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maulusque · 3 years

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Clone genetic enhancement ideas

So the clones were genetically enhanced, but i don’t really see any writers (in fanfic or in published stuff) really exploring what that MEANS beyond “clone very stronk”. Here are some ideas that would actually make clones significantly different from just a regular-ass human in peak condition.

-enhanced senses: eyesight, hearing, etc. I’m talking eyes like a HAWK

-better reflexes

-quicker information processing

-can hear sounds of higher and lower frequency than standard humans

-can see light of a broader spectrum than human standard

-learn quicker, retain information and skills better (potential problem: if you learn something the WRONG way, that way might stick really well)

-photographic memory (really useful for memorizing layouts and maps)

-immunity to various diseases

-can tolerate a wider range of temperatures and environments

-increased stamina and strength baseline. Clones can just run full-tilt for hours and hours and be like “ah a nice stroll”. Over long distances, they can out-pace jedi in the same way that humans can out-pace horses.

-higher tolerance of certain poisons/toxins (clones can straight-up drink ethanol, and get maybe a little tipsy)

-bodies respond quickly to physical stress, and slowly to the absence of it (basically, this means that physical conditioning results in stronger muscles and a stronger cardiovascular system really quickly, and it takes MUCH longer for a clone to lose strength and conditioning due to not exercising than standard humans. Think how much valuable training time is saved if they only have to go on a run like, once a month in order to stay in shape)

-increased ability to function through intense pain and acute injuries. Basically, semi-disabling the pain system so it’s less distracting. Probably not good for the survival of the individual in many situations, but an advantage on the battlefield.

-heal faster and better, with fewer long-term complications. Clones can dislocate their shoulders and NOT have the joint be permanently fucked up, because the Kaminoans re-designed the whole damn thing to suck WAY less.

-actually, unique internal anatomy. There’s probably a lot about the human body besides the shoulder joint that is actually just really stupid, and something no intelligent designer would actually build. So the Kaminoans can fix a lot of that stuff. Better knees, maybe. Stronger ribs. Maybe Cody punches droids not just because he’s a mad bastard, but also because his metatarsals are literally as strong as steel.

-Hearing loss/hearing damage? No problem, your ear can regrow those little hair-thingies that help you hear.

-Of course, it takes energy to maintain muscle mass, which is why human bodies lose it if we’re not using it. Clones need significantly more calories than standard humans. However, their digestive systems are enhanced to extract calories and nutrients from food much more efficiently, so food goes much farther. Potential weird side effect: maybe clones only have to poop like, once a week?

-You could probably extend that into increased ability to tolerate long periods without food/on low rations, despite the increased need for calories.

-wouldn’t it be NEAT if the kaminoans somehow designed self-repairing DNA. This would mean that others couldn’t take a DNA sample from a clone and modify it to create their own clones (basically, it protects their product. It’s like DRM for clones). This ALSO means that clones couldn’t get cancer, and that they’d be immune to radiation poisoning. So a clone could just walk up to a sphere of uranium at critical mass and pick it up. Maybe with oven mitts on if it’s hot. (this would also make it harder for a rapid-aging cure to be developed, but uhhhh fanfic writers find a way)

- “bred for obedience” I think most of this would have to be accomplished through tightly-controlled messaging and cultural norms as the clones grow up- basically, enshrining obedience as a desirable and almost sacred trait, to be prized higher than anything else, including the lives of your brothers. In the same way that we hear stories of people sacrificing their lives to protect their loved ones, the clones would grow up hearing stories of soldiers sacrificing their brothers’ lives to obey an order from a superior.

-SOME of the “obedience” thing could be engineered, though. Humans are already super social, but it would probably make sense for the clones to have an even greater need for social bonds. This would make for greater teamwork and coordination, and better unit cohesion, since the clones would be more inclined to prioritize friendship/agreeing with someone over winning an argument. It would also make it so they’d bond with their natural-born generals more easily, so they would obey them not just because they’re supposed to, but because they’d be much quicker to see them as a friend, and someone who’s trust they want to earn, someone they want to incorporate into their group and make happy.

-consequently, clones who find themselves alone do NOT do well. Isolation has a much more profoundly negative impact on clones than on regular humans.

-Originally, clones designed to operate alone or in small teams would not have the social enhancement- ARC troopers, spec-ops teams, etc. There wouldn’t be much of a noticeable difference in everyday interactions, but they’d also be vaguely weirded out by what they interpret as aggressive friendliness from their brothers, and their brothers would think they’re a bit shy and standoffish.

-actually this social modification would make it MUCH harder for clones to kill people. REGULAR HUMANS are already super bad at killing people- i remember reading this article about how as soon as soldiers have to point their weapons at actual people, their aim gets mysteriously much shittier. Even when compared to situations that are exactly the same, except they’re not shooting at other humans. So reconcile this how you will, idk.

-I imagine a lot of these enhancements would be accomplished not through DNA, but through microorganisms. Retroviruses could explain the DNA resistant to modification, and the increased healing speed, and possibly some disease resistance (do i know anything about retroviruses other than a vague concept of what they are? no i do not. will that stop me? also no.) Their metabolism can be partially explained through specially engineered gut microbes.

-not sure how they’d go about making clones “resistant to any stress”, because you can’t exactly turn off the trauma response in the brain without breaking a bunch of other things. They could probably do a bit of fiddling to make clones more resistant to chemical imbalances, and therefore more depression-resistant. I think most of the “stress-resistance” would have to come through training. Either they train the clones to basically suppress everything, which might work alright in the short term. OR they actually have systems in place that help prevent the development of things like PTSD and help treat trauma. Meaning the clones are literally trained in self-care, positive self-talk, talking about their pain with their brothers, and having community rituals around things like death and grief. I don’t think that’s super likely because one thing that’s integral to those concepts is the concept of “i am a person and i have worth, and if i feel angry about something bad happening, that is ok and valid” and considering that a whole lot of bad things happen to the clones all the time and their childhood is a whole boatload of bad all happening at once, i don’t think the kaminoans would want the clones realizing “hey wait a minute i’m a person and i don’t deserve to be treated this way and it’s ok for me to be mad at you”.

- the clones were supposedly engineered to be “less aggressive” but i think there was literally nothing more to that than a cover story for the control chip. The clones wouldn’t be raised with a lot of the aggressive western concept of masculinity, where anger is the default reaction to like, everything, and your personal pride is extremely important and also fragile (no offense lmao). So you wouldn’t have clones posturing and getting angry over perceived slights and fighting each other all the time, like everyone in-universe apparently expects to be the case. Anyway, why would you want your soldiers to be less aggressive? they’re literally supposed to fight and kill the enemy. You want them fully capable of getting angry, anger is the human response to fear and danger that lets us DO something about it.

-obviously the biggest component in how they behave would be how they are raised, but that’s an entirely different post

-Specializations! I imagine that initially, the Kaminoans had different clones with different traits engineered specifically to fill certain roles. However, as the war went on, they struggled to keep up with demand and had to start shoving clones into whatever roles were needed (hence Fives and Echo becoming ARCs, despite not being engineered as ARC troopers).

-Command clones would have better abilities in the executive function parts of the brain that deal with extrapolation, planning ahead, spatial reasoning, etc. They’d also have increased visual pattern recognition (like a pigeon)

-search-and-rescue troops would also have the pigeon pattern recognition abilities. The coast guard literally strapped pigeons to helicopters who would tap a button when they saw orange in the water, because they were better at spotting it than humans. Pigeons can detect cancer in microscope images of cells, because they’re that good at pattern recognition

-Pilots would have hella reflexes, excellent spatial awareness and spatial reasoning skills, much greater ability to process visual information, stronger hearts and blood vessels (to resist greater Gs of force), and they’d also be much shorter, to better fit into a cockpit. Which reminds me of Axe, that poor bastard from Ahsoka’s squadron over Ryloth who was almost eight feet tall. rip poor Axe, how did you even become a pilot, you long bastard.

-medics who can smell certain diseases. If you want to get a little bit out there, make the medics able to purr so they can sooth stressed-out patients.

-infantry would have even greater endurance than everyone else, as well as greater tolerance for, and ability to, remain constantly on alert.

-ability to fall asleep at will? that would be super dope.

-maybe more efficient sleep, so to an adult clone, 4 hours of sleep is genuinely sufficient.

-concept: clones can sort of turn down their bodily functions- slow their digestion, heart, lungs, the whole nine yards- to last longer in adverse conditions. Sort of a half-hibernation (or quarter hibernation- they’d still be able to talk and think, but they’d feel very lethargic). They wouldn’t be able to function very well, but it would be great for things like enduring intense cold, periods without food, low-oxygen environments, and it would be especially useful if you were wounded and waiting for help, since you could slow your circulation, meaning it would take you a lot longer to bleed out. This state could be triggered by a combination of physical actions such as sitting or lying still, breathing slowly and deeply, and focusing on slowing the heart down (humans can actually slow down their hearts consciously if you practice at it, this is basically that, but turned up to like 1100).

-one thing that never made sense to me was the whole “we’re running out of jango fett’s DNA, all the new clones won’t be as good, and we have to stop ventress from stealing the original DNA” because like, can’t they just, get the EXACT SAME DNA from the clones?? you know, the exact genetic copies? With all the enhancements already done? But now my idea is that the kaminoans have engineered the clones so their DNA straight up can’t be copied. The clone’s own body can obviously replicate it, but if you take a sample and try to extract the DNA, it just self-destructs or something. This is to protect their intellectual property, but also means that they literally have to use a couple of Jango Fett’s actual human cells for every single clone they make (and the fact that they then have to do all the above enhancements to every single embryo helps explain why there’s so many small mutations, such as hair color and height). So they kinda shot themselves in the foot with that one.

-of course since things like ADHD and autism have a strong genetic component, the kaminoans could theoretically engineer those out of the clones, but actually FUCK THAT so for whatever reason, that’s just not something they are able to do, and neurodivergent clones are absolutely a thing

#maulusque's stuff #meta #clones

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grilledkatniss · 4 years

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IDK if you care but..

So the new Taylor Swift documentary is out on Netflix. I just watched it and I have some very personal thoughts on some subjects. Okay, one in particular. If you’d care to read on just know this is not a subjective review or anything, it’s just some thoughts I’ve not yet finished processing on a subject that hits too close to home.

I’ve always been skinny. Very.

