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Contents
Letter from the Authors
3
Habit #1: Evaluate Your Environment for Success
4
Habit #2: Slow it Down! (...When Eating)
6
Habit #3: Maintain Hydration Levels
8
Habit #4: Become Mindful of that White Powder
10
Habit #5: Improve Your Gut Health
13
Habit #6: Finish Eating Your Vegetables
16
Habit #7: Control Your Portion Sizes
18
Habit #8: Prepare Yourself to be Successful
20
Concluding Thoughts
22
Sources
23
*The information contained in this document is for education purposes only. Please see page 24 for
additional disclaimer information.
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2
Letter From the Authors
Thanks for downloading The Nutrition Habits Playbook to Optimize Your Results.
We're Alex and Kyle. We have been self-experimenters our whole life. We started off
(much to our mothers’ dismay) experimenting like scientists on the effects after
swallowing exotic bugs in the backyard. The level of thoughtfulness has gradually
improved since then. We have regularly tried various practices and principles to
objectively determine what works best for us. We then expanded our experiences and
learnings to our friends, family, and eventually clients. Learn from those that go
before you. More importantly, learn from trying things out on yourself.
We started off our careers in management consulting and quickly realized how limiting
these high-paced lifestyles can be when it comes to achieving your optimal
performance level, whether it was at work, in the gym, or hanging out with friends and
family. Personally testing and utilizing various life habits helped us navigate this
lifestyle and grow despite the limited available free time. Our aim is to share our
experiments and learnings acquired over the years so that you may also benefit.
The journey begins first and foremost with nutrition. It is that whole ‘80% thing
making up 20% of the results’ that you hear being applied everywhere nowadays.
Beginning first with nutrition will allow you to prioritize your efforts on the area that will
have the biggest impact on your results.
You’re busy. We get it. That’s why we did our best to keep this concise. This playbook
should be used as a guide for new habits you can implement into your life today.
Please do yourselves (and us) a favor and only tackle one habit at a time. These
habits are listed in the order most effective at producing results compared to the level
of difficulty to sustain. This is based off of our experiences and our clients; your
experience may vary.
Habit Goal Key:
Lose
Bodyfat
Increase
Energy
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Build
Muscle
Live
Longer
Boost Mental
Performance
All
Goals
3
Habit #1
Evaluate Your Environment for Success
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.”
- Jim Rohn
Why do we recommend this habit?
•
•
•
•
Making healthy nutrition behaviors convenient and unhealthy nutrition behaviors
inconvenient will be a major contributor to your success
Studies have shown that food choices change based on the presence of healthy
or unhealthy dietary practices of our eating partners [1]
Your kitchen environment is one of the largest factors that comes into play when
deciding on a meal
Close friends and family impact your behaviors. Understanding where these
pressures come from will allow you to successfully navigate challenging nutrition
situations
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4
Actionable next steps:
1.
Clear out the unhealthy foods from your cupboards, room, and kitchen
a. This increases the barriers to not adhering to your diet and reduces the
chance of mindlessly eating something you normally wouldn’t
2.
Put nutritious snack options on the most visible shelf in your fridge and
cupboards
3.
When possible, eat with others who have dietary habits similar to what you
are trying to achieve
4.
Eating out? Be the first to order
a. When the seven others before you order pizza and mozzarella sticks, it
becomes much more difficult to be “different” and make the nutritious
choice
5.
Audit the individuals you spend the most time with
a. Do they have similar nutrition goals and practices or are they supportive of
yours?
b. If not, having the courage to spend less time around them and more time
with individuals who can support you on this journey will be crucial for a
long-term lifestyle change
6.
Unable to have much control over your environment? Control what you can and
bring meals/snacks with you (see habit #8 for additional details)
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Habit #2
Slow it Down! (...When Eating)
Why do we recommend this habit?
•
•
•
•
It can take up to 15-20 minutes for the signals from your stomach to reach your
brain to know you're full
Along with slowing it down, focus on the process of eating; in other words, be
mindful of what you are doing
By chewing your food thoroughly you allow your enzymes to break down the
foods which help your gut better digest and extract the essential nutrients
Think of slowing down as extending the effectiveness of the fuel (information)
sources you are consuming and allowing your “whole paycheck” dollar to go
farther
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6
Actionable next steps:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Chew your food
a.
