“Eggs are an unhealthy source of cholesterol”.

“Eggs are a rich source of fat-soluble vitamins and actually cholesterol is not all bad”…

“Studies show vegetarian cohorts live longer than meat-eaters”.   

“We need bioavailable protein and animal-based collagen to thrive”.

“The [Keto] [Vegan] [Carnivore] [Paleo] [Mediterranean] [IIFYM] Diet cures all!”.

Confused? You’re not alone. With contradictory recommendations appearing in the headlines every other week, it seems impossible to know how to nourish ourselves properly, even with the best of intentions.

Criminally, the way our food system is set up in North America, food lobbyists spare no effort in influencing public policy and food regulations, including but not limited to:

• advocating for labeling practices that favour their products
• opposing sugar tax proposals
• marketing ultra-processed foods to vulnerable demographics (such as children) through the media
• and even funding studies that are designed to show a pre-determined outcome (and if they don’t show said outcome, the results typically go unpublished)

Essentially, this means that, when it comes to nutritional studies of humans, you can find evidence that supports any theory you want. This is just one of a long list of reasons why nutrition recommendations may appear frustratingly bipolar. Another is that, while traditional scientific method works very well in hard sciences such as physics and chemistry, in softer sciences like nutrition, it’s much more difficult to prove a theory beyond a shadow of a doubt.

Now, stay with me here. As a responsible practitioner, I strongly believe in science-backed and evidence-based information, I promise. But the reality is that nutrition science has its limitations, one of which being that you cannot ethically subject humans in a placebo-controlled trial to a known problem. We can test toxic compounds on animals, but we are different from animals in a myriad of ways, so the results cannot be taken at face value.

An important side note here is that safety testing also rarely takes into account cumulative compounding effects; a study may show that glyphosate (an herbicide that is commonly used on crops like wheat, corn and soybeans) is safe for humans in very small amounts, but is it safe in the amount that the average person typically ingests on the Standard American Diet? Or the amount they consume over time? Or in combination with all the other artificial sweeteners, preservatives, flavour enhancers and additives that also tested “safe in very small amounts”?

So that leaves us with observational studies, in which it’s impossible to isolate variables in a controlled environment. The China Study was a good example of this; Examining the link between the consumption of animal products and chronic illness, the China Study was a 20-year survey that looked at mortality rates from cancer and other chronic diseases in developing countries in China from 1973 to 1984. The conclusion was that people who ate a predominantly whole-food, plant-based diet that was devoid of animal products were able to escape, reduce or reverse the development of disease.

A common criticism of the China Study, however, is that there were other important factors to be taken into account; Alongside the rise of meat consumption in a developing country, for example, you might also see the introduction of more highly-processed convenience foods, and/or a more high-stress, fast-paced lifestyle, both of which could certainly drive up rates of chronic disease.

This serves as a reminder that, when it comes to nutrition research, correlation does not always equal causation. Another example of this is the Healthy User Bias: Someone who chooses to follow a vegetarian diet is likely to also engage in other behaviours that are perceived as “healthy”, such as regular exercise or avoiding alcohol and tobacco; Who’s to say that it’s definitely the vegetarian diet that keeps them free of disease?

There is also the misguided idea that, if something can’t be proven with pure science, it must not be true. While this logic stands on principle, it’s not applicable to a relatively young science like nutrition, because there remain countless factors (regarding the human microbiome, for example, or genetics, or the synergistic effects of certain nutrients) that we simply don’t have the knowledge of or means to measure yet.

We know that beta carotene found in carrots, for instance, is a powerful antioxidant that protects against cellular damage and reduces the risk of chronic diseases like cancer. What we don’t know, is why, when we isolate this same beta carotene in a supplement and deliver it in a higher, more concentrated dose, it can actually increase the risk of certain cancers.

It’s important to remember that research into micronutrients is ongoing, and while the established list is quite comprehensive, scientists suspect that there are many, many more vitamins and minerals that are yet to be discovered.

