Issue #93: Environment beats willpower. Every time.

When James Clear, author of Atomic Habits wrote “Environment is the invisible hand that shapes human behavior“, he was spot on.

Because we often think motivation and discipline determine success on our health journey, but it’s really our environment that has the final say.

And while there are many different aspects to our environment, it’s the food we choose to put in it that matters most.

Because some foods will accelerate you toward radical health, and others will accelerate you toward chronic disease.

Fill your environment with the former, and your chance of success will massively increase.

But this goes beyond the physical, because changing your environment also changes how you perceive yourself.

For example, if your home contains junk food, you’re more likely to think of yourself as someone who eats junk food (even if it’s just occasionally)…

But if it’s filled with the foods of a Radical Health Seeker, then you will think of yourself as a Radical Health Seeker.

Make sense?

So instead of relying solely on motivation and willpower, set up your environment for success!

Common foods to remove from your environment:

🥪 Bread

America’s most popular grocery item won’t help you achieve radical health. Most breads contain seed oils and other questionable ingredients…

And even that artisanal sourdough you love so much is still a processed grain with gluten.

🥓 Processed meats

You might think of these as a cheap animal-based food, but the majority of processed meats, whether smoked turkey or salami aren’t ideal. 

While you can find higher-quality versions in good butchers and delicatessens, most of what you find in the grocery store is filled with additives like nitrates, phosphates, processed sugars, and don’t come from well-raised animals.

🥤 Processed drinks

Energy drinks. Sports drinks. Coffee drinks. Zero calorie drinks. Zero sugar drinks. There are a TON of processed drinks on the shelves of grocery stores and it can be incredibly confusing to know what’s healthy and what isn’t. 

But all these drinks are harmful to your health, and it’s best to steer clear entirely.

Okay, we could keep going down the list of foods to avoid… cookies, chips, cereals etc… 

But with 40,000+ processed food products on the market, we would soon run out of room and our collective heads would melt!

So here’s what to do instead:

Avoid everything in a bag, box or package that has more than one ingredient. 

Because chances are, if it fits that criteria, then it isn’t real food.

Keep these food products OUT of your environment and radical health will follow.

“So what can I eat?”

Great question. Lots of things!

Start by filling your environment with these foundational animal-based foods and you can’t go wrong:

#1 Eggs 🐓

If you can get corn and soy-free pastured eggs, awesome. But even regular eggs are far superior than the foods above. Not only are they a nutrient bomb, but they are also incredibly versatile.

Whether you like em’ raw, fried, poached, or scrambled, you can’t go wrong with 2 or 3 (or 6!) of them every day.

#2 80/20 ground beef 🥩

Not only is ground beef affordable, it’s also jam-packed with bioavailable nutrition that will help fuel your body. 

Grass-fed & finished is best, but even the cheapest ground beef will be a huge upgrade from breads, pastas and frozen dinners.

#3 Raw dairy 🐄

There’s just something special about raw dairy, which is fresh, unheated and unprocessed milk straight from the cow.

For starters, there’s evidence it has natural healing properties, including strengthening the immune system and benefiting allergic conditions.

And trust us when we say that once you’ve tasted your first glass of fresh, creamy raw milk, you’ll never go back!

Pick up some from your local farmer’s market, or check out realmilk.com for a source near you. 

And don’t forget the butter and cheese to mix with your eggs and ground beef!

#4 Fruit & honey 🍌🥝🍊🍯

Avocados, apples, melons, bananas, squash (great for cooking)… dates (amazing with butter)… raw honey (milk & honey anyone?)… they all taste incredible and are a healthy swap for cookies, cakes and chocolate.

#5 Organs 🐂

Organs are the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet, and will be your “secret weapon” in achieving radical health.

Try getting fresh liver, heart, or bone marrow from your local butcher, or failing that, we’ve always got your back with our organ supplements.

But what if the people I live with aren’t on board with me throwing all their processed food in the trash?

This is one of the most common questions we get, and it’s definitely a tricky one!

Because on the one hand, if there are tempting junk foods in your home, you will need to exercise more awareness of your triggers in order to avoid eating them.

But the solution isn’t to throw your wife/kids/roommates’ favorite chips, cereal or frozen pizza in the garbage. Because that will definitely cause conflict.

Communication is vital here, and the best thing you can do is explain why you are making these changes and ask for their support. 

A good strategy is to create “kitchen zones”, where their foods are kept in a different cupboard so that you don’t see them every time you walk in the kitchen to cook a burger.

Try this for a few weeks, and before long you won’t even look at those foods the same way. And even better, perhaps the people you live with will be inspired and decide to join you!

This week on Instagram:

This week on Radical Health Radio:

The Secrets to a Healthier Home and Reducing Your Toxic Load | Ep. 62

In this week’s podcast, Ste sits down with Allison Evans, the founder of Branch Basics.

You’ll learn about how Allison healed from debilitating PCOS, the worst toxins you likely have in your home right now, and which products you should swap out immediately.

They also discuss the misinformation around birth control and how to deal with mold exposure.

This week on YouTube:

Is Eating Meat The Secret to Longevity?

This week on the Blog:

10 Powerful Beef Liver Benefits (Is it the #1 superfood?)

This week in customer reviews:

“I started the animal-based diet and the Beef Organs at the same time and I promise I’ll never ever go back to the way I was eating.

I’m losing fat without trying, it cured my binge eating and mid-day crash and bloating.

I feel amazing and I have been trying to get my whole family and coworkers to start it because I feel that good . I’m seeing my abs for the first time and getting stronger in the gym!” 

– Gage Scott (Beef Organs)