The more you chew, the easier your body will absorb nutrients from
the food
b.
Smaller particles of food will save your digestive system from
wreaking havoc on your body
c.
Enzymes in saliva aid in the digestive process. The longer you chew,
the more time these enzymes have to begin breaking down you food
Put your fork down between bites
a.
Remember that it’s not a race
b.
Next time you eat, consciously focus on how often you completely
finish a bite before loading up for the next
Make eating a time of mindfulness to decrease stress
1.
For many of us, meals are how we break up the day and can be the
only time we have away from an excel spreadsheet
2.
Take advantage of this sacred time and turn your meals into a
mindfulness exercise
Eliminate mindless eating that is typically correlated with scarfing down
your food - whether this be while watching your favorite tv show, reading
the best novel, or driving and/or riding (preferably) in the car
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Habit #3
Maintain Hydration Levels
Why do we recommend this habit?
•
•
•
All of your organs, tissues, and cells depend on H2O to function properly
​Over 60% of the human body…92% of blood… 75% of the brain and
muscles…22% of bones is comprised of water [2]
Maintaining healthy hydration levels has numerous benefits including:
 Memory retention
 Enhanced performance
 Boosted digestive health
 Happier mood
•
Even mild dehydration levels, as low as 2-3%, can bring about a number of
negative effects such as: [3]
 Dreaded headaches
 Unwarranted tiredness
 Fluctuating body temperatures
•
Hydration aids in weight loss and disease prevention
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8
Actionable next steps:
1.
Figure out how much water your body needs during the day
a. A good rule of thumb: divide your bodyweight (lbs) in half; this is the
ounces of water you should aim to consume daily. Add 12 ounces for
every 30 minutes of exercise to get you a rough estimate
b. Be mindful of also consuming too much water; an easy approximation
is your bodyweight (lbs) in oz each day - along with additional water to
equate for temperature, altitude, and exercise variances
c. Check out the calculator here to get a more precise range for your
personal hydration needs
2.
Hydrate early in the day
a. Make it a morning habit to hydrate as soon as you wake up
b. Keep a water bottle close by to make it as convenient as possible
3.
Slowly replace sugary drinks with H2O
a. While sodas and sugar-laden beverages do provide a level of hydration,
they should be considered weak hydrators
b. Aim to slowly replace these beverages with less sugary options
4.
Track and record how well you’re doing compared to your targeted water
intake range
a. Use a water bottle that has pre-marked volume lines for accuracy
b. Find additional tips located here
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9
Habit #4:
Become Mindful of that White Powder
Why do we recommend this habit?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The Western world marketing tactics do a great job of masking refined sugars
Refined sugars are empty calories that promote unnecessary weight gain (and
not the good kind!) and create an imbalance in your body that drains nutrients
Excessive sugar impacts proper brain function (e.g. decreased memory and
calculation abilities)
Research suggests that food addictions, such as sugar engage similar brain
pathways as drugs and alcohol
Sugar was found to be more addictive than cocaine based on several studies
performed on rats [4]
Removing sugar from a diet has shown to cure symptoms of worldwide illnesses.
A few of these include diabetes, cancer, and heart related diseases
The instant rush of gratification, “sugar higher,” that ensues shortly after
consumption rarely lasts long and you will find yourself more unhappy after the
high wears off
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Actionable next steps:
1.
Beware of those hidden sugars!
a. Check the label of your favorite marinades and sauces prior to diving in
b. Ex: 16 oz marinade of Ken’s Steak House “Lite” Asian Sesame dressing
you baste your lean grass fed flank steak in contains a whopping 112g of
sugar
1.
2.