We also know that micronutrients tend to work synergistically, altering or enhancing one another’s effects as they coexist naturally within a whole-food source. And that’s not even to mention the billions of species of bacteria, yeast, fungi, and other organisms that interact with the nutrients in our bodies to influence our state of health, many in ways that we don’t yet understand.

This is where we’ll often hear a standard industry defense along the lines of: “Current evidence doesn’t support the theory that processed seed oils are harmful”, even though, upon observing how they’re made, common sense would dictate otherwise; The reality is that study simply hasn’t been done yet, or there is no market interest to fund it.

So where does that leave us? Does this mean we dismiss all emerging nutrition research as pseudoscience and give up any hope of a healthier, more vibrant life?  

No.

We cannot forget the value of traditional wisdom and common sense. As food author Michael Pollan famously said: “Don’t eat anything your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food”.

Nutrition guidelines really can be that simple.

It’s also arguable that, when it comes to ancestral diets, the relative health and absence of disease that were often observed may very well have been the result of what people weren’t eating, rather than what they were.

Isolated or pre-industrialized communities frequently followed very different food traditions – from the exclusively animal-based diets of the Inuit to the heavy reliance on grains, plants and legumes in traditional Japanese culture. Many apparently healthy (but different) groups shared at least one thing in common: they were eating what nature provided, and their diets did not include modern, ultra-processed foods.

We also cannot forget about the importance of individuation – the reality that literally every body is different, due to genetic factors, gender, age, stress resilience, and a whole host of other factors. What works for one person may not work for another. And this where listening to our body, and attuning to its rhythms, becomes an invaluable tool in guiding us toward better health.

While nutrition science certainly has its place, and every new advancement inarguably adds value to our growing body of understanding, at the end of the day, nature and the human body together hold more wisdom than the most cutting-edge science.

In my most recent blog post, “Eating for Energy”, we explored the concept of “metabolism” not as a measure of how easy or difficult it is for us to lose weight, but as defined by how efficiently our cells can convert potential energy from food into usable fuel for our bodies.

This idea shares some cross-over with the principals of something called the “Pro Metabolic Diet”.

Rapidly gaining popularity, the Pro Metabolic Diet is built on the work of author Ray Peat, and is based on the idea that the body needs a certain balance of protein, fats, and carbohydrates to function optimally. Essentially, it is a nutrition approach that balances these macronutrients in a particular way in order to optimize metabolic health (again, “metabolic” in this instance, refers to cellular function).

The science behind Pro Metabolic Eating is based on the fact that our bodies require energy to perform, and that energy is created by the foods we eat. Our cells break down (or “metabolize”) proteins, fats and carbohydrates to produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which is then used throughout the body as its primary chemical energy source.

But how sound are the principals of Pro Metabolic Eating? Is it one of the rare diet trends that could actually withstand the test of time?

Let’s explore some of the pros and cons together.

What We Like…

In many ways, Peat’s dietary approach is the antithesis to so many others out there that encourage people to restrict calories, specifically carbohydrates. In evolutionary times, our bodies would down-regulate our metabolic rate by inhibiting thyroid and endocrine functions to conserve energy during times of scarcity.

Peat believed (rightly so) that providing our bodies with abundant energy in the form of food allows chronic dieters to come out of “energy storage” mode and increase their metabolic rate. The body perceives food abundance as a time of safety, thyroid and sex hormones begin to function optimally, energy levels increase, and healing and regeneration can ensue.

Specific foods that Peat believed to be “Pro Metabolic”, and which he encouraged people to eat without restriction included:

• Easy-to-digest carbohydates like fruit, fruit juices and honey
• Collagen-rich animal proteins like skin-on, bone-in meat and bone broth
• Liver (weekly)
• Full-fat dairy including raw/unpasturized milk and cheese
• Whole eggs (including the yolk)
• Starchy root vegetables like potatoes, squash and carrots
• Low-PUFA cooking fats including butter, tallow, lard, and coconut oil

Some dietary practices that Peat also encouraged were eating frequent, smaller meals throughout the day, as he believed this “stokes the metabolic fire” and always consuming protein with an easily-digestible carbohydrate, to optimize metabolic efficiency.

