me through many years of experimentation to where I am now with my own simple coffee/espresso recipe.

It involves only one very “special” ingredient…coconut oil.

Why coconut oil? Well in looking at what it can potentially do, it makes sense (and tastes pretty good too…and I don’t even like coconut in general).

The Benefits

This concoction of coffee/espresso and coconut oil is what I have found to compliment and even in some ways enhance my own eating lifestyle. I’ve tried many things in my coffee, but coconut oil seems to be the one for me.

Coconut oil is mostly made up of MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides). The main advantages of MCTs include:

• MCTs are absorbed quickly by the body (digestion) and quicker to use for immediate energy.
• MCTs enhance ketone production which have therapeutic (energy/cognitive) and nitrogen retention (protein sparing) advantages (1).
• MCT rich diets (compared to LCT, long-chain triglycerides) have been shown to increase EE (energy expenditure) and metabolic rates (2, 3).
• MCT rich diets shown to better reduce hunger/suppress appetite (4)

All pretty powerful advantages especially when integrated into the 2 Meal / intermittent fasting lifestyle.

The potential to not only have more immediate and stable (not anxiety driven) energy but also control hunger/appetite better (reducing rebound eating tendencies), makes it a big plus in my book for a lasting lean lifestyle plan.

How to Start

This is the easy part::

1. Put your coconut oil in a cup (2 rough tablespoons for me, but see below on starting with less at first).
2. Add in your hot coffee or espresso (if I go to the coffee shop I do espresso shots and hot water otherwise known as an “Americano”). Tea is also an option.
3. Sip and enjoy your new found energy and *superpowers (*disclaimer: powers not guaranteed).

Sometimes I will brew my own at home (via a French Press and good beans) and other times I will take my insulated coffee mug to the coffee shop with the coconut oil already inside.

The first-time looks of the baristas staring into the mug is always priceless. When they ask “What the hell is that?”, I just reply “My secret sauce”.

And so began the local coffee house legend of the guy who brings in the “secret sauce” (mostly a legend in my own mind of course).

In the end whether you choose to drink coffee/tea with coconut oil (or anything else like heavy cream, ghee, butter, etc) or even at all is entirely up to you. I would say to avoid milk though and go for fat only sources in the AM.

Just find your own way that works for you, that is all that matters.

“Doesn’t This Break the Fast?”

This is the most common question I get as how this also can fit into an IF or 2 Meals lifestyle.

In short “Yes”, as anything but water “breaks” a true fast.

However I also like to ask the question “What particular benefit are you looking to maintain with 100% fasting?”.

If it is lower blood sugar/insulin, then that is still maintained as fat alone should not impact levels (like protein and carbs will).

If it is for autophagy, then you are still having the proper environment with lower insulin/blood sugar and protein intake. Also combined with caffeine will help through mTOR/p70S6K inhibition (inverse relationship with autophagy).

Still want to burn fat? Well coconut oil shown above will increase EE (energy expenditure) and not inhibit overall fat oxidation. In fact one small study (Klein S, 1992) done comparing metabolic parameters of a fasted state vs lipid (fat) only showed:

Changes in plasma glucose, free fatty acids, ketone bodies, insulin, and epinephrine concentrations during fasting were the same in both the control and lipid studies.

While no one really just eats fat only all day, it showed that the metabolic parameters from fasting are more from carbohydrate restriction (protein was also restricted too).

So the real question becomes rather “Do you need a pure fast to reap the benefits or is there a better way to go about it?”.

For many especially those with compromised stress loads, adrenal/cortisol issues, lower bodyfat (making access to FFAs harder) or those with more mentally demanding jobs and needing more “brain fuel”, this may just be a better (or “gentler”) way to go about an IF/2 Meals protocol lifestyle.

I think of it more of an “enhanced” fast..or perhaps this is just progressing into IF 2.0.

Bonus: Pre-Workout Timing and Optimal Recovery

As mentioned above, caffeine enhances autophagy via inhibiting mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) and p70S6K (p70S6 kinase). Both of which are also markers of protein synthesis.

So by drinking in a fasted state before a workout, you are also setting yourself up for an optimal rebound for protein synthesis on your first meal afterwards. Ori Hofmekler (author of the Warrior Diet) explains it with a great “spring” analogy (that I would have liked to “borrow” but credit goes to him):

The mTOR cannot be activated when you drink coffee. When you drink coffee before exercise, the mTOR is going to be inhibited by exercise anyway, but this inhibition is not a regular inhibition… Fasting, exercise and coffee inhibit mTOR in a way that can be compared to a spring being compressed in a closed box.

