N.C. Episode 2: First Principles Of Nutrition Part 1
The first part of first principle thinking in nutrition, a concept stolen from physics.
A brief overview of the blog: This is an overview of the system, I will be diving into the topics later to give you more tools to incorporate and “know how.”
First Principle Thinking In Theory
First principles. What does that mean?
Reverse engineering a seemingly complex problem to it’s most basic parts. But first, one must be skeptical at what they are analyzing.
What we do in first principle thinking is we break down complex ideas to the known truths, the things that are not analogies or metaphors, but truths.
We can extract what is useful and discard what is not. Bruce Lee’s principle in action.
Mechanical by nature, first principle thinking allows us to seek truths and build from them. But where did first principle thinking come from?
The physics & science realm. Great thinkers like Elon Musk, Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Richard Feynman, Nikola Tesla. They all used this strategy for breaking down complex problems & generating solutions.
Surely, we can apply this to nutrition, right? Damn right.
When it comes to nutrition we can use first principle thinking in a number of ways including debunking diet & supplement myths, determining the reason why we can either gain or lose weight at will. Again, if we know the core basic truths, we can become fool proof and proficient in our efforts regardless of the goal at hand.
First Principles By The Pound
I know it is tough to decipher all of these fad diets out there making bold promises of fat oxidation, ketosis, potato bacteria that “eat the fat” as well as rigid diet plans that cut out whole macronutrient groups. God it’s horrid out there. These people are predators and for that I am sorry.
You have probably heard heartbeats of the truth out there. Macronutrients, total calorie intake vs. expenditure. With so many options available how does one choose?
There are 3 main principles of the diet and none of them should be so rigid that you feel like a failure. There are differences in the implementations of the ways to get there like fasting, keto, low carb.
The tricky part here is people get caught up with the “I need to be on ketosis” or “fasting will lower my insulin sensitivity”. I call this majoring in the minors. Lets focus on the basics first, then if we have the time lets focus on that. Likely those things may be 1-5% of your reason for success.
Three Dietary Principles
1) Total Energy Intake
Calories
This is the most important of all the diet principles whether one wishes to gain weight, lose weight or maintain. Any diet that you use manipulates calories directly or indirectly i.e. Keto via satiety, IIFYM, fasting via eating windows.
If you burn 2000 calories yet eat 1700 calories, you will lose weight. If you eat 4000 calories and burn 2000 calories you will gain weight. It is that simple.
Macronutrients
There are 4 macronutrients. Macronutrients being the second principle, as calories make-up macronutrients. (Macros for short)
1g protein= 4 calories: Used for repair of structures, third source of energy.
1g carbohydrate=4 calories: Used as main source of energy and nutrient transport.
1g fat=9 calories: Used for hormonal balance, secondary source of energy.
1g alcohol=7 calories: When consumed, alcohol is gets primarily burned over all other sources, which may get stored while they’re on hold.
Depending on the body composition you envision for yourself, you’ll have to balance these out in certain proportions.
There will be another writing on how to align your macronutrients to your goals.
2) Total Energy Expenditure (TDEE)
The Main Way We Burn Calories
Every second you are alive you are burning energy (calories).
It is similar to leaving your car on idle. We never truly stop burning calories.
When we are asleep, repair is going on whether its repairing your muscles, renewing your skin, formulating dreams, digestion. It doesn’t matter. Every single thing costs energy, which is our form of currency.
When we wake up a cascade of hormones are produced that help us become alert, to produce that costs energy. With every heart beat, every blink, every thought… It costs energy.
This is how our body burns the most calories and it is called the Basil Metabolic Rate (BMR) which burns around 60-75% of all our calories, it takes a lot of energy to simply keep us alive and functioning properly.
Don’t Major In The Minors, But They Still Matter
There are minor ways to increase our calorie burning for example:
Lifestyle aka Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT) ~20-25%
Intentional movement (Exercise) ~ 10-15%
Eating: The chewing of food and digestion of it (TEF) ~5-10%
Supplements like caffeine ~Less than 5%
NEAT is stuff you do that is active but not meant to be a workout, like taking your dog on a walk, having a cookout at the park, playing with your kids, walking into the grocery store. They aren’t intended to be workouts. This is the second biggest mover after BMR.
Like compounding interest, these things will add up. So do the little things, but focus on the things that matter most, that will move the needle.
How To Increase Your BMR
You want to hit the big dog.
There is no other way to do it other then building muscle. When you gain new muscle tissue it will take your body calories to break down the muscle (working out), to rebuild the muscle, then to maintain the new muscle.