Where the Pro Metabolic Diet Takes it a Bit Too Far…

Like any fad diet on the market, Pro Metabolic Eating has more than few cracks in its foundation, particularly when taken to the extreme.

As much as I align with any dietary approach that champions ancestral ways of eating (grass-fed and pastured, bone-in meats, organ meat, egg yolks, real-food cooking fats, etc.), some proponents the Pro Metabolic Diet build on Ray Peat’s principals to concoct recipes that our ancestors definitely would not have eaten, like homemade gummies made with gelatin powder and fruit juice, high-sugar “adrenal cocktails”, and even ice cream.

Let’s get one thing straight: I do not believe we should fear carbohydrates. The low-carb movement had its 15 minutes of fame, but the research has long-since established that our bodies need glucose from carbohydrates to convert the inactive T4 hormone into the active T3 form that allows our thyroid to function optimally. When carbohydrate intake is restricted, thyroid function declines, causing our metabolic rate to down-regulate, alongside a host of other potential health implications. If you’re interested in reading more in-depth on this topic, check out my previous blog post, “We Need to Talk About Carbs”.

Having said that, carbohydrates that have been stripped of their natural fiber content (also termed “acellular carbohydrates), such as those found in fruit juice and ice cream, have been shown to spike blood sugar too much too quickly, increasing the risk for inflammation, insulin-resistance, energy crashes, brain fog, and weight gain.

Fiber helps to anchor blood sugar. That is to say, it slows the release of glucose from carbohydrate-rich foods into the blood stream, giving our bodies a chance to metabolize it in healthier way – the way our cells have evolved to do. For this reason, I believe we’re much better off including sources of complex or cellular carbohydrates into our diet, like sweet potatoes, quinoa, beans, and whole natural fruits.

And speaking of fiber, the original tenants of the Pro Metabolic Diet would have us avoid a whole range of high-fiber and anti-oxidant-rich foods such as green and cruciferous vegetables, tomatoes, berries, grapefruit, apples and pears, as Peat considered these to be “toxic”, an idea which is not only completely unfounded, but which, if adapted, could cause us to miss out on a wide variety of important nutrients.

Furthermore, the Pro Metabolic Diet advises against consuming Omega-3-rich nuts and seeds, and even fatty fish, because of their “PUFA” content (poly-unsaturated fatty acids). While it’s true that PUFA’s from industrialized seed oils like canola and soybean oil can have inflammatory (even carcinogenic) effects, we now know that the Omega 3 fatty acids found in wild-caught salmon, almonds and walnuts, for example, have anti-inflammatory, health- and longevity-promoting properties that far outweigh any potential threat from their (much smaller) PUFA content.

Lastly (and this is perhaps the biggest misstep of the Pro Metabolic Diet), many people adopt this way of eating as a means to lose weight.

Again, this is where we see the confusion around what “Metabolic Health” actually means come into play. The belief that adopting the Pro Metabolic Diet will help “heal our metabolism” after years of chronic dieting, in turn making it easier to reach a weight-loss goal, is missing the point at best, and the propagation of misinformation and a disordered food culture at worst.  

As we’ve already established, “Metabolic Health” has, at most, only marginal and indirect implications for weight management. What it actually is, at its core, is the ability of our cells to produce energy.

By providing our mitochondria with enough high-quality fuel from Pro Metabolic foods, we increase their ability to function optimally, which allows our tissues to function optimally, which allows our organs to function optimally, ultimately resulting in our entire body functioning optimally.

Over a looooong period of time, if we were to make this the foundation of our relationship with health (our “lifestyle” or “way of being” as opposed to a “diet” with a start and end point), it would improve our metabolic rate, making it possible to take in more fuel without gaining weight. The one important caveat here, which many people overlook, is that, in order to enjoy the benefits of the Pro Metabolic Diet, we must consume a surplus of fuel (in the form of calories and macronutrients) to keep the body in a positive energy balance.