It’s a bit tricky, but exercise inhibits and stimulates mTOR at the same time. So when exercise and coffee inhibit the mTOR, as soon as you stop exercising, mTOR kicks back in with a vengeance. And when you eat a recovery meal after exercise, your muscle is biologically most prepared to accept protein and gain muscle mass.

That’s why the timing of coffee is very important.

FAQs

Below are many of the most common questions I get about coconut oil and coffee on Facebook and Twitter:

“How much should I be using?”

The recommended daily amount to get the optimal nutrition (based on the analysis of MCTs found in breast milk) is about 3.5 tablespoons (per day). I suggest when starting out, work your way into this. Start with a couple teaspoons and increase by how you feel it is working. I tend to do @ 1-2 tablespoons in the AM and then also may use for cooking purposes later on.

“Are there any side effects?”

Most common will be an “explosive” reaction (diarrhea) if you take in excess and your body can’t handle it. This is why it is also recommended that the suggested daily amount be spread out over the day. If you experience nausea/fatigue/light-headedness that may also be a sign of excess ketone buildup (excess ketones may signal insulin release dropping blood sugar). If you are already doing low carb for ketosis, adding too much coconut oil on an empty stomach may be overload. Another reason to start with low doses.

“What is the best kind to get?”

Unprocessed or “Virgin” is the best kind to get. There is also “expeller-pressed” which is done a more traditional way of processing.  Both have the MCTs but the the Virgin will have the optimal nutrients as well as flavor. I have the benefit of a Trader Joe’s nearby and get their brand of Virgin coconut oil for only $5.99/16 oz jar (they only sell in stores though). If buying online another popular (affordable) brand name also seems to be Nutiva.

“Is using coconut milk the same?”

Coconut milk while I can’t see being a problem is not the same as the oil. The milk will have some protein and carbs (which may also the an issue for allergic reactions for some).  It is also lower in fat (MCTs) compared to the oil by volume (1 tbsp milk=3g and 1 tbsp oil=14 g). You get the best “bang for your buck” with the oil.

“Can I add in milk?”

As mentioned above it is not ideal especially before the first meal of the day. Milk is insulinogenic and pure fats are not (unless an excess of ketones is present). So stick with fats only.

“I don’t like coffee, can I use tea?”

Sure, it’s your choice. Note that coconut oil is liquid when hot, but solid in cooler weather. So having it in a hot drink is ideal to keep it liquid and not clumping up (you could also blend into a cold drink).

“Can I have more than one cup?”

How many cups of coffee and coconut oil you have is up to you. Personally I only need one to keep me going all morning long. If you have more than one cup then just split up your coconut oil. I would advise of excess coffee consumption overall and drinking too late in the day (especially with the coconut oil) as it may keep you from falling asleep later on.

“I don’t like coffee or tea, so how can I still take this?”

There are many who do take it “straight up” (insert gag reflex here). While that’s not my option, if you can stomach it that is one way to get it down. I’ve read many comments from those especially with adrenal/chronic fatigue issues and avoiding caffeine who have had much success and more daily energy doing it this way throughout the day.

“How do I store it?”

In a cabinet is fine. It does not need to be refrigerated…unless you like chiseling through it like carving a statue in marble (rock hard).

“What else could I use coconut oil for?”

Cooking with it as an oil is a popular option. My other secret use is a daily morning “oil pulling” session with it too.

“Aren’t saturated fats bad for you?”

In short, no. In fact you could be healthier shifting more fats to saturated and away from more polyunsaturated. One study showed mice whose diets enriched in saturated fatty acids (palm or MCT oil) improved liver injury and parameters (decreased levels of endotoxin and lipid peroxidation) compared to groups with higher intakes of polyunsaturated (fish oil) fats. You can also read more about why fats are not all bad.

