The Ultimate Guide to Eating Healthy and Improving Your Diet Feat. Max Lugavere
Here are the top 10 key takeaways from Max Lugavere's discussion with Ed Mylett about transforming your health through smarter nutrition choices.
1. Ultra processed foods are the root cause of modern health problems
The primary driver behind obesity, cardiovascular disease, and autoimmunity stems from overconsumption of ultra processed foods. These foods are packaged, shelf-stable, minimally satiating, and highly calorie dense. They're designed to be overconsumed, making it nearly impossible to feel satisfied without exceeding your caloric needs.
Sugar-sweetened beverages represent the worst offenders in this category. They provide zero satiation while delivering massive caloric loads. The average person can consume 200 calories of high fructose corn syrup on top of their daily nutritional requirements without feeling full. This explains why portion sizes at restaurants continue expanding, as people never tire of drinking these products.
2. Three key characteristics make foods naturally satiating
Water, protein, and fiber are the three essential elements that determine how satisfying a food will be. Hunter-gatherers would look to food for hydration when water became scarce, which explains why dehydration often leads to overeating. Protein serves as the most satiating macronutrient, more so than carbs or fats.
Fiber works by absorbing water and mechanically stretching the stomach, which turns off grehlin, the hunger hormone. Ultra processed foods deliberately lack all three of these satiating components. Instead, they combine refined carbs and fats with sodium and wheat flour while keeping protein content minimal due to cost considerations.
3. Your stomach growling indicates a healthy digestive process
The migrating motor complex activates approximately 90 minutes after eating stops. This underappreciated mechanism sweeps debris, dead bacteria, undigested food particles, and dead epithelial cells from the stomach through the small intestine to the large intestine. This natural "housekeeping wave" helps prevent SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth).
Many people experience digestive issues because they constantly interrupt this essential cleaning process by eating throughout the day. When your stomach growls, it signals that your digestive system is functioning properly and maintaining gut health. This process is crucial for preventing the gas, bloating, and indigestion that plague many Americans.
4. Plants create beneficial toxins through chemical warfare
Plants cannot physically defend themselves from predators, so they become chemists instead. They create anti-feedant compounds that would be toxic to smaller organisms like mice, insects, and fungi. Sulforaphane exemplifies this perfectly, as it doesn't exist in raw broccoli until the plant cells are crushed and chewed.
When you chew cruciferous vegetables, two compounds (glucoraphanin and myrosinase) unite to create sulforaphane, which acts as a natural pesticide. For larger organisms like humans, this compound provides protective benefits through hormesis. Small doses of these plant "toxins" actually enhance our robustness and resilience, similar to how exercise stresses the body beneficially.
5. Proper chewing unlocks crucial nutritional compounds
Digestion begins before you take your first bite through the cephalic phase, triggered by observing and smelling food. Your stomach starts producing hydrochloric acid and protein-digesting enzymes like pepsin before food enters your mouth. Slow, deliberate chewing allows time for enzymatic reactions that create beneficial compounds like sulforaphane and allicin from garlic.
Chewing slowly also enables oral bacteria to convert nitrates from foods like beets and arugula into nitrites. These nitrites then convert to nitric oxide, which supports cardiovascular health and blood flow. Rushing through meals undermines your food's cardioprotective capacity and reduces the synthesis of valuable nutritional compounds.
6. Antiseptic mouthwash disrupts critical metabolic pathways
Regular use of antiseptic mouthwash eliminates beneficial oral bacteria responsible for converting nitrates to nitrites. This disruption impairs the nitric oxide pathway, which is essential for cardiovascular health and insulin signaling. Studies show that even acute antiseptic mouthwash use can increase blood pressure by interfering with this process.
People who use mouthwash twice daily (about 40% of the population) have a 50% increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. They also face double the risk of developing hypertension compared to non-users. The key distinction is "antiseptic" mouthwash, which nukes all bacteria rather than targeting only harmful ones.
7. Extra virgin olive oil functions as natural medicine
Extra virgin olive oil contains oleic acid, the most abundant fat found in nature and present in breast milk, beef, and wild salmon. This monounsaturated fat helps prevent inflammation and makes LDL particles more resistant to oxidation and adhesion to macrophages. The oil's unique compound, oleocanthal, provides anti-inflammatory effects equivalent to low-dose ibuprofen without negative side effects.
Unlike pharmaceutical anti-inflammatories that stress kidneys and liver, extra virgin olive oil delivers therapeutic benefits safely. Humans have been pressing olives for thousands of years, making it nearly a perfect food. When compared to heavily processed grain and seed oils, olive oil stands out for its cardiovascular and brain health benefits.
8. Protein requirements exceed standard recommendations
The RDA of 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight proves insufficient for optimal health, especially for active individuals. Research suggests doubling this amount to 1.8 grams per kilogram of lean mass or goal weight (approximately 0.7 to 1 gram per pound). This distinction matters because you shouldn't base protein intake on total body weight if you're carrying excess fat.
Protein naturally self-regulates consumption due to its high satiation factor. Nobody has ever binged on lean chicken breast because protein triggers innate hunger mechanisms that signal when you've had enough. Protein supplements earn approval as they help meet daily targets while providing immune function support, particularly whey protein.
9. Fish consumption provides powerful brain protection
One to two servings of fish per week can help prevent dementia in people genetically predisposed to Alzheimer's disease. Fish delivers omega-3 fatty acids in pre-formed, ready-to-use format for brain health, along with protective antioxidants like astaxanthin. Wild fatty fish like salmon and sardines offer the highest omega-3 content.
Population studies consistently show that fish eaters outperform non-fish eaters regardless of fish type. Even canned tuna provides benefits over no fish consumption, making it accessible for those in food deserts. Fish also supplies essential minerals like selenium and vitamin D that support overall brain function.
10. Environmental toxins in food packaging pose serious health risks
Constant exposure to industrial compounds like BPA, phthalates, and PFAS chemicals disrupts hormonal systems that control neurodevelopment, sexual function, and fat storage. These endocrine disruptors leach from plastic packaging into food, especially when heated or stored long-term. Fast food shows particularly high phthalate contamination due to extensive plastic processing equipment.
Reducing exposure requires minimizing foods that flow through complex plastic tubing networks before reaching your plate. Choose whole foods you prepare yourself over packaged products whenever possible. Avoid microwaving food in plastic containers and limit purchasing items wrapped in oil-proof paper, which often contains PFAS chemicals.