Ditch those sugary drinks!
a. Think diet soda is a better option? Think again!
i. Diet soda contains artificial sweeteners and preservatives that can
increase levels of hunger
b. My daily energy drink must be fine, right? Misled again.
i. Some energy drinks can contain 80-90 grams of sugar. This is
equivalent to throwing back over 20 sugar packets you would see
at a restaurant table
c. Read our article here to learn more about why water should be your goto beverage
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Actionable next steps (cont.):
3. Focus on the fundamentals: Slow and Steady Wins the Race
a. Note: This strategy doesn’t work for everyone, but some people just do not
do well with trying to stop a bad habit “cold turkey”
b. For those people, focus on cutting back on total consumption slowly: think
of a tobacco smoker trying to quit
c. Cheat meals can also be an effective
strategy; feel free to have that beer or
buffalo wings with coworkers or your family
once a week.
i. Bonus points if it’s centered around
post-workouts
ii. No one is perfect, ourselves included.
Having a cheat meal is a good way to
prevent the binge monster from
coming out.
iii.By implementing increases in overall
calories and/or carbohydrates your
metabolism is kicked into over-drive
and can pick back up after being in a
negative balance the majority of the
week
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12
Habit #5:
Improve Your Gut Health
Why do we recommend this habit?
•
•
•
•
•
•
If you are not properly digesting your food, you are just flushing your hardearned money spent on expensive, high-quality meats and produce down the
toilet
Most people do not think about what's going on in their gut
Your gastrointestinal (GI) tract plays a much bigger role in your body than you
might expect
Not only does your GI system affect how you look, but it also impacts your
immune defense, sleep, mood, energy levels, mental state, and optimal
performance
Digesting certain foods can cause an adverse or immune reaction in your body
called a food intolerance or food allergy [5]
The main treatment for food hypersensitivities is dietary
avoidance.[6] ​Removing common hypersensitivity-causing foods allows you to
pinpoint which foods are causing you trouble
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Actionable next steps:
1.
Slow down when you chew your food
a. Do your stomach and gut a tremendous favor and mindfully chew your
food, so it is manageable for the gut to digest
b. Slowing down while you eat is critical for releasing enzymes and breaking
down food into particles
2.
Do not drink liquid during or immediately following your meal
a. Drinking fluids, even water, during and immediately after you eat dilutes the
stomach acid necessary to help digest your food
b. You should drink plenty of water throughout the day but focus on
consuming it before and between meals
3.
Incorporate daily yoga and/or meditation
a. Stress can shift ecology of healthy bacteria in gut and lead to problems
b. Yoga, meditation, and a daily gratification journal are some of the best ways
to reduce stress
4.
Consume more omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA)
a. Omega-3s are important anti-inflammatory promoters in the body and are
often deficient in the American diet
b. Add cold-water fish to your diet to increase your daily intake of omega-3s
and/or take 2-4 1,000-mg softgels daily with meals
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14
Actionable next steps (cont.):
5.
Consider going on an elimination diet to pinpoint what foods are causing gut
distress and adverse reactions [7]
a. Objectively determine what foods are causing your body sensitivities
b. By removing foods you are sensitive to from your diet, you reduce the
inflammation and allow your digestive system to focus its efforts on
repairing
6.
Take L-glutamine up to 3 times daily on an empty stomach 15-20 minutes
before meals or with your breakfast smoothie
a. L-glutamine supports healthy GI tract function and immune support
b. It is one of the most abundant amino acids in the body and is the preferred
energy source for cells that line the small intestine
c. You may increase the amount as tolerated to 3 grams per dose for up to a
total of 9 grams per day
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Habit #6
Finish Eating Your Vegetables
Why do we recommend this habit?
•
•
•
The dietary guidelines for Americans recommends adults who engage in <30
minutes of moderate physical activity daily should consume 1.5–2.0 cups of fruit
and 2–3 cups of vegetables daily [8]
In a recent U.S. report, which surveyed over 370,000 people in all 50 states,
87% did not meet fruit intake recommendations, and nearly 91% did not meet
vegetable intake recommendations.[9] Rutroh!
Many vitamins and
minerals your body
needs to function
optimally each day are
found in vegetables
Source: http://recetasargentinas.net/
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16
Actionable next steps:
1.
