You Are What You...

Eat, Watch, Hear, Feel, and Smell(?)

I just watched that Netflix show YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT. Before I share my humble thoughts let it be known that I’m not a scientist nor a dietitian and the following is full of opinions.

And we all know about “those”.

Not sure how we can still have this vegan vs omnivore debate as ‘blanket approaches’ feel verrrry 2004. I wish a sweeping statement and universal diet would solve all of our problems but people are different. If you can afford it, I highly recommend getting a full blood panel done and working with a doctor who can read your labs and educate you appropriately. ((Insurance will cover most of this although I find it super sketch that insurance won’t cover your vitamin D draw. As you know vitamin D (which is actually a hormone) is a primary marker for optimal health.))

This docuseries is interesting.

I loooove learning yet there seems to be some cherry picking happening in this show. Apparently the lead researcher in this film, Christopher Garner, had published a study last year with 22 pairs of twins, over 8 weeks in his randomized clinical trial and that’s what this series covers.

In the study, one twin ate exclusively vegan and the other omnivore. Both diets included fruits, nuts, seeds, and grains. Both twins also had a training program to follow for the 8 week duration. The vegan diet was aproximately 50% carbohydrates while the omnivore diet was around 41% and the omnivores ate more sugar than their vegan counterparts. This is certainly not low carb and the comparison here is between two “high-ish carb” diets.

The vegan diet had 200 calories LESS than the omnivore diet, and without spoiling the ending, the vegans lost a little more weight, did not gain any substantial muscle, and had a small decrease in LDL (bad cholesterol) and insulin (10 vs 13). Those are interesting findings however it’s hard to distinguish between propaganda and actual science led discoveries … (if that’s not a summarization of life in 2024 - I don’t know what is.)

Apparently, Christopher Garner is the director of the Stanford Plant Based Diet Initiative which was supported and funded largely in part by Beyond Meat. When something smells fishy … ohhhhh see … your smell is involved.

As they say, follow the money.

I LOVE PLANTS. I need to add this. If I had to pick my favorite food, a salad would be in the top 3. I’m not here to promote one diet over the other. I went vegan for 84 days and could not stop thinking about salmon so I eventually caved. Initially I felt less inflamed and had more energy, after 2 weeks I was feeling lethargic and dreaming of albacore sashimi.

A common misconception is that vegans don’t get enough protein. That’s not the case. Most vegans are very conscious about protein, carb and fat ratios. People think vegans need to seemingly eat more to hit their protein goals which feels counterintuitive for weight management. One thing is for sure, the supplementation of B12 is necessary for vegans. Vitamin B12 is a requirement for good health and is only found in animal based foods. It works for millions. For instance, body builders, like the trainer in the show, are absolutely JACKED and thriving on a solely plant based diet.

Annnnd, it’s not for everyone.

A month ago I ordered something called Perfect Aminos by BodyHealth. My friend Karly had mentioned it and I have mad respect for her so I took a chance. I’ve been at this for about 8 or 9 days and I feel great.

This statement caught my attention:

BodyHealth’s flagship product, PerfectAmino, is revolutionizing protein synthesis. Lab-tested to be 99% utilized to build new protein and collagen for lean muscle and healthy skin, PerfectAmino provides minimal calories per serving and will not break a fast.

Essential amino acids that we get from foods (meat, eggs, beans, and nuts) must be digested before they're available to muscles, tissues, and cells.

For a variety of reasons, the digestive process is not perfect. Kinda like the knee joint - feels like God handed that off to his virtual assistant before hittin’ send.

Their website explains: Aging, stress (both physical and emotional), gastrointestinal imbalances, unhealthy dietary choices, and the use of medications all get in the way of the body's ability to enzymatically metabolize and process foods and render their essential amino acids bioavailable. Since PerfectAmino provides a vegetable-based trove of all eight essential amino acids in their pure, elemental form, no digestion is required.