The kids in my class would call me anorexic and malnourished. I was the sick looking kid with an apparent eating disorder all through middle school. Why did middle school kids think that was funny? I don’t know man, 10 year-olds are stupid as fuck. But it’d get to me. I would lose sleep over how apart my knees were from each other, over how no hat would ever really fit me and how my thigh could fit in between my tiny hands, how much my ribcage was showing.

But it wasn’t only kids. My mom would teach in high schools and sometimes when I was not feeling good enough to go to class she would have to take me with her. And I would wear baggy pants cause I thought they would hide my chopstick legs more than regular pants, right? Wrong. The teachers would look at my mom like she was some kind of monster that wasn’t feeding us right, asking if I was awfully sick of if I had some sort of condition.

This problem came along when we moved to a different province and I started high school. But it was mostly in my head, like some kids would comment on it, not in a bitchy kind of way, but I was always extremely self-conscious about my arms and legs. I would wear sweaters even during summer which would earn me some spiteful words from my classmates when the teacher would refuse to turn the ceiling fans on unless we were all in our uniform shirts. I would get suspended for wearing the gym class pants literally every other day instead of the regular uniform skirt. I remember I didn’t want to go to prom cause I’d have to wear a dress.

In fact, I think growing up everyone thought I was a bit of a punk tomboy or whatever because I’d wear black longleaves and long baggy jeans even during summer break, and maybe I was a bit of a tomboy at SOME point but, deep down I would always want to wear dresses and skirts and pink tank tops, and get my hair pretty and maybe wear some makeup.., it’s just that I knew it’d all look really bad on a stick figure-like-body such as mine, and that wasn’t something I was particularly interested in.. also I thought looking interested in “girly” things would cost me some imaginary “cred” so, yeah, that’s on me.

One day I was at a friend's house (my soon-to-be certified psychologist friend, remember her?) and she starts playing Blank Space for the third time in a row, watching pictures of Taylor Swift instead of working on our ethics paper due the next day, and she goes “She’s so pretty... and tiny.” And while I was thinking of maybe making some stupid remark like “she’s super tall actually” she goes “like you! See? She’s skinny like you and wears the hell out of those dresses”. I wore the uniform’s skirt to class the next day.

But I remember this other time when I was coming back from physical therapy, where they’d have me work out like a mad person, walking home through the longest imaginable road, full of energy and endorphins flowing n shit, feeling the healthiest I’ve ever been and thinking to myself:

You know, it’s kinda true. Taylor Swift is super thin as well. She’s like me. And she’s confident and strong and girly and pretty. I can be strong and pretty too.

and then a guy stopped me, asked me if I could share some of my water, and then asked me out I KID YOU NOT, this random dude just shows up out of nowhere when I’m feeling great comparing myself to none other than Taylor Swift, stumbling over his own words trying to flirt with me. Man, I was ecstatic! I’ve never seen that guy before, and never saw him again after that. Now I can see how it was actually creepy as hell because on top of it all he was older and I was 17 at most, and he, like literally came out of a bush and chased me for half a block to talk to a skinny little girl in her high school gym class uniform.

This comparison changed my mindset completely. I even went to prom in a red dress like the one Taylor wears on the cover of her Speak Now deluxe version album. I mean, I still wear pants all through summer but it’s mostly because a) my legs are 8 times whiter than the rest of my body and in desperate need of some tanning and b) I.HATE.SHAVING.

I thought she was genetically prone to being underweight just like me. “That’s why she owns it, it’s so normal for her she never mentions it. No one calls her anorexic or malnourished. She was able to naturalize it and look great doing it! She looks so pretty in shorts!”

See, it truly is 100% a genetic thing. My grandad was scary thin, then all of his children were super thin, my uncle would wear shirts to the pool because he was so self-conscious about it, my mom got married weighing 41 KG (that’s like, what, 90ish pounds?), one of my sisters and I are terribly skinny too.

And then I saw she'd gained some weight. She was looking curvier and had bigger boobs and a bigger ass and damn those legs. She'd grown out of it. She did it. And I started to think back and man! My older cousins were walking sticks growing up and today are these big buffed bros, and my other cousin has a curvy model body, my other sister grew out of it too. I'd grow out of it eventually!

It never occurred to me that she might actually have an eating disorder.

It's come full circle I think. I don't know, I guess I'm just bummed out that the only person that I could look up to and would make me feel normal and healthy and even pretty, was, in fact, going through the opposite type of insecurity and had become what these mean 10 year-olds would call me. She was sick after all.

And I know I have no right to feel scammed. I shouldn't feel this way. But while I was looking up to her for hope and feeling like I could relate, she was starving herself. She was being self-conscious about that extra fat that I yearned for.

I’m glad to know she’s now healthy and happy and can last a whole concert without feeling like throwing up, and that she probably gets her period more regularly now. And I’m sorry she felt like she had to compromise her own health because of some bullshit beauty standards and camera angles, and I know A LOT of people go through the same thing and man it just sucks.

But I thought she was like me.

But you know what, that made up notion got me through high school and I’m happy I had her to relate to then, even if it was just... some misguided assumption I came up with to make myself feel better. I’m still a bit insecure about how skinny I am and even though I work out and eat way too much and yet I have a really fast metabolism and the fat goes to all the wrong places and whatever, I’ll grow out of it someday. It’s okay. I guess it all just put things into perspective but I don't know what that means going forward because it doesn’t alter the facts that I already know to be true. It doesn’t cancel out her talent nor my love and appreciation for her, for what she was to me then and what she means to me now. It’s just an added layer of strength in her favor.

I’m glad Taylor was able to manage her eating disorder and got healthy and is now happy. And she’ll always be my high school companion and her music will always be great. Nothing’s really changed. I simply know something now (know something now) I didn’t before.

#personal #awkwardifying life #rantology #taylor swift #eating disorder #this is really irrelevant #i love her #the banana doesnt have a head #ts

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winterhawkkisses · 7 years

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82.

[Also on AO3]

R&R

Unlike some people in this crazy superhero team, Clint knew how to take advantage of enforced vacation time. Fury had barely finished his sentence before he was on his feet, slinging his bow across his back and heading for the door at something that wasn’t so far short of a flat out run. Straight to the locker room, back into jeans and sneakers, bow tucked away a little more discreetly in a duffle he swung onto his shoulder, and then he was haring up the stairs and out into the sunshine. It had been literal days since he’d been out in it, and he took a long moment to tilt his head back and just bask.

Clint took a deep breath of exhaust-smoke and cart-coffee and the barest gently green edge of spring, and felt a grin spreading across his face. He had no plans – Clint was not a man that planned, it was part of his genetic make-up or something – but there were certain essentials that needed attending to, and Ravi the Coffee Guy wasn’t gonna cut it on this sort of day. Good coffee was worth a little effort, when you had a little time.

Taking the subway felt like blasphemy when the weather was so fine, so he sauntered along the sidewalk with his hands in his pockets. He fished out his phone, typed ‘SUN!!!’ and an indecipherable string of emojis, sent it to Tasha – who was probably sparring with Steve, see previous comments about inability to use vacations appropriately – and after a second’s thought sent it to the rest of the team, too. Sam responded instantly with his own set of cheerful emojis, because Sam was nowhere near Clint’s favorite but always edged higher whenever electronic communication was involved. A few seconds later his phone buzzed again, and he was a little startled to see a text from Barnes; even more so when it turned out to be a picture of the goddamn grumpy cat, because who the hell had educated the guy about memes?

Clint responded with a picture of Princess Monster Truck and then shoved his phone into the top of his bag, crossing the street with a herd of German tourists and ducking into a little alley that had nothing much to grab the attention save a chalkboard with a solar-powered dancing flower zip-tied to one of its legs.

Poorly thought through sleep deprived choices, it said, with an arrow that pointed to the street, and coffee with an arrow pointing deeper into the alley and a tiny chalkdust heart. And, okay, if this was a fairy tale – if life was a fairy tale, or a slasher film, or an after school special – then Clint would be fucked several times over, because he could never resist a mysterious offer, and he could never remember to bring a ball of goddamn string. Life had proved over and over again that fairy tales weren’t exactly its area, though, and Clint had a million and one tiny unregarded sanctuaries pinned all over his mental city map.

It was nothing much inside. Bare brick and local art, in the way of hipster coffee shops the western world over, wrought iron bar stools and the occasional sinfully comfortable armchair that would likely be the cause of WWIII. And, somehow, behind the counter, the most goddamn talented baristas, or the most expensive coffee machine, or… look, someone somewhere made a deal with the devil and Clint wasn’t judging, that was all.

Jin was behind the counter, the shop’s logo stretched all out of shape across her chest, a huge smile at home on face. She’d rearranged the syrups again, by color this time, and on the back counter there was a towering structure built out of take-out cups and plastic lids and wooden stirrers that was threatening to fall down any second.

“Morning, Hawkguy,” she said, and Clint scowled out of habit.

“Coffee,” he said and, pointed, “for Clint.”

“Sure,” she said, scrawled something that was definitely not short enough to be his name on the largest cup they had, then passed it across to Devonte who’d been hiding behind the muffin basket. He fumbled for it, caught sight of the sharpied words, bit down hard on a laugh, and turned to the monstrous coffeemaker with his shoulders suspiciously unsteady.

“Kids these days,” Clint said. “No respect.”

“Coffee for The Least Hot Avenger?” Devonte called, and there was a perfect moment of silence when every head in the shop turned Clint’s way. He let his shoulders slump.

“Thanks,” he said. “Thanks for that.”

Clint had sold his soul for coffee. His soul, his self-respect, probably a few other things he’d never had any use for. He dragged out his phone again, snapped a quick picture of the cup in his hand and sent it Barnes’ way. Guns, he got back, mysteriously, his phone buzzing harshly against the plate-glass door as he pushed it open. He leaned against the wall a second, breathing in richly scented steam as he painstakingly picked out a one-handed reply.

Seems a little excessive. Fury’d be mad.

An eyeroll emoji came back. *Flex*. Least hot my ass.

Clint tapped his phone against his teeth for a second before shrugging and shoving it back into his bag, not feeling up to the level of sarcasm that a response would require before the caffeine had hit his bloodstream. He took his first scalding sip, winced and shoved away from the wall, heading back out into to the sun-drenched world outside of the alley.