Experiment with all sorts of recipes to find a few you truly enjoy
2.
A good rule of thumb: Aim to fill up ½ of your plate with vegetables
a. Starting with this approach will prevent you from “running out of space” to fit
them on the plate
3.
Look for ways to sneak them in wherever possible
a. For example, if you enjoy a morning omelet, consider adding in a handful of
mixed veggies
b. More of a “get up and rush out the door as fast as possible kind of person”?
Whip up a veggie and fruit smoothie the night before and keep it in the
fridge. Grab it on the go without needing the necessary prep time. Below
are a few great mix and match ingredient ideas that will get you started
OJ’s Smoothie Framework
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17
Habit #7
Control Your Portion Sizes
“What gets measured gets managed” - Peter Drucker
Why do we recommend this habit?
•
•
•
•
Portion sizes coincide with the Laws of Thermodynamics: Energy in – energy
out = weight gain / lost; whether this weight is muscle or fat depends on the
types of calories consumed and potentially macronutrient breakdown
Creating a negative energy balance is ultimately what contributes to weight
loss, not so much the specific macronutrient breakdown
The process of following a weight loss plan itself tends to reduce calorie intake,
helping decrease “energy in” and helping to shift the body toward a more
negative energy balance
Exercise contributes to the negative energy balance by increasing energy
expenditure. Therefore, portion sizes may need to be modified accordingly to
reach your goals
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Actionable next steps:
1. Buy smaller plates
2.
a.
Most of us fill up the plate and eat until the plate is empty, regardless of the
size
b.
Recalibrate your meal portions to avoid overeating
Measure out your portion sizes - at least for one week
a. We prefer to use apps such as myfitnesspal and recommend dedicated
clients start off by keeping tracking of their food intake for only the first week;
they may then decide if the investment it takes to record is worth the positive
impact from having that information
b. A food journal or taking a picture of everything you eat can also be an
effective strategy to become mindful of your portions
3.
Determine how many calories your metabolic engine burns daily
a. Consider getting an RMR Test to know scientifically how many calories your
body burns while resting
4.
Track your progress daily
a. How to track it is up to you
b. We’ve used sticky notes, white boards, excel trackers, and smart phone
applications, among many other methods
c. Your method does not matter as long as the tracker is easily accessible to
you
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Habit #8
Prepare Yourself To Be Successful
“Failures don't plan to fail; they fail to plan.” - Harvey MacKay
Why do we recommend this habit?
•
•
•
•
•
Preparing your kitchen with the right foods will make it easier to adhere to your
nutrition plan
A dozen pizza rolls may feel like the only option when you have a 15 minutes
window to eat dinner. Preparation in these situations is essential to navigate the
crazy scenarios that life will eventually throw at you
Preparation minimizes the risk level of failing to adhere to your new habit and
long-term strategy
Similar to your muscles, your decision-making abilities can get fatigued. The
better you plan, the better your chances of making beneficial nutrition decisions,
leading to healthier nutrition habits
Planning out every single decision and meal you eat may not be manageable,
nor sustainable, for many lifestyles. Keep in mind the 80/20 principle; do the
best you can and focus your efforts on getting a little bit better each day
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Actionable next steps:
1.
Prepare a meal list before going into the grocery store to assure you don’t walk
out with a basket full of ice cream and cookies (we’re all guilty..)
2.
Take an hour on Sunday night and prepare your meals for the week
a. Preparation can range from pre-cutting your vegetables to baking food in
bulk and storing individual meals. This will save you time and make it
harder to “go off the rails”
b. Aim to have at least 1-2 emergency meals in the freezer that can easily be
warmed up for a quick meal. Everyone can benefit by planning out healthier
meal choices more often, even if it is only these “last resort” frozen meals
c. Pro-tip: This can be done with the significant other to combine synergies
and also please them (assuming he/she actually enjoys spending time with
you). This also helps to build up the support network around you
3.
Pre-cut your vegetables so that they are easily accessible while you cook
4.
