My Health Framework: Stripping the Noise
The health and fitness world is a flood of information. Every diet, supplement, and workout claims to be the single best solution. Every new podcast guest, dietologist, supplement producer, or trainer says their program is the best and that there is a secret only they know.
I have been deep in this for many years. My medical background taught me to look past the trends and focus on the core principles. The human body has rules. Looking for shortcuts, miracle programs, or “magic winds” is useless.
From one hand it is very easy to understand these principles, but in real life it is not so easy to implement them consistently. Still, the best approach is to focus only on what is important and works. In that way you will always achieve results, even if progress feels slow.
This is a summary of what I found most important for myself. It is not a prescription or medical advice. It is the structure I use, and I will list the references at the end for anyone who wants proof.
Calories
Overall, everything goes into calories. If you are in deficit or not overeating, then you will maintain your weight. If overeating compared to what you burn, then you will gain weight. Very simple. The rest is about how and the nuances.
Strength and Cardio Training
Both matter. Strength training builds muscle, bone density, and long-term health. There is more evidence that strength training is more beneficial than cardio. At least you will be stronger and will have healthier older ages in terms of servicing yourself. It is known that most problems of older age are connected to lack of muscle, from simple movement to bones and joints. Cardio protects the heart and keeps the system running. Skipping either is short-sighted.
Fasting
Intermittent fasting is less about magic fat burning and more about behavior. It gives structure, reduces mindless snacking, and helps with calorie control. For me, it is a framework to avoid grazing all day. Too many “experts” speak about fasting and autophagy, when your cells clean the useless ones. The truth and the science is still about overall calorie deficit. If you are in deficit, it will happen in any case, whether fasting or just eating less. The thing is that with fasting, some people find it easier to maintain food intake because eating time is shorter.
Creatine
One of the rare supplements backed by decades of research. Safe, cheap, and proven to support strength and muscle mass. There is also some evidence about cognitive and brain benefits. I take it daily, no mystery here.
Protein Diet
The one clear principle across all research: sufficient protein intake is essential. Protein helps preserve muscle, supports recovery, and delays hunger. When you consume more protein, you stay full longer and it becomes easier to control food intake. A high-protein diet is not a hack, it is the foundation for everything. I came to the conclusion of around 2 grams per kilogram of lean body weight per day.
I have more about this topic here: Protein: The Missing Link in How We Age, Grow, and Stay Strong.
Other Diets
Keto, paleo, vegan, carnivore, every diet has its fans. Most work for the same reason: they create a calorie structure, limit choices, and reduce overconsumption. I don’t follow a strict label diet. I focus on protein, whole foods, and balance. It is very personal, and evidence shows that any kind of branded diet is just about structuring calories. Everyone picks the one that is easiest to follow and fits their daily rhythm.
Supplements
Creatine is in. Protein powder is just food in another form. Beyond that, most supplements add very little compared to diet, sleep, and training. I use a few with decent evidence, like magnesium, sometimes electrolytes, and a few just for testing. But I do not expect miracles.
Late-Night Eating
The body does not shut down at night. What matters is total intake, not the clock. The real problem with late-night eating is behavioral. It is when people reach for junk food, not salmon and broccoli.
Junk Food
Ultra-processed food is engineered to over-deliver taste and calories while under-delivering nutrition. The problem is not eating a candy once, it is building a lifestyle around it. I treat it like entertainment. Fine sometimes, dangerous as a default.
Processed Food
Some food processing is good. Freezing, fermenting, or cooking are also forms of processing. They make food safer and often preserve nutrition.
The problem is ultra-processing. This is not about a single ingredient, it is about the entire factory process. Ultra-processing strips out natural nutrients and adds sugar, unhealthy fats, preservatives, colors, and stabilizers. This is the kind of processing that drives overeating and poor health.
The more a food is changed in a factory, the more likely it is designed for taste and shelf life, not for your health. Preservation itself is not the issue. Natural methods like salt, vinegar, or fermentation have been used for centuries and are safe. Even some modern preservatives are harmless. In the end, it all comes down to quantities and dosage.
Magic Foods and “No-No” Foods
There are no magic foods that transform health overnight, and there are no foods that are pure poison. Some foods are more nutrient dense and support health better, others are less beneficial and easier to overeat. The smart choice is not to worship or demonize single foods but to understand their role in the bigger picture of diet and behavior.
Glucose Is Fuel
Despite the hype, the brain and muscles run primarily on glucose. Carbs are not the enemy. Cutting them to zero is unnecessary unless you have a medical condition. Managing quality and timing of carbs matters more than demonizing them.
Sleep
One of the most important parts. Poor sleep increases appetite, reduces insulin sensitivity, and slows recovery. You cannot fix health without fixing sleep. Your body and brain need rest and reset. Without it, training is less effective, diet is harder to control, and long-term health declines. Consistent, high-quality sleep is the base that supports every other part of fitness and health.
My Takeaway
The science shifts, trends change, but the core is stable:
Lift and move.
Eat enough protein.
Use fasting or diet structures to control behavior.
Keep junk food rare.
Do not chase miracles anywhere.
Protect sleep.
Health is not about secrets. It is about consistent behavior. Framework beats fads. Shortcuts and magic solutions do not exist. Personal trainers or doing it yourself, there is no single truth there either. It is a personal choice, not a rule.
References
Hall KD, et al. Energy expenditure and body composition changes after an isocaloric ketogenic diet in overweight and obese men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2016.
Piercy KL, et al. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. JAMA. 2018.
Patterson RE, Sears DD. Metabolic Effects of Intermittent Fasting. Annu Rev Nutr. 2017.
Kreider RB, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017.
Phillips SM, Van Loon LJC. Dietary protein for athletes: from requirements to optimum adaptation. J Sports Sci. 2011.
Maughan RJ, et al. IOC consensus statement: dietary supplements and the high-performance athlete. Br J Sports Med. 2018.
Kinsey AW, Ormsbee MJ. The health impact of nighttime eating. Nutrients. 2015.
Hall KD, et al. Ultra-processed diets cause excess calorie intake and weight gain. Cell Metab. 2019.
Monteiro CA, et al. The UN Decade of Nutrition, the NOVA classification and the trouble with ultra-processing. Public Health Nutr. 2018.
Feinman RD, Fine EJ. A physiological perspective on low-carbohydrate diets. Metabolism. 2004.
Walker M. Why We Sleep. Scribner, 2017.
Gibney MJ. Ultra-processed foods: Definitions and policy issues. Curr Dev Nutr. 2019.