There wasn’t much of significance to his day. He took a wander through Central Park, ate a pretzel, wandered home through the weeds and cracked concrete, bought some amazing baklava from his local bodega, dropped most of it off with Simone – not every Avenger had a superhero metabolism, damn it – and fixed the leaking faucet in her bathroom while he was at it. The day ended with his feet, crossed at the ankle, propped up on the low wall that encircled the roof, beer in hand and a half-eaten burger on the paper plate on his lap. The sun had disappeared behind tall buildings a while back, but it was still painting the sky in shades of purple and orange and pink. He snapped a picture, feet off center and blurred against the bright-striped sky, and sent it to Tasha and Barnes.

Tasha responded with a truly hilarious picture of Steve Rogers, sprawled on his back and gasping up at the ceiling of the gym in Stark Tower like a beached fish, an expression of pained bemusement on his face.

Gotta teach me how to do that he replied, and she sent back a wink.

You will learn when one of us dies, which was a level of ominous that warranted screencapping and saving in his ‘ominous Russians’ folder alongside angry Colossus and way too many pictures of Barnes’ face.

Speaking of, Barnes’ response took a little longer. Eventually he sent his own picture of the sunset, just as beautifully colored but with something off about it. After a moment’s squinting, Clint realized that it was a reflection – that it’d been taken through a window, and he could see just the barest hint of Barnes’ scowl. Which made sense, since it took a special kind of grouchy to not take advantage of the weather, to stay all miserable and moodily lit inside.

Sunshine not your style? He responded. He left his phone on his thigh, waiting for any sign Barnes was typing, something odd and kinda unsettled in his stomach.

Steve was w tony, Barnes sent back, eventually, and Clint flailed, sitting up and slamming both feet back to the floor. What the fuck?

He quickly called up his contacts list and down to the Cs, stabbing his finger at ‘Captain Cut’ with a little more force than his elderly smartphone maybe deserved. It rang and rang on the other end, and Clint’s temper wound slowly higher until finally Steve answered with a kinda out of breath mumble that meant Clint knew exactly what he’d been doing.

“Clint?”

“Tell me Barnes’s not still on house arrest,” he snapped, and there was a suspicious silence on the other end of the call.

“He said it was –“

“Okay, sure, we’re gonna let the guy with the guilt complex the size of Tony’s ego make rational decisions today. But hey, you got your booty call, right?”

“Clint, that’s not –“

“Fair? No. How about that.”

Thumbing a button wasn’t as satisfactory as slamming down a handset – even a flip phone would’ve felt better. He wasn’t sure what it was that had him so angry, why it felt so personal. Maybe it was the period directly after the Chitauri had showed up, when everyone had looked at him with suspicion and he tried not to read Tasha’s constant quiet presence as something she hadn’t chosen. Maybe it was the time after he��d recruited her, how long it’d been before he’d seen the sun.

He unlocked his phone again and logged in to his work email, ignoring the text from Tony written in caps.

Fury –

Tomorrow I’m stealing the Soldier, assuming clearance high enough.

Then he sat in the slowly dying light and googled what the hell to do with him once he had him.

Bucky woke to the smell of hot coffee, the mug on his dresser still steaming. Had to’ve been one of the spies, since no one else was quiet enough, and he assumed Romanova since the archer’d been out of there like his ass was on fire the day before. So he was a little surprised when he emerged into the common area to find Barton doing something at the stove, a pale purple shirt stretched over his shoulders and unflatteringly baggy jeans barely clinging to his ass.

“Thanks,” Bucky said, raising the mug a little, and Barton turned to give him a grin.

“You’re gonna need it,” he said. When Bucky just cocked an eyebrow, his grin widened in response. “We’ve got plans.”

“Unless they revolve around the couch and the gym you’re shit out of luck,” Bucky said, trying not to let any bitterness seep into his tone. “’cos Fury’s decided –“

“That I’m a responsible adult,” Barton finished, and shot Bucky the kind of conspiratorial look that made him look all of twelve years old. “Now eat your damned pancakes and put this on.”

‘This’ was a slim black band for Bucky’s wrist. There was nothing visible on it, nothing obviously technological, but Barton had to close it with his thumb, presumably for the print, and it had the cold oddly heavy feel of something that’d come off for nothing short of a bomb blast.

“Just imagine it’s counting your steps,” Barton said, fidgeting with the thing until it was settled to his satisfaction. “Picture yourself as a suburban mom. Your name is Helen.” He looked up to meet Bucky’s eyes, and the sparkle in his made Bucky’s lips automatically turn up into a little grin. Barton’s eyes dropped to his mouth and he blinked, the surprise on his face unflattering.

“So where’re we headed?” Bucky asked, taking a step back and snagging the plate Barton had set out for him.

Rather than answer, Barton stuffed a forkful of pancake into his mouth and gave him another one of those stupid grins, his cheeks bulging out like a chipmunk. Bucky sighed, resigned, and followed suit.

The instructions for dressing were ‘nothing fancy’, and considering how much Barton whined when expected to show up in anything even vaguely resembling a suit, Bucky figured shirt and jeans was his best bet, black on black, battered boots on his feet. He hung a pair of aviators from the v-neck of his shirt and ran a hand through his hair, shoving a cap over it before heading out to join Barton by the elevator.

The guy was already wearing sunglasses, leaning back into the corner as the elevator started moving, a faintly infuriating little smirk on his lips. Bucky figured he was angling for more questions, was aiming to annoy, so instead he folded his arms across his chest and let himself relax against the wall. Wherever they ended up it’d be better than another day working out until he was drenched in sweat, ordering take-out, watching whatever he could bear for more than five minutes on Tony’s giant TV.

When they walked out the door of Stark Tower it was all Bucky could do to keep walking. He’d been out on the roof, sure, but it’d been a long time since street level. The sunlight was bliss but everything else was overwhelming, too loud, too fast moving. Without the focus of a target, the blinkers that a mission put in place, he ducked his head and focused on his feet while he took a couple deep breaths.

Barton was a couple steps ahead when he looked up again. He was waiting but not impatient, expression understanding but not sympathetic, and for that he was a better companion than Tony or Steve, the only others Bucky’d left the tower with since he’d arrived.

“Coffee?”

“Sure,” Bucky said. It’d at least give him an adjustment period, somewhere off the street.

There was a chalkboard outside an alley. Life happens, it said. Coffee helps. The dim interior of the shop was relaxing and Bucky felt the knots in his shoulders ease a little. The guy behind the counter was skinny and short, some kinda twisting pattern shaved into his black hair, and he smiled like sunshine when he saw Barton.

“Hey Devonte,” Barton said. “Two coffees, please. Big as they come.”

The guy set to work, coaxing dark coffee out of the behemoth behind the counter, turning surreptitiously to get another look at Barton when he thought no one was looking. Bucky accidentally caught his eye and, ‘cos he was nothing if not an asshole, smirked a little and stepped in a little closer to Barton’s side.

“Two coffees,” Devonte said after another couple minutes, and his hangdog expression made Bucky feel a little bad, so he grabbed his wallet and left a healthy tip when he paid.

“This is supposed to be my treat,” Barton protested, and Bucky just grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him, shoving him towards the door.

Clint, his cup said, with a tiny black heart. Clint’s boyfriend was on Bucky’s, and he burned his mouth on a laugh.

Bucky had woken late enough that the sun was high in the sky and the subway was deserted, just the two of them in the carriage and an old Chinese guy reading the paper. Bucky scowled at his reflection in the dark window and thought about cutting his hair. Barton was slumped down in his seat, his feet crossed and resting against the pole in the center of the aisle. It should’ve been a precarious position but he was rock solid, swaying with the movement of the train. His eyes were closed and Bucky took a moment to study the lines of him, wondering what the hell had motivated him to drag Bucky out anyway. He wasn’t someone Bucky knew too well yet; mostly he had an impression of laughter – mostly at himself – and deadly fuckin’ accuracy with a bow and a cutting comment.

Barton’s blue eyes flickered open and caught Bucky’s, and he gave him a wide open smile that Bucky wasn’t sure he deserved.

When they got off the train in Queens, Bucky wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting; a petting zoo sure as hell wasn’t it.

The look on Barnes’ face when they walked into the zoo was something else, like he didn’t know whether to grin like a kid or punch Clint in the arm. Whatever the resulting expression was had an edge of vulnerability to it that tugged at Clint’s heart. He cleared his throat, uncertain and uncomfortable because of it, and headed off determinedly in the direction of the farm themed bit, ‘cos he had ambitions of feeding Barnes’ cap to a goat.

He wasn’t sure exactly why it was the zoo he’d picked. He’d looked at pictures of kids shrieking with laughter at pot-bellied pigs and it’d been pretty much the opposite of everything Bucky Barnes – and at the same time it carried a lot of the Bucky in Steve’s stories, big brother and big joker and patience of a saint.

They watched a lamb being bottle-fed, fed the goats – although not with Barnes’ hat – and Clint almost tripped when being chased by a swan because it was the first time he’d seen Bucky laugh, bright and selfless and loud, and the breath caught in his chest at the sound.

Apparently he’d had an ulterior motive. Apparently he was a fuckin’ idiot not to realize that.

Clint trailed Bucky around the rest of the zoo in a daze. He was with it enough to take a picture of Bucky with a rabbit in his lap, at least, and sent it to Steve as something that fell into the gap between an apology and an accusation. They finally left when Bucky’s stomach started growling too loudly for Clint to ignore; their trip through the gift shop meant Bucky carried a stuffed wolf with him onto the subway, its spherical face perfectly matching Bucky’s scowl.

The train this time was far busier and they stood close together, holding onto the same pole. Clint kept his face turned away, watching a young woman’s expressions as she reacted unselfconsciously to her book.

“You wanna – “ he said after a second, “we have this cook-out most nights at my building. Up on the roof. If you - ?”

“Yeah,” Bucky said, and from the tone of his voice he was smiling, so it was a good goddamn thing that Clint was looking down. “Sounds good.”

Barton – Clint – lived in Bed-Stuy. His building was old and kinda falling apart, but it held inside it the signs of being well-loved. There were welcome mats outside doors, flowers in window boxes nodding in through windows, a kid’s tricycle trusted to the corner of a hallway. Clint’s apartment was big and split level, and filled with nothing much of anything. He went over to get burgers, brats and beers from the refrigerator and Bucky followed him and leaned against the counter, watching him move without anything like subtlety.

It’d been an interesting day. It’d been a day as far from being an Avenger as it could have been. It’d been the best day that Bucky could remember having recently, and a lot of it was to do with the guy in front of him who had slipped effortlessly somehow over the course of the day from Barton into Clint. And where Barton was safe territory, the Widow’s territory and therefore off-limits to any thoughts outside of ‘team’, Clint was something kinda new. Clint acted like an idiot and smiled like a kid. Clint picked up all the warmth of the sunshine and reflected it back in his voice. Clint was doing something dangerous to Bucky’s insides, and he was pretty sure he liked it.

