ZombieFit™ :: Vol 9

Last week we explored the importance of kickstarting an exercise habit as part of a reasonable zombie preparedness strategy. This week we’ll examine the importance of a sound nutrition plan in reaching your goals and achieving your definite purpose.

Let’s roll…

Baggage

The term 'nutrition' carries a weight of importance that cannot be overstated, and the concept of a diet is accompanied by a lot of baggage. Diet and nutrition form the bedrock of our bodily health, fuel our intellectual pursuits, and are inseparable from our spiritual well-being.

Said another way: if you want to unlock beast mode, you must prioritize dialing in your diet.

In the frantic pace of modern life, dietary habits often get relegated to the realm of convenience and intuition. The average individual subsists on what they believe feels right—relying on “feelings” rather than data.

You know how it is…one peach leads to another peach…and before you know it, you’re eating entire cans of peaches. Like so many other human behaviors, it’s a slippery slope…

A majority of us remain oblivious to our actual caloric consumption, macro breakdown, and micronutrient intake. Unfortunately, ignorance does not lead to ultimate bliss in this case…

Dietary ignorance has tangible consequences. Undernourishment can lead to a constant feeling of fatigue and sluggishness, undermining not just physical but also mental and spiritual energy. On the other end of the spectrum, overnutrition—consuming more than the body requires—can result in unwanted weight gain, increase the amount of stress on the body, and lower energy levels.

In the urban jungle, the deck is stacked against us. It’s especially easy to consume excessive sugar these days given that it’s added to virtually every packaged product on the shelf, and make no mistake about it: sugar is a drug to be used in moderation.

Def Leppard definitely didn’t help the situation with added sugar either…

Equally worthy of consideration is the potentially inadequate intake of vital micronutrients, which can lead to hormonal imbalances, affecting overall health and performance.

Awareness

Keeping a food diary is an excellent first step because what gets measured typically gets improved. Numerous apps make the task of logging and analyzing the food and drink we consume simpler than ever. (My personal favorite that I've been using for the past ~18 months is MacroFactor if you're in the market...)

Simply everything you put into your mouth for a week, and you'll gather valuable data on your typical caloric consumption, the timing of your meals, your macro breakdown, and any potential micronutrient deficiencies.

To be clear, this exercise isn't meant to incite guilt or alter any behavior—it's just a way of establishing a baseline, enabling you to identify any gaps and discrepancies between your dietary habits and your life's purpose and goals.

Purpose

To truly make a difference, we must consider our dietary habits within the context of our overarching objectives. What’s the purpose of a highly optimized nutrition plan to feed the beast?

To gain strength?

To improve the physique?

To maximize energy levels?

To train for an athletic contest?

To prepare for the zombie apocalypse?

And by the way, don't let me present you with a false choice. This is more of a “select all options that apply” kind of question.

Religiosity

Unfortunately, dietary approaches often provoke passionate “religious” debates, evoke images of restrictive eating, and require discipline that can seem daunting. We must redefine our perception of a diet.

A solid diet isn't about constant sacrifice or stringent restrictions—it's a lifestyle choice, a set standard that you can achieve at least 90% of the time, allowing for reasonable flexibility to live your life and the occasional indulgence during special occasions and holidays.

I've literally tried all the diets over the past ~20 years, and although I have my opinions, I'm not here to advise you on adopting a specific diet. That deeply personal decision should align with your definite purpose and values system.

Ultimately, there is no one "right" diet. Your nutrition plan is essentially a strategy to achieve a particular purpose.

Beyond aligning with your purpose, the most important thing is that your diet actually works (as evidenced by measuring it and analyzing whether or not it’s moving you closer to your goals) and that it's sustainable (as evidenced by your quality of life while adhering to it.)

Personal Anecdote

Purely as an example, here's what's been working for me as a ~190lb male with a fairly stocky build who wants to stay lean for summer:

• Maintain a meaningful caloric deficit (~500 cal/day) as the daily norm

• Consume ~1g of high-quality protein per pound of desired body weight

• Backfill the remaining macros with whatever makes sense on any given day

The principle of consuming 1g of protein per pound of desired body weight and then backfilling the carbs and fat up to a caloric limit has proven to work exceptionally well based on personal experience. The stats show that most of us don't consume anywhere close to 1g per pound of body weight, and frankly, it requires some serious intention and planning to do so on a regular basis. (It also starts to put a small dent in your wallet!)

The caloric deficit might seem counterintuitive at first, but I find that it works for me because I do like to indulge a bit from time to time. Knowing that I've been in a deficit gives me peace of mind in knowing that I can maintain my ideal physique even after the indulgence with no worries.

I've also found that staying slightly hungry helps me to maintain higher energy levels throughout the day.

Daily protein staples that I build my meal around include a wide variety of sources including:

• Grass-fed, grass-finished steaks

• Omelets (egg white mixture with additional whole eggs added)

• Grilled and smoked chicken and turkey breasts

• Greek yogurts and skyrs

• Cottage cheese

• Smoothies consisting of whey, casein, and/or plant protein powders

Provided I am consuming adequate amounts of high-quality protein, I find that the remaining macros (carbs and fats) tend to naturally take care of themselves so long as I am tracking my nutrition and staying within a daily caloric limit. (Right now, that's ~1,700 calories per day.)

Start with purpose

If you want to be ready for the zombie apocalypse, you need a diet that aligns with that purpose -- a diet that energizes your body, maximizes energy levels, and unleashes the beast within.

If you start tracking everything you consume with your mouth and have a brutally honest conversation with yourself about whether or not it aligns with your goals, the optimization process will naturally begin.

Don’t let perfect be the enemy of the good. Just get started. Good things will follow!

Until next week…

Command center -- out.
Matthew Russell
Head of Zombie Preparedness