Currently, I’m committed to getting about 120-140g of protein a day and I’ve been doing this for nearly a year now. It was tough at first but this product feels like a modern day miracle. Each 5-gram serving of PerfectAmino (5 tablets) is equivalent to approximately 30 grams of whey, collagen, or soy protein, yet contains only a few calories. How wild is that!! You could replace 30 grams of protein with PerfectAmino, reducing 120 calories from your daily diet. And since PerfectAmino enhances muscle mass, this reduction in calories will not reduce muscle mass or slow down your metabolism.

Look, I’m the guinea pig y’all and so far, so good.

Here is a link that will save you 20% on your first order.

I’m already on a subscription because I’m crazy like that.

When it comes to becoming what you eat, we know all to well that you also become what you see, hear, feel, …and smell…well I’m still not sure about the smell part but didn’t wanna leave her out.

I stopped watching dark movies. Actually Matt intercepted this loooong ago. He was very sensitive to absorbing the imagery and sounds of certain shows. We never liked crime/serial killer content or horror movies. We had to stop watching Stranger Things because it was just getting too dark. These sorts of shows will have you feeling all kinds of lower energy and if you get to choose, which you do, pick something that can elevate you instead. That’s just my opinion, of course.

I’ve stopped listening to Doja Cat and Lil Nas X. I spend more time listening to lyrics before I play them in class. Do you wanna see my healing playlist of high vibe songs? It’s running non stop as the soundtrack for my days, even as I type this…

Speaking of listening, I have an announcement.

I’m launching a podcast on 1/23/24 and I’m so freaking excited to share more next week. Matt came up with the title and I laughed it off initially but it’s kinda brilliant and it makes me smile.

Get ready for SHOCK & Y’ALL: a podcast about mental and physical fitness, spirituality and your big bold life.

Looks like I buried the lead (or is it ADD). My intention is to create conversations that will educate, inform, and entertain you. Essentially I wanted to produce what I look for in a podcast and it’s a tricky combination to find.

You must be selective about who and what you give your precious, powerful attention.

We have more data to support this than ever before and the compounded impression is long lasting despite being easily dismissible. You can say it’s “just a song”. It’s “just a show”. It’s “just fried Oreos”. Wait, wait, wait … I went to the Improv last week and my friend Victoria ordered fried Oreos. I love Oreos - shockingly, these were not worth it.

We are what we consume and we are unconscious consumers.

It’s too easy nowadays.

That being said, you can follow the money and understand why unconscious consumers are the perfect target. What do we concede when we trade our time, money, thinking and life force in these throwaway choices?

That’s actually a trick question.

There are no throwaway choices.

You are what you … do.

It’s like the Perfect Aminos.

Sometimes the trade is clearly worth it and sometimes the trade sounds like a good idea but turns out to be just greasy cookies that leave you underwhelmed and a little nauseous.

It’s not lost on me that you’ve given ME your time and attention.

Thank you and I hope it was worth it.

OKAYILOVEYOUBYEEE,

xx

Nic.

ps. CLASSES THIS WEEK:

* Tuesday QUICKIE YOGA (today) 12-12:30pm pst. $10. This is a well rounded, accessible yoga flow paired with music that includes mobility work and a 5 minute savasana. It’s meant to be a community offering at $10 a class and if you need financial assistance, just reach out. Hope to see you soon. Sign up here.

* Saturday FULL BODY STRENGTH 7:15-8am pst. $20. This is part of my January Fit program but open for anyone to drop in. The group energy is excellent and we begin with CARs, strength train and sweat it out with friends. Bring a glute loop/resistance band, lighter and heavier weights. Sign up here.

* Saturday AVIATOR NATION YOGA FLOW 9-10am, 10:15-11:15am. In person, in Santa Monica. Come on out. Sign up here.

* Sunday AVIATOR NATION YOGA FLOW. 10:45-11:45am. In person, in Santa Monica. Come on out. Sign up here.

pps. My friend Laura Conley’s 6 month weight loss program YUMMY MUMMY closes in 24 hours so I’m sharing one last time as I’ve seen her change client’s lives and help women alter their relationship with food for the last time. It’s a money back guarantee because she knows you will succeed. Click here and use my code NICOLE to save $500.

ppps. Announcing my podcast feels so scary. There will be more to share next week and I am (AS USUAL) so grateful for your support.