So he circled the counter and snagged the beers from Clint’s hand, placing them carefully beside the refrigerator in a way that left him pressed up close. He watched with satisfaction as Clint swallowed, as his eyes turned dark.

“Thanks for today,” he said, voice low. “Thanks for thinkin’ of me.”

Clint smiled off-center, his eyes flicking away.

“Can’t seem to help it,” he said, embarrassed and honest and a little ashamed, and that couldn’t stand. Bucky lifted his hand to cup Clint’s cheek, rubbing his thumb across fair stubble.

“I’m good with that,” he said, and leaned in to press his lips to Clint’s dawning smile.

#winterhawk #winterhawk kisses #longer than usual #fluff #getting together #*shrugs*

79 notes · View notes

peacefulheartfarm · 5 years

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What is A2A2 Milk

You have heard me talk about A2A2 milk. Some of you may not know what that means. You may wonder if it really matters to you and your family. I’m going to fill you in on some of that information today.

First let me say welcome to all the new listeners and welcome back to you veteran homestead loving regulars who stop by the FarmCast every week. I appreciate you all so much. I’m so excited to share with you what’s going on at the farm this week, a little bit about A2A2 milk and a great and tasty recipe. Let’s just jump right in.

Today’s Show

Homestead Life Updates

What is A2A2 Milk?

Ice Cream Base Recipe – with downloadable document with flavoring ideas

Homestead Life Updates

Cows

The cows are doing great. We have a new calf and the last one for a while. There is likely one more, but that cow is way behind the others. In fact, we are getting ready to breed some of them again in a few weeks. Cloud will deliver so late that she likely will not get bred back this year.

We are selling all of our bulls. We have six. Yes six. There is 2-year-old Sam. He is 95% Normande genetics and the sire of this year’s crop of calves. Then we have 1-year-old Ray’s Rocket – mostly we call him Rocket Man. Lastly is the group of newlings born this year. All four are for sale. Some are currently being negotiated for but I’ll put a link in the show notes to the Facebook page where all of their information can be found. If you are looking to improve the genetics of your herd, this is the bull for you.

Sheep/Goats

Lambert is so fat right now. He will be receiving his bottle twice daily until nearly all of the milk replacer is gone. Then I will switch him to once a day for a week or maybe two before weaning him completely off.

If you want to get a whole or half lamb, speak up now. It will be months yet before these are ready for your freezer. We have one lamb and/or 2 half lambs currently available. A whole lamb yields 30 to 35 pounds, sometimes more of meat. Half lambs, half that. You can see the cuts that come on a whole or half lamb on our website. www.peacefulheartfarm.com/shop/lamb-package.

Orchard and Garden

There is always so much going on around here that a lot of stuff gets pushed back. Thinks like birthing, gathering and storing milk, making cheese, taking care of animals all have the highest priority. The garden and the orchard, not so much. My garden is still overrun with weeds, though I was able to dig out my carrots and surprisingly there are lots that beat the grass. Watering the garden does have a priority or it would all simply die. Other stuff slows down or stunts growth. The bottom line is we will still get a crop, but perhaps not as large as if we had gotten the weeds out and fertilized more often.

The peas are just such a crop. They are producing like mad and I will be picking them within the week, I think. Then they will have to be processed in some way. I’m scaring myself with all of that. There are just not enough hours in the week.

I still don’t even have everything planted. The green beans need to be put in the ground. The peanuts need to be replanted; I have no idea why not a single one sprouted. And the eggplant is going to wither away to nothing if I don’t get it out there in the garden.

Everything needs to be weeded. Everything needs to be fertilized.

Scott is diligently digging out the orchard from the waist high grass. It would be great if we could graze some of the animals in there, but they all eat the trees. We are still investigating how to get the sheep in their without having them raise up on their back legs as high as they can and eating all of the leaves off the branches they can reach. The goats are a complete disaster anywhere near the orchard or the berries. They will eat the bark off of the trees, killing them. And because they like to eat woody stemmed plants, they will decimate blackberry vines and blueberry bushes. No, we don’t want them anywhere near the orchard.

On the upside, they did a really great job of clearing out the wild blackberries on the island in the big pond. It is now quite pleasant to sit out there and enjoy being surrounded by water and nature.

Quail

We are newbies with the quail. It is unbelievable how quickly those quail grew. They outgrew their brooder box a good week before we had planned. Outside they went as we were having a warm spell. There were a couple of cool nights but these are wild birds and they faired very well. They are only barely over 2 weeks old and are fully feathered. The tiny birds that were barely the size of a gold ball are now the size of a baseball – perhaps even a softball. It’s amazing. They will begin laying eggs in as little as six weeks from now. Yum, yum, we look forward to it.

Four eggs are required to equal one chicken egg. Our plan is to have about 30 laying hens and 6 roosters for breeding. We will need to continually hatch out new ones as their lives are actually quite short and they only lay for a year or two.

Creamery

The creamery – ah the creamery. So much still to do there and Scott has so little time to do it. We really need that building completed. However, as I mentioned earlier, there are priorities. First the animals, then the perishable milk and cheese, then the garden and orchard. The creamery, as an inanimate object comes in last place. There are even maintenance projects that take precedence. Fences, driveways, pathways, other infrastructure – all has to be kept up to ensure the safety of our animals.

It’s a lot but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. We work long hours every day – very long hours every day. Alarm goes off at 6:00 am and though 10:00 pm is bedtime, more often it is 11 or 11:30 before that happens. And every bit of it is worth it. There is never any lack of meaning in our lives. Boredom is something very distant in the past. The constant attention to the next task makes us know that we are alive in God’s wonderful creation.

One thing that evolved through nature is the composition of milk in cows. Recently, some of the genetic content and protein structure of milk has changed.

What is A2A2 Milk?

There is a great deal of scientific gobbledygook about the proteins and how they are broken down or not. I’ll try to keep this layman friendly and skip most of the mumbo-jumbo lingo. By the way, did you know that gobbledygook is an actual word that my spell-checker knew? Who knew? Well, my spellchecker knew.

A2 milk is cow's milk that mostly lacks a form of beta-casein proteins called A1 and instead has mostly the A2 form.

A1 and A2 beta-casein are genetic variants of the beta-casein milk protein that differ by one amino acid. Casein is a family of related phosphoproteins. These proteins are commonly found in the milk of mammals, comprising about 80% of the proteins in cow’s milk and between 20% and 45% of the proteins in human milk. Sheep and buffalo milk have a higher casein content than other types of milk with human milk having a particularly low casein content. Casein has a wide variety of uses one of which is being a major component of cheese. We respect our casein.

A genetic test, developed by the a2 Milk Company, determines whether a cow produces A2 or A1 type protein in its milk. The test allows the company to certify milk producers as producing milk that does not metabolize to beta-casomorphin which is an opioid peptide or protein fragment derived from the digestion of the milk protein casein.

I know, I’m getting too scientific with the lingo there. All that means is that the chemical composition of A2A2 milk may benefit our health because it is digested without inflammation that might arise from BCM-7 produced by A1 beta-casein. Consequently, A1 proteins may be detrimental to our health. That causes great push back from the gigantic dairy industry as A2A2 genetics is rare in Europe (except France) and the US. That would really disrupt their operation if their milk was found to be harmful – while others had milk that was beneficial.

As with so many health-related topics, the science is divided on whether or not there is reason for concern regarding the A1 protein in milk – whether there are adverse health effects from its consumption. Personally, I’m erring on the side of caution, as I do with so many other foods. I’ll go with tradition as opposed to modern fads in nutrition. We are breeding our cows for the A2A2 genetic conformation.

And when I say modern fads in nutrition, I mean everything that came pouring out of the 20th century and that continues to pour out in the 21st century. I’m talking about three square meals a day, the food pyramid, and the modified food pyramid. I’m talking about low fat diets, vegan and vegetarian diets, the Mediterranean diet, the South Beach diet and so on. All of these so-called nutrition experts are literally experimenting with our health as human beings. We evolved over thousands and thousands and thousands of years eating locally grown food, whatever it was. Historically, in the tropics the diet was heavy in fruits, nuts and greens, in Alaska fat predominated. In other regions protein was the main source of dietary sustenance. You must find what works for you.

Which brings me back to A2A2 milk.

History

In the 1980s, some medical researchers began to explore whether some peptides (including peptides from casein) that are created during digestion might have negative or positive health effects.

Interest in the distinction between A1 and A2 beta-casein proteins in milk began in the early 1990s via epidemiological research and animal studies initially conducted by scientists in New Zealand. The scientists found correlations between the prevalence of milk with A1 beta-casein proteins in some countries and the prevalence of various chronic diseases. The research generated interest in the media, as well as among the scientific community and entrepreneurs. If it were indeed true that BCM-7 created by A1 beta-casein is harming humans, this would be an important public health issue.

Scientists believe the difference in genetics originated as a mutation that occurred between 5000 and 10,000 years ago—as cattle were being taken north into Europe with the mutation subsequently spreading widely throughout herds in the Western world through breeding.

The percentage of the A1 and A2 beta-casein protein varies between herds of cattle, and also between countries and provinces. While African and Asian cattle continue to produce only A2 beta-casein, the A1 version of the protein is common among cattle in the western world. The A1 beta-casein type is the most common type found in cow's milk in Europe (excluding France where our Normandes with predominantly A2A2 genetics originate). It is also the most common type found in cow’s milk in the US, Australia and New Zealand.

Let’s talk about the possible health benefits.

Health Benefits

Symptoms of stomach discomfort, such as gas, bloating, and diarrhea that occur after consuming dairy products, are typically attributed to lactose intolerance. However, some researchers believe that it is BCM-7, not lactose, that affects digestion and produces symptoms similar to lactose intolerance, in some people.

A study on Chinese adults with self-reported milk intolerance compared the effects of drinking regular milk that contained A1 and A2 proteins with A2-only milk on intestinal function, stomach discomfort, and inflammation.

The participants consumed 8 oz of milk twice a day for 2 weeks. They reported worse stomach pain after they consumed the regular milk but no change in symptoms after they drank the A2 milk.

Participants also reported more frequent and looser-consistency stools while they drank the regular milk. These symptoms did not occur after they consumed the A2 milk.

So, what MIGHT be happening on the other side of the coin?

