With this post I aim to provide the key points about the 2-week eating experiment here without going into any detail at all. I recommend reading this post regardless of whether or not you’ve already read the whole series. Additionally, I recommend using this post as a tool to help you throughout the experiment. You can also print this summary and show it to people in your life who are wondering what you’re up to but who might now have the dedication and interest needed to read the whole experiment series.
Do however note that this post is not meant to replace the series. Only by reading the whole 4-step series will you gain the knowledge necessary to successfully complete the experiment and set yourself in the driving seat of your health.
With that in mind, let’s check out the executive summary!
Introduction to the 2-week eating experiment: Why you should do it!
Short-term positive effects I personally experienced after about two weeks of eating differently
- I reduced my body fat
- I looked better, had fresher eyes, my skin felt softer, and I had less acne
- My cravings for bad foods were significantly reduced
- I generally felt way less hungry and I could go for five or six hours without eating without any problems (before I would feel like crap if I didn’t eat every three hours)
- It was easier for me to fall asleep and the quality of my sleep was improved
- I felt less tired & sleepy throughout the day
- My energy levels changed to constant, high energy all throughout the day
- My ability to think clearly was improved
- I was able to stay focused for longer periods of time
- My feelings of satisfaction and happiness increased
- I felt like a more empathic person and I felt I had more respect and tolerance for others
- My patience improved (that was needed!)
- I reduced my general levels of frustration, annoyance, and irritability
- I had less stomach pain, less gas, less bloating, and better toilet visits
- My girlfriend told me I was less of a pain!
Long-term positive effects you can expect from eating healthy
- Increased life span
- Reduced symptoms of aging (looks, physical & mental performance etc.)
- Increased feelings of well-being
- Less diseases and body issues
Step #1 of 4: Evaluate how you’re currently doing
- Evaluate your daily energy & performance levels, your daily emotions, the quality of your sleep and the quality of your digestion
- Calculate your scores using the weighting table
- Check how I view your current state and improvement potential based on your scores
- Keep your scores in a safe place so that you can use them as a baseline for measuring your improvement after the 2-week experiment is over
Step #2 of 4: What and how to eat during the experiment and how to avoid possible adverse effects
The five rules to follow during the 2-week experiment
- Rule #1: Eat lots of healthy fats!
- Rule #2: Eat vegetables and some fruit, berries and nuts
- Rule #3: Eliminate vegetable & seed oils, margarine and trans fats
- Rule #4: Eliminate processed foods, grains, legumes, roots & tubers and alcohol
- Rule #5: Moderate your protein intake
The seven habits of good eating
- Habit #1: Look forward to eating
- Habit #2: Eat when you’re hungry
- Habit #3: Eat food you enjoy
- Habit #4: Eat until you’re not hungry anymore, but stop before you’re completely full
- Habit #5: Relax when eating
- Habit #6: Chew the food until there’s nothing left to chew
- Habit #7: Avoid drinking considerable amounts when eating
How to reduce possible adverse effects of changing how you eat
- Eat lots of healthy fats, especially coconut oil
- Supplement with 1-2 gram sodium daily
- Supplement with 500-1500 mg magnesium daily before going to bed
Step #3 of 4: How to successfully carry out the experiment
Prepare for the experiment
- Timing is everything; set a date that will fit your calendar
- Team up with your partner, roommate, or friend
- Throw out unhealthy foods
- Get inspired! Identify delicious foods and recipes and create a list of meals you can’t wait to eat
- Go shopping! Buy the foods & supplements that match the five eating rules and the meals you’ve decided to start with
Carry out the experiment
- Bring your own food to work
- Use lots of coconut oil in your food
- Don’t exercise too hard for the first 5-10 days if you have low energy levels
- Stress less and get more sleep
Step #4 of 4: It’s done and I love it! What’s next? Optimize of course!
