JONATHAN EPSTEIN

Category: Uncategorized

  • The Starvation Mode Myth: Why Eating Less Won’t Make You Gain Weight.

    The Starvation Mode Myth: Why Eating Less Won’t Make You Gain Weight.

    This is a picture of a starving man.

    He willingly participated in a study back in the 1940’s where he voluntarily chose to eat no more than 1500 calories each day for a period of 5 months.

    During that period, he, and the many other men who participated, lost an average of 25% of their total body weight!

    And that’s a lot of weight.

    Now, I’m sure you’ve seen photos like this before (POW’s, starving people in third world counties, etc.)

    But from time to time, I believe we need a reminder of what starvation truly looks like.

    Why?

    Because there is an absurdly inaccurate claim that many in the fitness industry like to push.

    The claim is that when a person tries to lose weight by restricting calories, their body goes into “starvation mode” and holds on to body fat in an effort to protect them.

    As you can see, it’s complete and utter nonsense.

    REAL “starvation mode” is what you see in the photo above.

    It’s when your body is literally starving, and burning off all of your tissue (fat AND muscle) in an effort to give you enough energy to survive.

    It’s brutal.

    It’s horrific.

    And the reality is that few (and possibly none) of us have ever experienced anything like this before.

    So why, then, do people so often believe they are eating SO little, and yet, STILL not losing weight?

    The answer is simple…

    It’s because the vast majority of people have absolutely no idea how much they’re eating or expending when it comes to energy.

    Most people have no idea how many calories are in the foods they eat.

    Most people have no idea how to quantify the amount of food they eat.

    Most people have no idea how many calories they’re burning via exercise and movement.

    Most people have no idea that drinking a lot of water or retaining water (via high sodium foods) can lead to weight gain (yes, really).

    Most people don’t consistently weigh themselves enough to establish a pattern.

    And, even if a pattern is established, they fail to recognize it.

    The simple reality is that most people simply don’t have a good way to gauge where they are.

    They may eat next to nothing one day, not lose any weight, get frustrated and then binge only to have their weight increase the following day.

    And then guess what happens?

    They blame the lack of food and “starvation mode” for their lack of progress.

    It’s not their fault.

    But it’s the hard truth.

    If you’re not losing weight, you’re not starving.

    Period.

    You’re simply eating too much or not being active enough.

    The only exception would be illness or a medical condition, which is exceptionally rare.

    And the only reason this myth still exists is because the fitness industry has done too little in trying to dispel it.

    You see, the fitness industry is terrible at providing quality, science-backed information to the masses.

    But I’d like to change that.

    I want to bring the truth back to as many people as possible.

    I mean, this starvation study was done nearly 80 years ago!

    We’ve known a long, long time that “starvation mode” (aka, metabolism shut down) simply doesn’t exist.

    Anyone struggling to lose weight or looking to improve their health/fitness needs to hear this.

    The constant wheel spinning has to stop.

    And you can help.

    All you need to do is share this article to at least one person you know would benefit from it.

    That’s it.

    We need to get the truth out there so people can stop wasting their precious time on bogus solutions and actually start losing weight and improving their lives.

    You with me?

    Then just share this post (via email, text message, or social media) with as many people as you can.

    Thanks, and before I sign off – one last thing:

    Don’t even think about trying to starve yourself to lose weight.

    Yes, it clearly works, but it’s TERRIBLE for your health and not sustainable in any way, shape, or form.

    In an upcoming article, I’ll explain the best and easiest way to lose weight possible.

  • Wake Up to the Remarkable Health Benefits of Coffee

    A morning cup of coffee is much more than a delicious shot of caffeine.

    While health conscious folks often forgo their cup of joe for healthier options like tea, the reality is that coffee’s health benefits don’t lag far behind. 

    In fact, when done correctly (more on this later), coffee can be an easy and pleasurable way to improve your mind, body, and soul.

    The Physical and Psychological Benefits of Drinking Coffee

    Coffee isn’t just roasted bean water – it’s a complex concoction of thousands of different chemicals – many of which have shown to have positive effects on human health.

    A substantial body of evidence looking at moderate coffee consumption – around 3-5 cups daily – suggests it improves nearly every organ system in our body.