Potentially Harmful Effects of non A2A2 Milk

Notice the words “might and “potentially” there. I’m not making any claims here. Some of the effects can include:

Inflammation

In the same study mentioned above, researchers also looked at markers of inflammation in the blood. They found the participants had higher levels of inflammatory markers after they drank the regular milk.

Brain function

The research showed that milk could impact brain function. Study participants took longer to process information and made more errors on a test after drinking regular milk compared to A2 milk.

Type 1 diabetes

The potential risks associated with milk containing A1 proteins include an increased risk of developing type 1 diabetes.

Some studies have shown that children who drink cow's milk protein at an earlier age than others have a higher risk of developing type 1 diabetes. However, other studies have not shown the same association.

The research also suggests that the amount of milk a child consumes could influence their risk of developing type 1 diabetes, with higher milk consumption observed in children who develop the condition.

At least one study showed a link between the consumption of A1 protein and incidence of type 1 diabetes, although this kind of study fails to prove that it is a direct cause.

Some animal studies have shown associations between cow's milk consumption and a higher incidence of type 1 diabetes. One study in mice found that 47 percent of the mice that had A1 protein added to their diet developed diabetes, while none that had A2 protein added did so.

However, other research does not support the hypothesis that there is any association between milk consumption and a higher incidence of type 1 diabetes. There are links in the show notes for both sides of this discussion. Debate about the potential health effects of A1 and A2 milk is ongoing.

Research suggests that A1 beta-casein causes adverse digestive symptoms in certain individuals. But the evidence is still too weak for any solid conclusions to be made about the supposed links between A1 beta-casein and other conditions, such as type 1 diabetes and autism.

That said, A2 milk could be worth a try if you struggle to digest regular milk.

There you have it. The basics to the why of A2A2 milk. I’ll let you decide. Again, we like to err on the side of caution. We have two A2A2 certified cows and will be testing the rest of the herd as we move forward with our dairy operation. Go to the show notes for the links to the research I referenced.

Speaking of milk, how about an ice cream recipe for your A2A2 milk and cream.

Ice Cream Base Recipe (Download Flavorings)

When it’s warm outside, a cold refreshing dish of ice cream can really hit the spot. This is a basic ice cream recipe that can be used as a base for many different flavors. I’ve included a download link to the flavorings.

This silky, luscious and very classic custard can be used as the base for any ice cream flavor you can dream up. These particular proportions of milk and cream to egg yolk will give you a thick but not sticky ice cream that feels decadent but not heavy. For something a little lighter, use more milk and less cream, as long as the dairy adds up to 3 cups. You can also cut down on egg yolks for a thinner base, but don’t go below three.

Time: 20 minutes plus several hours’ cooling, chilling and freezing

Yield: about 1 ½ pints

What You Need

2cups heavy cream

1cup whole milk

⅔ cup sugar

⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt

6 large egg yolks

Your choice of flavoring (download here)

What To Do

In a small pot, simmer cream, milk, sugar and salt until sugar completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat. In a separate bowl, whisk yolks. Whisking constantly, slowly whisk about a third of the hot cream into the yolks, then whisk the yolk mixture back into the pot with the cream. Return pot to medium-low heat and gently cook until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer).

Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cool mixture to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.

Churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. Serve directly from the machine for soft serve, or store in freezer until needed.

Final Thoughts

I hope your days are filled with as much love and joy as you can stand. We love our lives here. Yes, we are busy beyond belief. Yes, it’s a little stressful sometimes. I just find it so fulfilling. From the time I was a child I was told to work hard for what I wanted. I was also told that I was too smart to not be college educated and have a career. So, no physical work. That was for those not smart enough to get out of that poor and decrepit existence. Funny isn’t it? In the end, educated to the max, I prefer the hard work. And indeed, some of it is smart brain work. But the best and most enjoyable part involves sweat.

Particularly, I love our cows and our dairy operation. Check out the references I provided for the research around A2 beta-casein. Then sign on to our herd share program with our A2A2 milk and value added products, go to www.peacefulheartfarm.com/virginia-herdshare. Read, ask questions, download the documents. We’d love to do business with you.

And as this Memorial Day weekend stretches into Monday, I hope you’ll try that ice cream recipe. There is nothing more traditional than everyone taking turns operating that crank on the ice cream machine. Well, we use the electric method. Likely you do too, but the principle is still the same. Enjoy your time with your family and friends.

If you enjoyed this podcast, please hop over to Apple Podcasts, Subscribe and give me a 5-star rating and review. Also, please share it with any friends or family who might be interested in this type of content.

As always, I’m here to help you “taste the traditional touch.”

Thank you so much for stopping by the homestead and until next time, may God fill your life with grace and peace.

References

Peaceful Heart Farm Bulls for Sale

NIH published study

Nutrition & Diabetes Study

The A2 milk case: a critical review

Recipe Link

Ice Cream Base

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NEW!! Peaceful Heart FarmCast Episode. Enjoy!!

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strawberryspeachy · 7 years

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so in my head... i am kind of an asshole... specifically in one area so i believe everyone's body is beautiful... to someone. everyone has different ideas on what is beautiful and no one should be shamed for their body

I do have an issue with... so like i went jean shopping last year for the first time in a while and all the sizes were changed. I’m 5f and skinny with no hips - im a size 0. or was... now im like a size 000 or some shit because at least the stores i was shopping at. like. im sorry if girls want to say their a size smaller than they are. you’re literally lying to yourself by changing the sizes around and the anger that comes from bigger girls that they’re not considered skinny ok look. you know whats something you can’t change. your genetics. tall pale blue eyes blonde girls. the fact that they’re considered prettier than anyone else and while i know barbie girl shaming is brought up alot... its always sorta breezed through like - mehh thats something we gotta accept - they’re always gonna be considered superior but the shaming of skinny girls... the insistence that they should be thought of as just super unhealthy and not worthy of the praise.. like oh look at me with my curves! im a REAL woman obviously i prefer the super skinny look. I wasn’t always skinny, sure i have a good metabolism making it easier for me to get skinny and i didn’t until college but it takes work. Figuring out how to exercise certain areas of your body. saying no to junk food. Being cautious about the size of your meals. choosing the healthy alternatives i know some people really can’t adjust their weight. its in their genetics. and for them that sucks if you want a different body shape. but im so sick of hearing people who are like “I like food!! I want to eat a lot! I should still be called smaller than I am!!” no... everyone likes to fucking eat. its something you can control... idk idk how to make sense of that but it just makes me really mad

fucking jennifer lawrence is the worst with that bs. like you’re not skinny bitch stfu. but look at you with your blonde hair and blue eyes. thats why you still get your fucking roles. if you were a brunette with brown eyes no one would know who the fuck you are. and idr which movie she was all the sudden really skinny for - you didn’t even hold out on your ‘ill never change my body’ bs i don’t want to fucking hear these assholes going on about - how hardd it was for them to lose weight and asking for everyone's sympathy. ok. don’t lose the weight then. let the role go to someone who already does that and doesn’t bitch and wine about it and its not just tv. losing weight and maintaining small weight is hard but obviously not impossible

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lindafrancois · 4 years

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Healthy Eating Ultimate Guide: Start Eating Healthy Without Being Miserable

So you want to start eating healthy, eh?

Amazing!

We’ve helped hundreds of thousands of people like you transform into actual superheroes, and we focus on proper nutrition to do so.

These are the exact strategies we teach our Online Coaching clients, and we’ve used these tips to help them lose weight and get in great shape without being miserable.

No shame, no guilt, just results! Learn about our Coaching Program:

Plus, we use fun LEGO photos and gifs to keep you entertained.

In this Ultimate Guide, we’ll cover everything you need to start eating healthy today:

The TRUTH about healthy eating (DON’T SKIP).

What is “healthy eating” exactly?

How to start eating healthy: eating real food.

What about fruit. Is fruit healthy?

Are cheese and dairy healthy?

What’s the right diet for me: Keto, Paleo, Mediterranean?

Healthy grocery shopping, cooking, and meal prep.

19 healthy meals you can cook today.

None of this matters without your BIG WHY:

Healthy Eating: Next Steps.

The Truth About Healthy Eating

It’s really easy to tell people the following advice:

“To lose weight, just eat more REAL food.”

“Just eat less fast food and junk food.”

“Try to eat more organic vegetables watered by unicorn tears, farm-to-table meals served by centaurs, and kale omletes made with eggs from chickens that you raised since birth.”

Okay so maybe people don’t say the last one.

But it’s not far from what healthy people say to people who can’t seem to get healthy.

In my opinion, these positions are completely out of touch with reality and it makes me plum dog mad.

For starters, fast food is crazy delicious and dirt cheap, and often the only way that many busy parents can feed themselves and their kids[1].

Next, applying morality and guilt to food consumption (“I’m being ‘so bad’ by eating this cookie”) creates an emotional rollercoaster – my least favorite kind of roller coaster.

I mean come on, we don’t need to be told that freshly grown fruits and veggies are better for us than junk food.

We don’t need to be told that organic grilled chicken and kale salad is healthier than a Double Whopper with Cheese.

We all know this!

So rather than “trying harder” to eat healthier we’re going to use things like “science” and “human psychology” and “excessive quotation marks.”

Cool?

Here’s what you need to know: If you’re just trying to be healthier and maybe lose some weight, there’s no need to start funneling kale smoothies, mainlining chicken and broccoli, and abandoning your loyalty to the Burger King.

You can lose weight and be healthy while still eating these foods occasionally.

Heck, people have lost weight by eating Twinkies[2] and drinking soda and eating at McDonald’s 3 times per day[3].

I share this info not to promote those foods, but rather make a big point:

If you are terrified of giving up all “junk food”…

You do not need to give up fast food if it brings you joy.

You do not need to feel shame for eating ice cream.

You don’t need to use terms like “cheat meal” or “guilty pleasure” when talking about a chocolate chip cookie.

Food isn’t good or evil, my dear friend!

It’s just food!

Let’s bring it all together:

If we have certain health goals, we can give ourselves the best chance of success by getting strategic about what foods we say “YES” to, and what foods we say “SOMETIMES” to.

These YES foods give us more energy and have fewer calories on average than “junk food,” which means we’re likely to eat fewer total calories without realizing it.

And thus, we end up with the Triforce of Awesome:

A longer lifespan.

A smaller waistline.

A happier, healthier existence.

So what are these magical foods we’re talking about?

I thought you’d never ask.

What is Healthy Eating?