There are certain numbers out there that people debate that for every one pound of muscle you burn x calories. Lets not get caught up in the semantics. Build muscle to increase your BMR, plain & simple. Its worth it to burn calories at rest and look good doing it.
Putting all the ways you burn calories together is called your TDEE or total daily energy expenditure.
*In the future I will releasing workout principles as well as monthly workout programs.
3) The Support
The Composition of Your Food
The sources of macronutrients you eat.
Eat a donut, and you'll still be hungry. Eat a steak, and you may be a little hungry. Eat 10 cups of broccoli, and you won't be hungry. All of these foods have their uses; this doesn't demonize any of them.
The same thing applies to a protein shake. A protein shake can provide 40g of protein, but so can a steak. Which will provide more benefits? The steak. But if you need the protein and aren't micronutrient deficient, a protein shake is the perfect fix to keep hunger at bay and maintain proper protein levels.
A donut can be used as a pre-workout or even in the middle of a workout for energy. Yet, eating rice and beans can provide the same amount of carbohydrates but with more fiber and protein. Both have their uses.
For example, if you're trying to gain weight, eat more donuts than steak, and then broccoli, in that prioritizing order. If you're trying to lose weight, eat steak, then broccoli, and then donuts, in that prioritizing order. This is severely oversimplified, and I will be diving more into this in future episodes.
Nutrient Timing
Would you rather experience hunger in your sleep or during your day? When do you need the most energy?
If you're on a cut, you probably don't want to experience hunger during your day, as it can be distracting and test your willpower, which is limited. Therefore, having a more protein-forward day would be best if you're on a cut. Also, as you are on a cut, your energy levels are a little lower; therefore your carbohydrates should be taken around your workout to provide immediate energy. This is merely an example.
Another form of timing is fasting. Some people allow themselves a window of 6-8-10-12 hours... And some even one meal a day (OMAD).
Nutrient timing gives support to the total calorie, macro intake. It will not make or break the actual process, but it will make it easier, which increases your chances for success.
When it comes to performance nutrient timing can definitely play a big role.
Hydration
Hungry? Or are you thirsty?
Various studies show that on average, 37% of people can't tell the difference between thirst and hunger. This means that you may actually be thirsty rather than hungry, adding those extra calories to your intake, which may contribute to weight gain.
So, drink water, right?
Wrong. There is such a thing as water overhydration, which has similar effects as dehydration.
If you drink too much water, you'll excrete all the electrolytes needed to stay hydrated, like sodium, magnesium, phosphate, bicarbonate, calcium, potassium, and chloride.
Many hydration products have these ingredients, which is great, but then you'll have to look for appropriate amounts, which will depend on your activity level and environment. I will write about that later, but if you have a coach, they should be able to adequately inform you, as this is more personalized.
This isn't just a hunger problem; it can actually be dangerous. That's why I personally am so against the "gallon a day" recommendation as a general weight-loss tool. I guess you can't eat that much if you're peeing all the time.
Here is a simple way to actually hydrate:
The Meat & Potatoes
Weight loss, gain, and maintenance comes down to one principle which is total calorie balance. In a broader sense, body composition will come down to the way those calories are distributed amongst macronutrients depending on the goal; While the food composition, nutrient timing and hydration play supporting roles in the process.
Think long-term, not just about your appearance. A study that has always stuck with me highlighted the alarming number of people who die after a hip fracture. I mention this because a lack of protein and movement can contribute to hip fractures, which can potentially be prevented with a balanced diet and regular exercise.
What is Success In Dietary Terms?
As far as health goes, you will never achieve it. That is because it is for life.
Sure you may have times where you want to zero in using the principles above to look good for a wedding, body building competition, or simply just want to look your very best for a period of time.
In all actuality those acute bursts of extremes is not sustainable for life. A body builder does not stay ripped year round, nor do they stay massive year round. After they retire, they usually return to the size of a normal human being (roughly).
But go back to the definition of a diet, it is not Keto or OMAD… The term diet simply means the way somebody eats over a period of time. You can in fact be on a healthy diet, maintain a healthy weight, and enjoy life without having to experience any of these extremes just by following the principles above.
Whether you want to gain weight, lose weight, maintain weight… The principles above are based on truths, first principle thinking that will allow you to branch out and try different things now that you know they all work similarly. You can even formulate your own special diet, which is the synthesis of the whole analysis.
Think you got it all down? Test your knowledge.
Also, down below is the file incase you want to take a dive and use the first principles chart based on this reading as well as an example. I also included on of my favorite recipes!