(1) Babayan, V.K. Medium chain fatty acid esters and their medical and nutritional applications. J Am Oil Chem Soc, 1981

(2) Baba, N., Bracco, E.F., Seylar, J., Hashim, S.A. Enhanced thermogenesis and diminished deposition of fat in response to overfeeding with diets containing medium chain triglycerides. J Am Soc Clin Nutrition, 1981

(3) M-P St-Onge and P J H Jones. Greater rise in fat oxidation with medium-chain triglyceride consumption relative to long-chain triglyceride is associated with lower initial body weight and greater loss of subcutaneous adipose tissue. International Journal of Obesity, 2003

(4) Stubbs RJ, Harbron CG. Covert manipulation of the ratio of medium- to long-chain triglycerides in isoenergetically dense diets: effect on food intake in ad libitum feeding men. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord 1996 May;20(5):435-44.

You may have already read all the headlines this week. You have been warned. Your mortality is in danger. You need to be on the lookout…for Bacon.

Yes it’s true. Apparently Kevin Bacon is pissed and not going to take it anymore. Maybe it is all those degrees of separation people use that have finally made him snap.

Bacon has gone bad, like his role in “The River Wild” or “Hollow Man”. He is coming to….

(Someone passes me a note…)

Oh…Really? My bad.

Well folks it seems I made a silly mistake. It is not Kevin Bacon after all…it’s just red meat (and bacon) are now out to get you, once again.

What my “humorous” self is referring to is the sudden explosion of reports in the media that set the Internet on fire with front page headlines such as (Yes, they are real):

Study says too much red meat could kill us

More Red Meat, More Mortality

Red meat is blamed for one in 10 early deaths

This came about when researchers Monday from Harvard released a “study” (actually based on 2 large studies over 20 years) that showed results of increased red meat intake leading to higher risk of early death (one article referred to a higher mortality rate, but I’m pretty sure that number is 100% still and not up to 110%).

Now I was just going to let this “study” (term used loosely) pass by because I have covered this song and dance before, but apparently a lot of people are still concerned over it.

Many other really smart(er) people have already jumped on this with rebuttals as to why this study is not all it is made out to be. I highly suggest reading these if you really want to get into all the details. Here are the articles to check out:

• Zoe Hardcombe has a great analysis of the study here
• Denise Minger has a detailed guest post on Mark’s Daily Apple about it here
• Robb Wolf was minding his own business when the “Meatpocalypse” happened and wrote his thoughts here
• Gnolls does a fantastic breakdown of the issues with the observational science here

If you just want the quick CliffsNotes on it all, well it comes down to the old saying of “correlation does not imply causation“.

Much like the “observational” study about skipping breakfast and heart disease risks I covered here. There are most always many other factors to consider, and narrowing it down to one solitary “cause” is usually not appropriate.

In this case you have a study that uses categories (1-5) to rate the amount of red meat intake (lowest to highest). What you also will find with red meat intake is the following:

• The higher red meat groups also had higher calorie intake
• The higher red meat groups also had high rates of smoking/alcohol
• The higher red meat groups also moved/exercised less

So one could also say smoking, drinking, less exercise and higher calories also increase those same risks. Or just ignore all those and only blame the increase in red meat.

Funny enough the cholesterol numbers in the groups were lower as the red meat intake increased. So one could also come up with an observational attention grabbing headline “Lower cholesterol increases risk of early death!“.

As for those fun statistical high numbers of increased early deaths…well Denise Minger explains how you can make seemingly small numbers sound even scarier for better shock value:

Those numbers thrown around in the fear-mongering news clips—20% increased risk of death from all causes for processed meat and 13% increased risk of death from all causes for unprocessed meat—are classic examples of how even the most ho-hum findings can sound dramatic if you spin them the right way (and remember to attribute them to Hahhh-vard). If your risk of dying from a particular disease is 5% to start with, a “20% increased risk” only bumps you up to 6% in the grand scheme of things. That’s a lot less scary. Especially when delectable foods are involved.

Sadly it is not a great study to come to such a specific conclusion, especially considering that they considered hamburgers and other meat sandwiches as “unprocessed”.

It’s just another example of more observational findings and less real causation. Great for headlines in a world that revolves more around 24 hour news cycles to fill, but nothing more than that.

I think everyone can calm down a little and get back to realizing that the best course of action is probably still “moderate” intake of real “unprocessed” red meat, more “real foods” with higher nutrients (less processed foods), getting in some simple exercise (moving more) and all the other things we know that can possibly help our “longevity”.

Of course how you choose to eat (and what) is up to you, just make sure that you are using some independent critical thinking and accounting for all variables.

Red meat is not bad for you. Now blue-green meat, that’s bad for you! ~ Tommy Smothers;