The Path is Too Deep

In the world of diet culture, we are obsessed with "The Macros." We track them, we count them, and we worship them. The word Macro is short, in this case, for Macro nutrients (all you economics folks can sit back down). The prevailing wisdom—especially in the "If It Fits Your Macros" (IIFYM) crowd—is that the body is just a simple calculator. 50g of Fat is 50g of Fat. 20g of Protein is 20g of Protein. As long as the numbers balance at the end of the day, you win. This is a lie. To understand why, we have to look at the word itself. "Macro"  comes from the Greek μακρός (makrós), meaning “long” or "large." In nutrition, they are called Macronutrients simply because our bodies need them in large quantities (grams) compared to Micronutrients (vitamins and minerals), which we need in tiny amounts (milligrams or micrograms). But here is the trap: Just because we need a "large" amount of something doesn't mean the source doesn't matte...

Disclaimer: My dietary choices involve eating meat. I have many friends who choose to lead a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, and I respect their dietary choices as much as they respect mine. Anything I talk about here is not an attempt to convince anyone to change their lifestyle...as always, I'm simply talking about my research, my findings, and what is working for me. If you are strongly against the consumption of meat, you might want to give this blog post a pass. We’ve all heard the old saying: "You are what you eat." It’s a catchy slogan, but it’s incomplete. If you really want to understand nutrition, especially on a clean, anti-inflammatory diet, you have to take it one step further: You are what they ate. In a  previous post , I audited the dairy aisle and explained why I choose grass-fed butter. Today, I want to apply that same "Compliance Audit" to the meat counter. When I buy a steak, I’m not just buying a piece of protein. I’m buying the biological ...

In an  earlier post , I talked about the salt shaker and why I stopped fearing it. That post, like many others here, challenges the conventional wisdom we’ve been fed for decades. When you buck the trend—especially as a person with a history of five heart attacks—people get nervous. They assume you are following some internet fad or "bro-science" trend. But in my role as a Manager of Program Quality & Compliance. I don't gamble on hunches. I rely on data . Recently, I came across a review published in January 2024 titled " Ketogenic Diet in the Management of Ischemic Heart Disease. " It didn't just catch my eye; it validated the entire physiological foundation of my clean ketogenic lifestyle. Today, I want to break down why this science supports the protocol I’m living. But before I do, I also want to talk about  how to read a study like this—because in the world of nutrition science, the "source" is just as important as the "finding....

If you have been on a weight loss journey for more than a month, you have likely met the enemy . It isn't a donut. It isn't a skipped workout. It is your bathroom scale. You know the scenario: You have been perfect for two weeks. You’ve hit your caloric goals . Your macros are perfect. You’ve avoided all the sugars...even the  hidden starches . You feel lighter. Your belt feels looser. You step on the scale, expecting a victory... and the number hasn't moved. Or worse, it’s gone up by a pound. It feels like gaslighting. It makes you want to throw the scale out the window and order a pizza because "it’s not working anyway." But before you quit, you need to understand one of the weirdest, most counter-intuitive biological processes of weight loss. Your body is playing a trick on you. The weight loss has happened; the scale just hasn't caught up yet. You may have heard the popular theory of the "Whoosh Effect"—that empty fat cells fill up with water ...

If you live in Nova Scotia (or anywhere on Earth right now), you know the pain of walking into a grocery store. You pick up a pack of butter, look at the price tag, and feel a phantom pain in your wallet. You look at a cauliflower and wonder if it’s made of gold. One of the most common criticisms I hear about my clean keto lifestyle—especially when I talk about eating steak, avocados, and grass-fed butter—is this: "That must be nice, Chris, but eating healthy is too expensive. I can't afford to eat like that." It is a valid feeling. On the surface, a box of pasta costs $3, and a ribeye steak costs $20. The math seems simple: being unhealthy is cheap; being healthy is a luxury. But in my role as a Manager of Quality and Compliance, I've learned not look at "sticker price." I look at Total Cost of Ownership . I look at ROI (Return on Investment). And when you run the real numbers, the "Standard American Diet" is the most expensive thing you can poss...

If you told the "Old Chris"—the one navigating life between heart attacks—that the "New Chris" would be actively salting his steak, drinking salty bone broth, and worrying about getting enough sodium, he would have thought you were trying to kill him. We have been conditioned to fear the salt shaker. For decades, the medical mantra for heart health has been singular and absolute: "Lower your sodium." We are told that salt raises blood pressure, strains the heart, and causes strokes. So, as a man with five heart attacks in his history, why have I stopped fearing the shaker? Because I learned that biology is all about context . And in the context of a clean keto lifestyle, salt isn't the villain. It’s the battery fluid that keeps my engine running. Part 1: The "High Blood Pressure" Myth (It’s About Insulin) The advice to cut salt is generally good advice... if you are eating the Standard American Diet. The Mechanism: When you eat a high-ca...

In my Hallowe'en post , I talked about navigating the "Haunted House" of restaurant menus. I set up some rules, scripts, and strategies. But I also have to be real with you: Sometimes, you eat the pepperoni. Recently, I was at a local spot and ordered an appetizer of deep-fried pepperoni. It’s a Halifax classic. I knew the meat was good quality, but I also knew, deep down, it was fried in the "bad" oil. I ate it anyway. In the past, this moment would have destroyed me. The "Old Chris"—the one who lost and regained 190 pounds—would have let that one appetizer trigger a catastrophic shame spiral. My internal monologue would have screamed: "Well, you blew it. You broke the rules. You failed. Since today is ruined, you might as well order the pizza and the beer and start again on Monday." That mindset is the Perfection Trap . And it is far more dangerous to your health than a little bit of canola oil. Here is how I handle falling off the wagon no...