Removing all the morality and science of food, let’s talk about a realistic definition of “healthy food”:

“Foods I can eat frequently that give me enough fuel to get through the day AND don’t make me miserable.”

Most doctors, websites, and books have generally the same list of “healthy foods”:

Protein like meat and legumes.

Fresh fruits and vegetables.

Healthy carbohydrates like rice, quinoa.

Healthy fats like almonds and olive oil.

Occasional cheese and dairy.

(A more complete list of healthy foods is below).

Why is it that these are the foods that happen to end up on every list on every website when it comes to “healthy eating?”

Simple.

They are full of vitamins and nutrients while also being lower in calories than the processed foods that have been designed to be overeaten[4].

They also fill us up, making us feel satiated, and keep us under our calorie total for the day[5].

Now you’re starting to get it:

If we can prioritize these foods on our plate even occasionally, we’ll feel full more often while eating fewer calories…

Which leads to sustainable weight loss and maintenance!

Let me drive this point about calories vs energy into your brain (not literally).

Here are 4 foods in the exact same quantity, 200 calories (courtesy of wiseGEEK):

And here’s a huge plate of broccoli, also 200 calories:

In this context, the realization that we might overeat certain foods compared to others starts to become more clear:

If we accidentally overeat broccoli, we might eat an extra 20 calories. And who accidentally overeats broccoli?

If we accidentally overeat spaghetti, we might eat an extra 500-1000 calories.

If we accidentally eat a family-sized bag of Sour Patch Kids, we might eat an extra 2000 calories (and have no tastebuds left on your tongue)[6].

Which brings me to the next point:

We humans are terrible at estimating how many calories we eat[7]. Like, really really bad at it. I bet the proportions of the above foods surprised you.

We consistently eat much more than we realize, by 40%+.

To make matters worse, we also OVERestimate how many calories we burn through exercise.

One study showed that Fitness trackers like AppleWatch or Fitbit overestimate exergy burned through exercise by 20% or more[8].

So when we “can’t lose weight,” it’s not because we have a broken metabolism.

It’s not because we have bad genetics[9].

Or that we’re not eating for our blood type.

It’s because we consistently eat too much food without realizing it.

Because we always have a ready supply of new energy from recently eaten food, more than we need, our body NEVER has to dip into our stored fat to burn for fuel.

And when we think we’ve out-exercised our bad diet, we really haven’t.

So it’s time to stop “trying harder” and instead “try differently”:

In order for us to get healthy, we need to find ways to include more foods that fill us up AND taste good.

Luckily, I have that list riiiiight here!

How to Start Eating Healthy (Healthy Food List)

There are three big macronutrients that we’re going to focus on as we build our plate like the image above:

Protein: building blocks for our muscles.

Carbohydrates: our bodies will burn as fuel.

Fats: can be burned as fuel, and also helps with nutrition absorption!

#1) PROTEIN: Priority Numero Uno.

Protein is amazing.

Your body uses protein to rebuild your muscles and keep you strong, especially if you are exercising or strength training regularly.

Protein is both good for you AND satiating without being a calorie bomb.

Protein can come from any number of sources, including:

Meat (steak, bison, pork).

Fowl (chicken, turkey, duck).

Eggs![10]

Fish and shellfish (salmon, tuna, shrimp).

Legumes (black beans, chickpeas).

Not a meat-eater? Read our massive plant-based guide!

A serving of protein is about the size and thickness of your palm.

*The 4 oz serving is for an uncooked piece of meat. Cooking reduces about 25% of the weight, bringing it down to about 3 oz.

When building a plate, aim for the following amount of protein:

Dudes: 1-2 servings (6-8 oz or about 170-228 g): two palms

Dudettes: 1 serving (3-4 oz or about 85-114 g): 1 palm.

If you’re curious, here’s how much protein is in a serving of food:

4 oz (113 g) serving of chicken has around 30 g of protein.

4 oz (113 g) serving of salmon has 23 g of protein

4 oz (113 g) of steak has 28 g of protein.

As we cover in our “how much protein should I eat per day?” you can target anywhere from 80% to 100% of your bodyweight in pounds per gram of protein, with an upper limit of 250g[11]:

If you weigh 150 pounds (68 kg), target 120-150g of protein.

If you weigh 200 pounds (90 kg), target 160-200g of protein.

If you weigh 250 pounds (113 kg), target 200-250g of protein.

If you weigh more than 250 pounds (113 kg), target 250g of protein.

#2: VEGETABLES: The difference-maker when it comes to healthy eating and weight management.

They are nutrient-dense: full of all the good nutrients that your body can use to function at optimal performance.

Next, they are energy-dense but calorie-light, which means you can eat lots of them, you’ll feel full, but you’re unlikely to over-consume calories.

A serving of veggies is about the size of your fist.

Remember this is what just 200 calories of broccoli looks like (holy crap). This is at least 5 full servings:

Here’s a quick, non-complete list of veggies that can fill your plate:

Broccoli

Broccolini

Cauliflower

Spinach

Kale

Spaghetti squash[12]

Brussels sprouts

Zucchini

Cucumber

Carrots

Onion

Asparagus

Target 2 servings of vegetables on your plate – it should take up ½ the plate!

“But Steve, I don’t like vegetables…yet!”

That’s cool, I didn’t eat vegetables until I was 22. Now, they’re a main staple of every meal I eat.

If this is you, read our guide on “how to make vegetables taste good.”

To recap portion sizes of protein and vegetables:

#3) HEALTHY CARBOHYDRATES: Fuel and fiber!

These are the foods that can be an important part of a diet, provided you eat them in the right quantities for your goals.

These foods are also great to consume right after a strenuous strength training workout to help your muscles and liver refill their glycogen stores (their energy tanks[13], essentially).

Examples of healthy carbohydrates:

Rice, brown or white

Legumes, lentils

Quinoa

Potatoes

Sweet potatoes

Yams

Pasta

Whole grain bread

This is a list of REAL food, minimally processed, that also have plenty of fiber[14].

If you’re wondering how fruit factors into this equation, that’s the next section.

Back to healthy carbs: when consumed in proper proportion, these are great foods that can help you feel full and give you energy and all that jazz.

Just make sure you know what an actual portion of these foods are!

EVERYBODY accidentally overeats carbohydrate-heavy foods, even healthy ones, and then wonders why they aren’t losing weight.

To help you get better at eyeballing serving sizes:

1 serving of a starchy carbohydrate is 1 cupped hand (uncooked), or your two hands forming a cup (cooked).

Here are some images to help you learn proper portion sizes (thanks to SafeFood):

#4) HEALTHY FATS: No longer the enemy!

Fat had a bad rep in the 70s, 80s, and 90s, but now things are swinging wayyyyy back in the other direction.

In some circles, fat is now considered the healthiest thing on the planet, will do your taxes for you, and is considered a superfood.

Let’s get to the truth:

Fat is neither a superfood nor evil.

It’s just a macronutrient that you can eat that can help you reach your goals in the right quantity, or keep you from your goals if it’s overconsumed.

When your doctor tells you to eat more healthy fats, she’s referring to polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats[15].

Healthy fat can be found in foods like:

Avocado

Almonds

Walnuts

Macadamia nuts

Olive oil

Almond butter

Peanut butter

Now, science has recently come around on saturated fat too[16] – once completely vilified, but now cautiously considered okay for moderate consumption.

Saturated fats can come from things like:

Whole milk

Full fat dairy

Coconut oil

Grass-fed butter

Lard

Fatty cuts of meat

Fat can be good for you provided you’re eating the right quantity for your goals.

However, like carbs, fats can be overconsumed accidentally too.

To help you gauge: a serving size of fat is roughly the size of your thumb!

THIS is a single serving of almonds (162 calories):

THIS is a serving of olive oil (119 calories, taken from Runtastic):

As you can see, if you’re not careful – you can accidentally eat an extra 500 calories of “healthy fats” by absentmindedly eating too many “heart-healthy” fats.

Many folks in our Coaching Program had us analyze why they weren’t losing weight, even though they “only ate grilled chicken and veggies.”

When we dug into it, they had been preparing all of their food in an extra 500-600 calories worth of olive oil they weren’t accounting for.

To recap fats and starchy carbs: feel free to include a starchy portion to your plate in the form of rice, potatoes, pasta, or legumes, and healthy fats can help spice up a meal too.

I realize that was a CRAZY amount of info, so let’s put it all on the same Healthy Plate:

1-2 servings of protein (¼ of plate)

2 servings of vegetables (½ of plate)

1 serving potatoes, rice, or pasta. (1/4th of plate)

1 serving of fat (size of your thumb)

1 zero-calorie or low-calorie beverage (water, diet soda, tea)

I know that not all of your meals are going to be perfectly segmented like a bento box. For example:

A fatty cut of meat like chicken thighs means your fat and protein are commingling. Cool.

Lentils and legumes mean your protein and your carbs are attached at the hip. Swell.

A burrito bowl with chicken, rice, guacamole, and cheese means all of your macros are cohabitating. Neato!

Salmon cooked in olive oil and coated in almond flakes means your fat and protein have fused. Stupendous!

This plate and serving size stuff above is just to help you get started thinking about healthy food differently and in proper portion sizes:

Trying to lose weight? Reduce your portions of carbs and fats.

Trying to gain weight? Increase your portions of carbs and fats!

Remember, all calories count.

I can already understand your next series of questions:

“What about beverages?” Simple. Liquid calories count too. So stick to low or zero-calorie drinks like water, tea, coffee, and diet soda.

“How about condiments?” Grilled chicken slathered in 1000 calories of buffalo sauce means you’re still eating a calorie bomb!

“But what about things like Paleo or Keto? I thought low carb = healthy?” I address that in the “which diet is right for me?” section. Keep reading.

What’s the Deal with Fruit? Is Fruit Healthy?

As we lay out in our “Is Fruit Healthy?” Guide, fruit is absolutely healthy and can help you reach your goals – in the right quantities.

Fruits are full of nutrients, packed with fiber, and can make for a great snack or part of a protein-focused breakfast!

Personally, I blend up frozen mixed berries in my post-workout smoothie.

Just remember that fruit, like every other food, obeys the laws of thermodynamics.

So, simply be aware of the calories (and carb and fiber content if you’re following a lower carb diet):

Apple: 95 cal, 25g carbs, 4.4g fiber.

Banana: 105 cal, 27g carbs, 3.1g fiber.

Orange: 45 cal, 11g carbs, 2.3g fiber.

Pear: 100 cal, 28g carbs, 3g fiber.

