Hey Heart & Soil Tribe 👋
This week we’re sharing our very best tips to on how to stick with an animal-based diet. Follow these tips and not only will you have a sustainable and enjoyable way of eating, but you’ll be well on your way to radical health!
But first…
Are you feeling stressed?
Then it might be time to take the plunge and get cold!
Because there’s a concept in science called hormesis, where exposure to small doses of certain stressors like the cold can have positive effects on our health, including our ability to deal with stress, depression, and anxiety.
One reason it works is because getting cold activates the body’s nervous system, triggering a release of norepinephrine in the brain, a key player in our mood and cognition.
Even if you aren’t stressed, there are many more reasons to get cold:
🧊 Improved metabolic health
🧊 Boost fat burning
🧊 Boost your mood and cognition
🧊 Decrease inflammation
🧊 and to escape your comfort zone!
At Heart & Soil, we love to get cold:
👉 Our CEO, Dean, cold plunges every morning (before sunrise) to jumpstart his day.
👉 Our Chief Research Officer, Dillon, cold plunges before meetings.
👉 Our Social Media Manager, Melanie, swears that a cold plunge works wonders for her creativity.
Have you tried getting cold yet ?
If you don’t have access to a cold plunge, try a cold shower!
How to stick with animal-based
An animal-based diet might be simple, but it isn’t always easy.
Because at every turn there are critics and temptations.
Most doctors will tell you you’re killing yourself without vegetables…
Worried friends and family will spam you with news articles saying red meat is giving you cancer, and that you are killing the planet…
And let’s not forget the massive food companies that engineer their processed junk to be highly addictive by hijacking our brain’s reward systems.
And the stresses of everyday life can often act as setbacks, pulling us back into old habits that we worked so hard to break…
So we understand it’s not always easy.
But we want to help you stick with animal-based for life… because Radical Health should be enjoyable and sustainable too!
So here are our 8 top tips to help you stick with animal-based through thick and thin!
#1 Know your why ❤️
Having a strong and clear reason for doing animal-based is essential, especially when things get challenging. Identify your why and write it down!
Maybe your why is to heal an autoimmune condition or to lose weight…
Or to show up for your family every day as the healthiest, happiest and strongest version of you possible!
#2 Eat enough! 🍽️
You don’t need to be hungry on an animal-based diet. So long as you focus on high quality animal-based foods, and prioritize protein, you can eat until you are full.
Many people struggle with cravings, and the solution is to eat more. Especially meat! 🥩
Aim for 1 lb of beef per 100 lbs of ideal body weight!
#3 Go all in for 30 days 💪
This is an important one. In order to truly see the benefits of an animal-based diet, it’s worth going all in for at least 30 days.
This will allow sufficient time for meaningful changes in how you look, perform and feel. It also allows you to stack up some quick wins and create momentum that will propel you forward!
#4 Communicate with family and friends 🙂
Family and friends can be your greatest support, or your biggest barrier. That’s why we believe having an open and honest conversation with them is important.
Tell them you are doing animal-based to prioritize your health. If they express doubts or concerns, tell them a little about it.
Let them know you are experimenting for 30 days and will share your results with them!
#5 Find a meal you love and eat it every day 🥩
While there are many amazing animal-based meals you can eat, if you find something you really enjoy, don’t be afraid to eat that same meal every day. This is what we do and it keeps things simple, nutritious and delicious!
Just don’t forget to include the most nutritious part…organs! If you like them fresh, great! Otherwise, we’ve got you covered 💪
#6 Find a movement you love and do it every day 🏋️♀️
Okay so not strictly diet related, but movement is SO important.
Regular exercise will improve your motivation, reduce stress and boost your mood, making it easier to enjoy eating animal-based.
The type of movement you do isn’t as important as just doing some sort of movement every day.
Find something you love, and make it a part of your life so that it not only sets you up for long-term health, but long-term happiness too!
Some examples include walking, weightlifting, pickup basketball, yoga and tennis.
#7 Make a plan 🗓️
Everything in the world today is set up for convenience at the cost of quality.
And if you don’t make a plan, then you will end up sacrificing the quality of your food for the conveniently available processed foods at every corner.
So at the start of your week, stock up on your favorite animal-based foods.
And if you are out of the house, prepare food in advance so that you aren’t left running to the nearest seed-oil-laden food joint!
#8 Don’t be obsessed with perfection 🎯
An animal-based diet is not a religion, nor a life sentence.
And while some people will choose to move the needle closer to perfection than others, true perfection is unattainable and only leads to self-imposed failure and stress.
The goal here is not perfection. The goal is to live the highest quality, most radical life possible, filled with health and happiness.
We hope these tips help make animal-based enjoyable and sustainable for you!
Stay Radical!
The Heart & Soil Team
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