Constantly traveling? Getting stuck in an airport lounge or on a runway for hours
at a time can make for a difficult situation when you’re stomach is grumbling
a. Travel with a nutritious snack on hand whenever possible
b. Nuts and seeds are ideal in this situation due to the long shelf life and ease
to carry
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Concluding Thoughts
We will reiterate this point one more time. If you try to implement all of these habits
into your life today, statistics say you will fail. So how can we be successful with
these behavior changes? Easy. Only implement one behavior change right now.
Studies have shown that it takes anywhere between 18-254 days to create a habit
(~66 days on average).[10] Where you fall on this wide range of habit creation
depends on a multitude of variables that we won’t bore you with today. Just know
changing yourself is an ongoing journey. Stick with it and don’t get flustered if you
miss one day. Of course, aim for consistency, but missing a day every now and then
has not shown to disrupt new actions from eventually becoming habitual.
.
Once you get a rhythm with your selected habit, come back and choose another one
to implement. We recommend you stick with one habit for 2-3 weeks before
working on implementing the next habit. Start slowly and make these new behaviors
so easy that you can’t fail.
So which one do you choose? We’ll need your help on this to figure out that answer.
We have ordered these tips and habits based on the level of benefit they have
personally provided for us. Your results may be different depending on your current
habits, so choose a tip that you believe would be easiest to implement with your
lifestyle. Getting a “quick win” under your belt will keep you motivated which has
proven to bring more success in the long term.
If you do appreciate this playbook we ask that you please share it with others who
may also benefit. Not only will you be helping to share our message, but you will
also be helping others improve their lives through proper nutrition practices and
self-experimentation. You are granting us the ability to pursue our passions and the
career that we've always wanted. For that we would like to thank you.
Now that you’re prepped and ready...happy optimizing.
[email protected]
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[email protected]
22
Sources
1.
Robinson, Eric, Jason Thomas, Paul Aveyard, and Suzanne Higgs. "What
Everyone Else Is Eating: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effect
of Informational Eating Norms on Eating Behavior." Academy of Nutrition and
Dietetics. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 2013. Web
2.
“Water Facts | The Water Information Program." Water Facts | The Water
Information Program. Water Information Program, 1 Jan. 2004. Web.
3.
Jeukendrup, Asker, and Michael Gleeson. "Dehydration and Its Effects on
Performance." Human-kinetics. Human Kinetics, n.d. Web.
4.
Lenoir, Magalie, Fuschia Serre, Lauriane Cantin, and Serge H. Ahmed. "Intense
Sweetness Surpasses Cocaine Reward." PLoS ONE. Public Library of
Science, 2007. Web.
5.
Olivier CE (2013) Food Allergy. J Aller Ther S3: 004. doi:10.4172/21556121.S3-004​ .
6.
Ortolani C, Pastorello EA (2006). "Food allergies and food intolerances". Best
Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol20 (3): 467–83.
doi:10.1016/j.bpg.2005.11.010.PMID 16782524
7.
"Allergies: Elimination Diet and Food Challenge Test". WebMD. Retrieved
2016-02-09.
8.
"2010 Dietary Guidelines." Home of the Office of Health Promotion and
Disease Prevention. U.S. Department of Agriculture; U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services, 2010. Web.
9.
"Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR)." Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, July 2015. Web.
10. Lally, Phillippa, Cornelia H. M. Van Jaarsveld, Henry W. W. Potts, and Jane
Wardle. "How Are Habits Formed: Modelling Habit Formation in the Real
World†." How Are Habits Formed: Modelling Habit Formation in the Real World.
European Journal of Social Psychology, 16 July 2009. Web.
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Disclaimer
We are not doctors, nor do we play them on the internet. This document is designed
to provide information on various dietary procedures for your personal knowledge
and to help you be a more informed consumer of medical and health services.
It is not intended to be a substitute for the advice of your physician. You should seek
medical care promptly for any medical condition you may have. As each situation is
unique, you should use proper discretion, in consultation with a health care
practitioner, before undertaking the techniques described in this document. All
efforts have been made to confirm the accuracy of this content. Optimized Journey
expressly disclaims responsibility for any adverse effects arising from the use or
application of the content within.
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