Peach: 59 cal, 14g carbs, 2.3g fiber.

Strawberries (1 cup): 47 cal, 11g carbs, 3g fiber.

Pineapple (1 cup): 82 cal, 22g carbs, 2.3g fiber.

Grapes (1 cup): 62 cal, 16g carbs, 0.8g fiber.

Raspberries (1 cup): 65 cal, 15g carbs, 8 fiber.

Fruit is a better, healthier alternative to nutrient-empty food from a vending machine.

Where fruit can get you in trouble is if you start to move in the direction of “fruit-like”:

#1) Fruit juices (cranberry juice, orange juice, grape juice): these are high calorie, sugar-filled beverages.

For example, here are the calories in one 8 oz [17] serving of:

Apple Juice: 103 calories, 22 g of sugar

Orange Juice: 103 calories, 18 g of sugar

Grape Juice: 136 calories, 32 g of sugar

#2) Dried fruit: notoriously easy to overeat because they are so small. Since the water has been taken out, all that’s left is the sugar and fiber.

Here’s 1 serving of raisins, which is 108 calories and 21 g of sugar:

If you are saying “oh man, I eat 5x that many raisins when I eat them…” then multiply those calorie and sugar numbers by 5!

3) Fruit Smoothies: Just because it’s a fruit smoothie doesn’t mean it won’t make you fat! Have you seen the calorie count and sugar content of smoothies and ‘green drinks’? Yikes.

Green Machine Naked Juice (15.2 oz or 450 ml bottle): 270 calories, 53 g of sugar.

Smoothie King Banana Boat (20 oz or 591 ml smoothie): 450 calories, 70 g of sugar.

To recap: fruit is healthy, provided you stick to fresh or frozen and not fruit-like food, dried fruit, or canned fruit packed in syrup.

If you enjoy a small glass of orange juice occasionally, or you pack a serving of raisins in your lunch and it makes life worth living, by all means!

Just don’t chug OJ by the gallon, drink a 64 oz “real fruit smoothie,” and eat raisins by the handful and then wonder why you’re not losing weight.

Are Cheese and Dairy healthy?

We get questions about these two types of food frequently.

Let me start by saying I’m assuming you’re not doing Paleo (which says “NO dairy and NO cheese”), or plant-based (which says NO to all animal products).

I’ll also assume you’re not doing Keto, which almost requires you to load up on dairy and cheese to eat enough fat every day!

Let’s pretend you’re just curious if cheese and/or dairy can be consumed on a “healthy diet:”:

YES, you can still eat cheese and be healthy.

YES, you can still eat dairy and be healthy.

And there was much rejoicing:

Like the healthy carbs and fats listed above, it all comes down to your calories consumed in a day, and if these foods fit into your daily calorie goals:

Want to put cheese on top of your salad of chicken and vegetables? Great!

Want to eat greek yogurt, a scoop of protein powder, and frozen berries for your breakfast? Amazing!

Want to eat a bowl of cereal with skim milk (or whole milk) in the morning with your kid before school? No problem.

This is true for higher-fat cheeses or full-fat dairy too – the food just needs to fit into your goals!

Luckily, all dairy comes labeled, and most cheese will come with a nutrition label on it too.

Just make sure your portions are in line. For reference, here are four different servings of cheddar cheese (about 113 calories a serving):

And here’s a serving of greek yogurt (100 calories in 170 grams):

And although nobody in the history of the world has ever eaten an actual serving…here is a serving of ice cream:

(A scoop of ice cream the size of a tennis ball is about 127 calories, cleverly shown above.)

So, dairy and cheese are both perfectly acceptable health food options! Just make sure they fit into your goals.

If you are NOT losing weight, and you consume a lot of dairy and/or cheese, consider measuring your intake and see if it’s in line with your expectations!

What’s the best diet for me? Keto vs Paleo vs Plant-based.

“Low fat diets? Low carb diets? No carb diets? I don’t know which one is the BEST diet!”

“Help me, Steve Kamb, you’re my only hope.”

Okay, you’re probably not saying that, but it’s an excuse to pay homage to Star Wars so I can use the great photo above.

You probably do have questions though about what’s healthier, a low fat diet or a low carb diet.

Low carb diets are all the rage right now, but are they healthy and will they help you lose weight?

Maybe.

It depends on how your body regulates glucose (blood sugar)[18]:

Some who don’t regulate glucose well do better on a lower carb diet.

Others who do regulate glucose well might do better on a lower fat diet.

Studies show that people who follow EITHER a low fat OR a low carb diet will still lose weight, as long as they are in caloric restriction and can adhere to the diet for at least a year[19].

So, it comes down to: “which diet are you more likely to stick with for a year or longer?”

I personally lost 22 pounds over 6 months on a lower fat diet (and eating plenty of carbs), but everybody is different.

This means you’ll need to experiment and see which is better for your lifestyle, and your day to day well-being.

But I bet you have questions about the big popular diets too.

I’ve written a huge guide that covers all popular weight-loss diets together, but we’ve also written individual ultimate guides that cover:

The Keto Diet (Ketogenic Diet).

Intermittent Fasting.

The Paleo Diet.

The Mediterranean Diet.

Vegan and Plant-Based Diets.

Carnivore Diet.

The Military Diet.

Let’s look at each of these diets and explain why they will help you lose weight, at least temporarily:

Truth #1: Every diet works in the short term.

Truth #2: Nearly every diet fails in the long term.

Let’s address these two truths individually:

Why does every diet work in the short term?

All the diets above have a clever way of restricting calories without you needing to count calories, which leads to weight loss:

Paleo Diet: eliminate everything but veggies, meat, fruit, and nuts.

Intermittent Fasting: skip an entire meal!

Keto Diet: remove an entire macronutrient from your diet (carbs).

Military Diet: Only eat specific foods in certain quantities.

Plant-based Diet: Only eat vegetables and foods from plants.

Carnivore Diet: Only eat meat! Eliminate everything else.

Of course there are plenty of benefits from following certain diets for certain groups of people. For example, Larry went Keto and it helped him reduce inflammation from rheumatoid arthritis.

However, 99% of the reason why these diets result in short term weight loss is that they get us to eat fewer calories!

The problems arise when we get to Truth 2:

“Nearly every diet fails in the long term.”

Put another way:

Temporary changes create temporary results.

If somebody “goes Keto” for 60 days, they’ll most likely lose weight, and might even feel better! This is cool.

BUT!

(There’s always a but…)

If they spend those 60 days in misery, dreaming of carbs, counting down the meals until they can “go back to eating like normal,” they will put all of the weight back.

In order for restrictive diets to create permanent results for somebody, they need to be adopted PERMANENTLY!

For most of us mere mortals, we can’t stick with a restrictive diet for 30 days, let alone a year or a decade.

For these reasons, I strongly advise you to change how you think about dieting.

You need to determine how likely you are to stick with a restrictive diet permanently:

How averse are you to change?

How likely are you to stick with your changes?

Have you tried a restrictive diet in the past and failed?

Do you have a healthy relationship with food?

Do you have an “All or nothing?” mindset?

Like playing a video game, you need to determine what level of difficulty you are willing to attempt.

Playing on “Ultra Hard Difficulty” (like Keto) gives you less room for error, but it can also produce impressive results quickly – if you don’t rage quit.

And 99% of people rage quit restrictive diets like Keto.

So what’s the best diet for you?

I’ll give you the same answer that I give people when they ask me, “What’s the best workout plan?”:

The best diet is the one that helps you reach your goals, that you ENJOY, and that you’ll actually stick with permanently!

Personally, I don’t follow any sort of restrictive diet.

I’m a big fan of small changes that eventually produce big results, like my boy Optimus Prime:

This is why I’ve SLOWWWWLY adjusted my diet over the past decade, so that no change was too drastic and I could stick with it permanently.

It’s not a diet. It’s a lifestyle change. Permanently.

And that’s what I would recommend for you:

Small, non-scary, permanent changes over a long time period!

You need to start thinking in terms of “days and years,” not “weeks and months:”

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How to Grocery Shop, Cook and Meal Prep!

Okay! Now that you’ve determined your healthy eating strategy, it’s time to take action.

There are three big steps you’ll want to master if this is your path:

Step #1: Grocery Shopping! You can read our full guide on “How to grocery shop”, and we even have a video that keeps things fun too:

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Here’s how to grocery shop like a pro:

Stick mostly to the outer rim. This means you’re mostly buying meat, fruit, and veggies[20].

Read the nutrition label! Just because it says it’s healthy on the front doesn’t mean it is. Read the nutrition label and learn portion sizes. This can help keep you below your daily calorie goal.

Don’t shop hungry! Seems silly, but you end up buying way more junk food accidentally if you shop while hangry (a mix of hungry-angry, never a great emotion).

Make a list. Before you go grocery shopping, write down everything you should get. You can even put “non-healthy” food items on the list. But then you can only buy what’s on your list! This means no candy in the check-out aisle. Or because Oreos are on sale! Plan ahead. Stick to the script, sister.

Step #2: Learn to cook!

In the next section, we share recipes for basic healthy meals that you can cook at home.

Here’s why cooking at home is amazing:

You know all of the ingredients. When you eat at restaurants or pick up fast food, there are often hidden calories in the cooking oils and sauces that are sabotaging your healthy efforts. Because of this, it’s really hard to have an idea of how many calories you’re consuming. When you prepare food at home, you know what you’re getting.

You can recreate healthier versions of your favorite foods. Making homemade tacos or pizza with homemade dough can be a great date-night experience, makes your stomach happy, AND can help you reach your goals!

You save money. If your budget is tight, grocery shopping and cooking your own meals is a great way to balance your budget and free up some cash! Our most successful coaching clients work with their coaches on building the habit of cooking at home.

Now, if you’re somebody who only ever uses your kitchen to heat up microwave meals, that’s no problem.

Here are the guides you should check out:

Cooking 101: Essential Kitchen Tools: Not sure what kind of knives to get, or what you REALLY need? I’ve been there. Which is why we created this guide for you!

How to Stock Your Pantry: If you’re not sure what to stock your shelves with, and how to set yourself up for long term success.

Step #3 (BONUS): Meal Prep and Batch Cooking! This step isn’t necessary, but if your goal is to make healthy eating a habit for you and your family, batch cooking can be the difference maker!

By “batch cooking,” I simply mean setting aside time to prepare larger quantities of food at the start of the week, so that throughout the week you already have meals to eat!

Personally, batch cooking changed my life.