This is the whole point.

Simply from a mathematical standpoint, existing in an energy surplus would make weight-loss impossible, and may even lead to weight gain in the short-term.

But this does not mean that fueling our bodies properly with an abundance of high-quality, nutrient-dense foods is something to be avoided. Metabolic Health (that is, total-body health) and weight loss are two completely different things. Either one, under the appropriate circumstances and with the right intentions and methods, can be a path to improved health.

It all depends what your goals are.

The Bottom Line?

While certain tenants of the Pro Metabolic Diet are outdated and may allow for more than a few nutritional gaps, the overarching principals would likely result in better health outcomes than the majority of fad diets out there today. And its rising popularity may even help to move the needle away from diet culture, and away from the widespread misconception that weight-loss always equals health.

In the recent “Art of Meal Planning” blog post, my colleagues at Nutraphoria School of Holistic Nutrition outlined some easy-to-follow steps that help their clients save time and money while improving their health: 1) Set your goals, 2) Choose your recipes, 3) Make your grocery list, 4) Prep your meals, and 5) Store your meals.

Since meal planning is a tool I’ve utilized for many years (like a total nerd, I actually look forward to the process of sitting down with a pen and paper to plan out what I’m going to cook the next week), I often forget that not everyone finds it as fun and rewarding as I do, and it may not be something that comes naturally.

But not only can meal planning help you reduce food waste and save money; it can also be an opportunity to try new recipes, cook more meals at home with your partner or little ones, and find ways to incorporate your favourite foods or seasonal ingredients in a healthful way.

There are also different styles of meal planning, and finding your preferred method is key to long-term sustainability and success – not to mention enjoyment of the foods you eat! Whether you choose to prep freezer or crockpot meals, batch cook, fully or loosely schedule recipes, or have leftover or theme nights, it’s important that your chosen style fits realistically into your schedule and is aligned with your nutritional goals and preferences.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been a “chicken-rice-and-broccoli-portioned-out-in-Tupperware” kind of girl. As someone who loves food and flavour, and is passionate about cooking, I simply can’t stand eating the same thing 5 nights in a row (or even 2, for that matter). So, I’ve found the meal planning style that works best for me is the “Building Block” method, which essentially consists of prepping a variety of ingredients (proteins, veggies, sauces, etc.), and storing them in a way that allows me to assemble them into different meals throughout the week.  

Some of the components do change from week to week depending which ingredients are in season and what we’re in the mood for (peanut sauce this week, homemade cashew ranch dressing the next), but there are a few staples you will almost always find in our fridge or pantry that make healthy and delicious choices accessible and convenient:

Easy Homemade Granola

• 2 cups rolled oats (gluten-free, if desired)
• ¾ cup mixed nuts and seeds of choice (chopped, if large)
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp Ceylon cinnamon
• ¼ cup melted coconut oil
• ¼ cup maple syrup or honey
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup dried fruit of choice, optional* (chopped, if large)

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir well so that everything is evenly coated. Spread mixture evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 13 minutes. Stir and return to the oven for another 12-13 minutes. Cool completely before stirring in dried fruit, if using. Granola will crisp up more as it cools. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 weeks.

*Be careful not to use more than 1/3 cup dried fruit, or fruit that has too much moisture, as this can make your granola soggy once it is stored (I’ve made this mistake with figs).

**Homemade granola is not only quick and easy to make; it’s also far lower in sugar, inflammatory seed oils, and other industrial additives than pre-packaged supermarket varieties. And it’s super versatile! We sprinkle this on yogurt bowls, smoothies and salads, or pack it up with some fruit and nuts for a nourishing trail snack.