Re-evaluate how you feel and decide on next steps
- Re-evaluate how you feel based on the same criteria as before
- Analyze your before and after scores
- Decide on next steps
- If you feel better: Start optimizing your diet
- If you don’t feel better: Continue the experiment for two more weeks, test for food sensitivities, eat some more carbohydrates, address other lifestyle issues and visit your doctor
Optimize your diet
- Try different foods and pay close attention to how you feel
- Start eating super-foods
- Use the 80/20 rule to healthy eating
- Supplement with vitamin D3 and omega-3 if you don’t get much sun or eat fatty fish
Acknowledgements
For this post I want to mention the management consultancy company I work for and the excellent people we have, particularly in the Norwegian BearingPoint office. When I arrived at BearingPoint four years ago I thought I knew a lot about business and management consultancy, however I quickly understood I had massive amounts to learn. From spending time with people like Ole, Ola, Per Kristian, Petter, Matthew, Niko, Knut Anders, Thomas, Frode, Per, Stefan, Gail, and many, many others I have been able to significantly improve myself and for that I’m very grateful. BearingPoint also allowed me to go away for a year to pursue some personal dreams and I believe that says something about the values of the firm. The executive summary is dedicated to the fine people of BearingPoint and the author of The Pyramid Principle, Barbara Minto, of course.
Good work Bjarte!!
Thanks my favorite Kiwi!
Very nice, my only comment: Be careful when you start taking magnesium, start with a small amount first to see. Many people experience “sudden” diarrhea with a larger dose.
Thank you Alexandra, that’s true and you’re making a good point.
Hey Bjarte, cool outline. I was wondering why you use Magnesium Oxide as your Magnesium supplement, from what I’ve read it’s terribly absorbed and, as such, tends to cause diarrhea. I personally use transdermal Magnesium Chloride and have had excellent results with it coming out of a magnesium deficiency. Personally I would just prefer spending copious amounts of time in the ocean but it’s too cold this time of year,
Dave, thanks for your comment. I am not an expert in magnesium and my advice in this area is linked to my personal experience and those of my clients. Magnesium oxide has worked well so far for me, however I would be interested in learning more about the “transdermal Magnesium Chloride”. Do you have any sources of information you trust here Dave?
Certainly, this is a good place to start…
http://magnesiumforlife.com/transdermal-magnesium/combining-oral-with-transdermal/
That site is run by Dr. Mark Sircus who wrote the book Transdermal Magnesium Therapy. Probably 80% of the info from the book is actually on that site for free of charge, but the book is still a pretty good investment if you want access to all of the references. All of the info specifically on transdermal magnesium is on the site, most of the stuff not on the site is general magnesium information.
I am a strength coach in the states and started to become deficient in magnesium via overtraining while being strict paleo. Certain things in the paleo culture seem to push you in that direction, especially if you eat high in saturated fats as they prevent magnesium absorption from the gut. Alcohol, coffee, and excessive sweating seem to speed magnesium excretion by the kidneys as well. The first book I read on the subject was The Miracle of Magnesium by Carolyn Dean and Dr. Sircus’ book was second. It’s amazing how many things can be linked to magnesium deficiency and how little attention is paid to it. I saw there were some arguments online about whether or not it can be absorbed transdermally but in my case I see objective data from it’s use. Specifically my food allergies went away and my morning fasting blood glucose took a big drop when I started focusing on the transdermal as opposed to oral route. I was experiencing something called the Dawn Phenomenon until I started taking the Magnesium despite having an A1c under 5%. I don’t use the kind they recommend because another brand derived from the same seabed is readily available and cheaper at a store down the road from me.
A few of my clients have noted improvements in a variety of symptoms from poor sleep to pain to muscle twitches. It takes a while to see results because you have to start at a low dose and titrate up until your symptoms get better but it’s well worth it. It also works as a pretty good antiperspirant/deodorant. In fact, all of my clients that use it for that purpose say it is the best one they have ever used.
Dave, that’s superb advice. Thanks a lot. Your story is certainly interesting and not one I have come across yet. I will check out your links and keep this information in mind should any of my clients experience any issues related to magnesium.
Dave, I saw another study recently which clams, like you, that oxide has poor bio-availability. I have now adjusted my recommentation from “Magnesium Oxide” to “Magnesium”. Thanks again for sharing.
“My ability to think clearly was improved
I was able to stay focused for longer periods of time
My feelings of satisfaction and happiness increased
I felt like a more empathic person and I felt I had more respect and tolerance for others
My patience improved (that was needed!)
I reduced my general levels of frustration, annoyance, and irritability
…
My girlfriend told me I was less of a pain!”
–Did you measure any change in testosterone levels? These are all consistent with testosterone levels decreasing. I expect that “normal” testosterone on a high-carb diet is in fact elevated and the change in diet is a better functioning level. I have not seen research on this, but hear numerous anecdotal reports.
That’s a good question murray. I did not measure the testosterone levels. Let me know if you see some research on this.
Blood pressure reduction might be a another reason for this mental/emotional change.