And every single success story we’ve featured on Nerd Fitness (like this one) involved some sort of batch cooking (planning your meals for the week ahead).

Here’s our guide on “How to start Batch Cooking and Meal Prep.”

Let me walk you through how I batch cook chicken for the week. There’s even a video too:

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Follow these rules, and you will crush it in the Healthy Eating Department[21]!

19 Healthy Eating Meals You Can Cook Today

“Okay Steve, you have me convinced I should be eating more healthy foods. But I am a nerd and I need specific instructions to follow!”

I got you.

As a kid raised on LEGO and K’nex, I am the exact same way!

Here are options to get the ball rolling on healthy breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners. Use these as inspiration or starting points for your meal planning!

3 BREAKFASTS (Unless you do Intermittent fasting!)

Breakfast 1: Prosciutto-Wrapped Mini Frittata Muffins (4 muffins)

Calories: 440

Protein: 32g

Fat: 24g

Carbs: 16g

Breakfast 2: Kale Breakfast Salad (1/4 of recipe)

Calories: 331

Protein: 15g

Fat: 12g

Carbs: 14g

Breakfast 3: Breakfast Meal Prep Bowls (1 bowl)

Calories: 204

Protein: 10g

Fat: 10g

Carbs: 19g

3 LUNCHES

Lunch 1: Spicy Tuna Cakes (4 cakes)

Calories: 368

Protein: 20g

Fat: 20g

Carbs: 28g

Lunch 2: Chicken Zucchini Enchilada (1 enchilada )

Calories: 154

Protein: 16.7g

Fat: 7.2g

Carbs: 6.1g

Lunch 3: Lettuce Wrap Sandwich (1 sandwich)

Calories: 279

Protein: 26g

Fat: 19g

Carbs: 10g

3 SNACKS (Unless you’re on “Team No Snack”)

Snack 1: Green Protein Snack Pack (2)

Calories: 234

Protein: 22g

Fat: 16g

Carbs: 32g

Snack 2: Avocado Egg Salad (1/4 recipe)

Calories: 330

Protein: 18g

Fat: 25g

Carbs: 8g

Snack 3: Baked Chicken Wings (1/5 of batch)

Calories: 440

Protein: 34g

Fat: 33g

Carbs: 1g

3 DINNERS

Dinner 1: Big-o Bacon Burgers (2 burgers)

Calories: 450

Protein: 34g

Fat: 40g

Carbs: 2g

Dinner 2: Vegan Portobello Pizzas (1 pizza)

Calories: 165

Protein: 7.7g

Fat: 10g

Carbs: 14.5g

Dinner 3: Ground Beef Veggie Skillet (1/4 of dish)

Calories: 261

Protein: 29.5g

Fat: 1.8g

Carbs: 8.5g

These are meals that are high in quality foods, and low in total calories, which means they give you the best chance at weight management without being miserable!

Does all that seem like too much?

Watch this video from Nerd Fitness Prime where Coach Justin shows you how to make 7 “No-Cook” meals.

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Meals covered in this video:

Egg and Avocado Rice Cakes

Cheese and Turkey Roll-ups

Chicken Pomegranate Salad

Shrimp Pineapple Salad

Smoked Salmon Wraps

Greek Yogurt (with Protein Powder)

Two-Ingredient Desserts

Want some more ideas? Check out 26 Easy Meals You Can Cook.

Just remember, quantity counts:

If your goal is weight loss: Keep an eye on the fat and carbs portion of your plate!

If your goal is weight gain, then you can ratchet up your total calories consumed by increasing your fat and carbohydrate portion of your plate!

Not sure how to make these meals work or how to adjust them for your goals?

This is exactly what we do with our Online Coaching Program!

Let us help you make better food choices! Our Online Coaching Program rocks:

Will You Commit to Healthy Eating?

As we start to wrap up this guide, I have one BIG final question for you:

“Why the hell are you reading this?”

Sorry to be so blunt, but your answer matters!

If you are trying to eat better because somebody told you to, or because you think you should, you’re setting yourself up to fail.

You might be excited and motivated to eat healthy today, and that’s great!

But next week, Oscar in Accounting will put cake in front of you at work, and ask you to “live a little” and eat some cake “just this once.”

And then you’ll discover apps are half-priced at Chatchki’s during happy hour, and you figure “well I already had cake, might as well split some shrimp poppers and extreme fajitas with Meredith.”

This is how it always happens: Motivation abandons us when we need it most.

And then one “ehh” choice becomes three bad choices which becomes “crap, I failed at my diet! I’m a loser. Okay I’ll just try harder next month…”

If you are committed to this goal of eating healthier, you need a DAMN good reason to start eating healthier in the first place!

Here are some examples you can build off of:

“I want to look better naked and start dating again.”

“I want to do epic stuff like running my first 5K.”

“I don’t want to die early like my dad did.”

“I want to find out what I’m capable of.”

“I want to feel pride, not shame, when I look in the mirror.”

There are many tough days ahead, many happy hours, and sabotaging coworkers.

Having a great reason WHY can be the light in the darkness that helps you navigate the maze of temptation.

In our Nerd Fitness Coaching program, we call this “The Big Why,” and having a reason can be the difference between success and failure:

It’s our Big Why that stops us from living emotionally and chasing instant gratification from a donut or six slices of pizza when we’re sad or stressed.

It’s our Big Why that allows us to say “Yes, I can have a slice of pizza, because I planned for it in my ‘calorie budget’ today. I’m not gonna feel bad about it either, because my breakfast tomorrow is gonna be great.”

It’s our Big Why that allows us to get back on track after a vacation or after just one day of poor eating, instead of letting things slide for a week or a month.

Have your Big Why, and remind yourself of it constantly!

Write it down, put it on a post-it note on your bathroom mirror, staple it to your forehead.

But have a REASON you’re committing to change.

It will be crucial when life starts to get busy next week and you want to give up. So let’s talk about next week (and beyond!)

Healthy Eating: Next Steps!

This guide has provided you with all of the tools you need to start making healthier choices, but if you are looking to go a bit further…

#1) Our 1-on-1 Online Coaching program: a coaching program for busy people to help them make better food choices, stay accountable, and get healthier, permanently.

You can schedule a free call with our team so we can get to know you and see if our coaching program is right for you. Just click on the image below for more details:

Our Coaching program changes lives. Learn more here!

#2) Liked the video we showed in today’s guide? Want to watch more like them live and get your questions answered? Join Nerd Fitness Prime!

Nerd Fitness Prime is our premium membership program that contains live-streamed workouts with NF Coaches, a supportive online community (with many like minded people trying to eat better), group challenges, and much more!

Learn more about Nerd Fitness Prime!

#3) Join The Rebellion! We have a free email newsletter that we send out twice per week, full of tips and tricks to help you get healthy, get strong, and have fun doing so.

I’ll also send you tons of free guides that you can use to start leveling up your life too:

Download our free weight loss guide

THE NERD FITNESS DIET: 10 Levels to Change Your Life

Follow our 10-level nutrition system at your own pace

What you need to know about weight loss and healthy eating

3 Simple rules we follow every day to stay on target

Healthy eating will change your life.

But it needs to fit INTO your life too.

Small changes, not dramatic shifts!

You don’t have to give up the foods you love, you just need to PLAN for them.

Learn how to make a plate like we lay out in this guide.

Prioritize protein, and always put a fruit or vegetable on your plate before filling the rest of it up!

This will get you 90% of the way towards a great healthy eating strategy.

And when in doubt, whenever you’re not sure if you should eat a particular food, ask yourself “What would Batman do?”

Seriously, this has been studied with children, and it helped them make healthier food choices by giving the decision making over to somebody they looked up to [22]. It’s called “self-distancing,” and there’s no reason it can’t work for you too.

Oh, and when you eat a bad meal – who cares?! “Never two in a row,” right? Make the next meal healthy.

YOUR MISSION, SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT:

Start eating healthy today with literally one change:

Try a new vegetable.

Cut one soda out of your day.

Prioritize protein in your next meal.

Swap out one high-calorie drink for a zero-calorie drink.

I don’t care what the change is, just as long as you make one!

Okay enough about me, let’s talk about you:

What’s the ONE change you’re going to make today?

For the Rebellion!

-Steve

PS: Make sure you read the rest of the articles in our “How to Lose Weight 101” Series!

“Why can’t I lose weight?”

Can I build muscle and lose weight at the same time?

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All photo sources can be found right here[23].

Footnotes ( returns to text)

Tangentially related, but this Atlantic article is fantastic: How Junk Food Can End Obesity.

Seriously, he called it “The Twinkie Diet.”

Again, not kidding.

(The term is “hyperpalatability,” and it means the food has been designed to overcome our body’s natural inclination to stop eating when we’re full).

The number of calories you burn each day is called your Today Daily Energy Expenditure, or TDEE. You can calculate your TDEE with our calculator.

Not that I’ve ever done that. Shut up.

A study on people underestimating calorie intake is right here.

Accuracy in wrist-born fitness devices: Journal of Personalized Medicine

Yes, genetics DO play a role, but a MUCH smaller role than everybody thinks.

Dietary cholesterol doesn’t influence blood cholesterol levels as much as conventional wisdom once thought. Go ahead and eat eggs!

If you’re somebody that has kidney issues and your doctor has advised you to consume a certain amount of protein, LISTEN TO YOUR DOCTOR!

Read our article on how to prepare “paleo spaghetti!”

Yes, just like extra E-tanks in Mega Man.

Fiber is a carbohydrate that can’t be broken down by the body, so it travels through you relatively intact. However along the way it can do all sorts of good stuff! For example, increased fiber intake can help reduce blood glucose levels.

This won’t be on the test, but here’s what unsaturated means in this context: a type of fat containing a high proportion of fatty acid molecules with at least one double bond (mono) or many double bonds (poly).

Saturated fat: part of a healthy diet: pubmed.

And I know you drink more than just 8 oz!

Low-Fat or Low Carb for Weight Loss? It Depends on Your Glucose Metabolism: Pubmed

You can see the Pubmed extract for more information

If this was long long ago, in a galaxy far far away, I would tell you to avoid the Outer Rim

Not an actual department. But it should be!

What would Batman do: study

Leia eating breakfast, stuffed veggies, stormtroopers and egg, fruit ninja, Caution: Cheese Hazard, Fish soup, Yoda and R2, Happy Monday, almond serving size, olive oil, raisins, serving of cheddar, yogurt, Shopping, dinner on the beach.

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