    A heart-healthy choice

    Coffee consumption has been shown to decrease your risk of developing high blood pressure, heart failure, and an irregular heart beat. Considering that heart failure affects nearly 7 million people in the US annually, enjoying a cup of coffee seems like a simple practice to adopt to stave off such a debilitating condition.

    Coffee and Your Pancreas

    Concerned about your blood sugar? Coffee may protect against the development of type-2 diabetes. Epidemiological studies suggest that individuals who drink coffee regularly have lower rates of diabetes, with the response being dose dependent – meaning, individuals that drink more coffee see lower rates of diabetes than those that drink less.

    This is your brain on coffee

    As a caffeinated beverage, coffee can have numerous, albeit mostly temporary, benefits on the nervous system like enhancing focus, improving alertness and reaction times, decreasing depression and improving overall mood. So, if you’re looking to stay sharp and focused during the day, a warm mug can offer you more than just comfort.

    How Does it Work?

    While researchers aren’t exactly sure why coffee has these benefits, there are a few proposed mechanisms:

    Polyphenols

    Coffee is rich in plant compounds called polyphenols. These polyphenols serve as antioxidants in the body, helping to repair the damage our cells, proteins, and DNA accumulate over time. This means coffee has similar health promoting effects to other polyphenol rich foods like broccoli, blueberries, grapes, and dark chocolate.

    Interestingly – or perhaps sadly – coffee is one of the primary sources of polyphenols in Western diets since we often don’t eat enough of the foods mentioned above.

    Gut Microbiome

    The second way in which coffee may improve our health is through its ability to modulate our gut microbiome – the trillions of microorganisms that reside within our digestive tract.

    While we have barely scratched the surface of how exactly the microbiome influences overall health, the current research suggests the connection between the two may be critical, and coffee may play a positive role in either burgeoning or bolstering our beneficial gut bugs.

    For example, recent studies have shown that coffee consumption may allow certain bacterial strains – the ones which help us actually use polyphenols – to flourish.

    The Spiritual Benefits of Coffee

    While the physical and psychological effects of coffee lie in its chemistry, its spiritual benefits are a by-product of its consumption being experiential.

    Drinking coffee is a ritual, and many would agree that taking part in it can be nearly as pleasurable as the taste itself. Whether alone or with friends, enjoying a cup of coffee can offer one a moment of peace, mental clarity, and even catharsis.

    In this vein, enjoying a cup of coffee can be akin to a meditative practice, helping us to momentarily reduce stress and anxiety, recalibrating our focus, and offering us a sense of certainty in uncertain times (I don’t know what today will bring, but I know I’ll start my day with a cup of coffee).

    Not to mention, when you couple the experience of drinking coffee with the practice of actually brewing it yourself, the ritual only becomes more intricate and purposeful.

    Practical Tips for Harnessing the Benefits

    You’ve learned how coffee can improve your physical, psychological, and spiritual well-being. Now you just need to understand how to avoid the common pitfalls of coffee consumption to maximize its benefits.

    Keep it Simple

    It’s important to remember that the health promoting effects of coffee come from the coffee itself, and not any additives. While small amounts of milk and sugar are ok on occasion, they will essentially erase any benefits in large amounts. Aim to be a purist – steer clear of the high calorie and highly processed coffee drinks popular at coffee chains.

    Find Your Sweet Spot

    While the caffeine in coffee has positive health effects at small to moderate doses, too much caffeine is actually detrimental to health. Anxiety, energy crashes, jitteriness, and insomnia are all consequences of too much caffeine.

    And, given that a person’s sensitivity to caffeine is highly individual, it’s important to start small and adjust your dose up or down to achieve your desired response. If two cups of coffee give you the shakes, dial it back to one. On the other hand, if a single cup of coffee doesn’t give you the boost you’re looking for, feel free to increase the dose until you feel that invigorating warmth that makes a cup of coffee so coveted.

    With so many benefits, coffee is more than just a delightful pick-me-up. It’s a potent tool for elevating your physical and psychological health. From warding off cancer and heart disease to enhancing your cognition and mood, coffee is a remarkable health promoting drink that not only nourishes your body, but your soul as well..

    So, if you’re not already drinking coffee, what are you waiting for? And if you are a habitual coffee drinker – cheers!