Berry Protein Chia Pudding

• 2 Tbsp chia seeds
• ½ Tbsp hemp hearts or ground flaxseed
• 1/3 cup fresh or frozen berries (any variety will do)
• 2/3 cup milk of choice*
• Dash Ceylon cinnamon
• Dash vanilla extract
• ½ scoop vanilla protein powder
• 2 Tbsp plain yogurt (Greek or coconut, for a non-dairy option)
• ½ tsp maca powder (optional)
• Chopped nuts and seeds, cacao nibs, more berries and/or granola, for topping

In a small mason jar or Tupperware, combine chia seeds, hemp hearts, berries, milk, cinnamon, vanilla, protein powder and yogurt. Stir well to combine (make sure there are no clumps of chia seeds left). Seal container and refrigerate at least 30 minutes, or overnight to enjoy for breakfast. Top with more berries, nuts, seeds, cacao nibs or granola.

*Dairy or plant milk is fine to use; note: if using frozen berries, reduce milk to ½ cup, as the berries will release water as they thaw. If you prefer a thicker or more liquidy pudding, you can adjust the amount of milk accordingly.  

**This recipe makes 1 serving, but I usually prep 4 of them all at once on a Sunday, and then my partner and I have 2 breakfasts each to enjoy throughout the week!

Miso Marinated Eggs

• 1 Tbsp apple cider (or other) vinegar
• 6 eggs
• ½ cup water
• ¼ cup organic soy sauce
• ¼ cup mirin (or rice vinegar)
• 1 Tbsp white miso paste

Bring a small pot of water to a boil over medium heat. Stir in vinegar, and then gently lower in eggs, one at a time, with a slotted spoon. Set timer for 8 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath and the marinade: In a container large enough for the 6 eggs, whisk together ½ cup water, soy sauce, mirin and miso. Set aside. When the timer goes off, remove eggs to the ice bath and allow to cool slightly. Peel and add to the marinade. Store in the fridge for 3-4 days.

*Marinated eggs are best after 12 hours. These are delicious as a quick-and-easy protein source right out of the container, or you can add to salads, noodle bowls, avocado toast, or alongside some cut-up fruits and veggies, cheese and/or turkey slices for a nourish plate.

Maple-Miso Tahini Dressing

• 2 Tbsp tahini
• 2 tsp white miso
• Squeeze fresh lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp pure maple syrup
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• ½ tsp chopped fresh thyme
• 1 tsp grainy Dijon mustard
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• Dash Ceylon cinnamon

Stir together all ingredients in a small jar until well mixed. If dressing is too thick, stir in a splash or two of water, adding more until desired consistency is reached. Store in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Dressing will stiffen in the fridge, so add a bit more water to thin, as needed, before reusing.

*This dressing is great on salads and nourish bowls, or drizzled over baked sweet potatoes or other veggies.

Homemade Protein Bars

• ½ cup cashew butter (I use the Artisana brand)
• 2 Tbsp coconut oil
• ¼ cup honey or maple syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup your favourite chocolate protein powder
• 2/3 cup rolled oats (gluten-free, if desired)
• 1 Tbsp chia seeds
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips or chunks (I use the Enjoy Life brand)
• 1 tsp more coconut oil
• Flaky sea salt

Heat cashew butter, 2 Tbsp coconut oil, honey and vanilla in a small saucepan over very low heat, stirring until melted together. Remove from heat and stir in protein powder until smooth, and then stir in oats and chia seeds. Note: depending on your brand of cashew butter, you may need to add less oats, if the mixture appears too dry.

Press mixture evenly into an 8×4-inch loaf pan lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate while you make the topping: Melt together chocolate chips and 1 tsp coconut oil in a double boiler on the stove (or use the microwave), until smooth. Pour melted chocolate over the bars, tilting the loaf pan to cover completely and evenly. Sprinkle with a little flaky salt and refrigerate until set. Cut into 8 bars and store in the fridge or freezer.

*I keep mine in the freezer (they’ll last forever) and take one out to enjoy after dinner whenever I have a sweet tooth. Note: if frozen, they are best if defrosted in the fridge for about 30 minutes before enjoying.