{"id":106,"date":"2026-07-31T22:04:21","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T22:04:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thecontrologymethod.online\/index.php\/nutritional-facts\/"},"modified":"2026-08-17T20:05:49","modified_gmt":"2026-08-17T20:05:49","slug":"nutritional-facts","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/thecontrologymethod.online\/index.php\/nutritional-facts\/","title":{"rendered":"Me & My Microbes"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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why am I here?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We often think we’re doing everything according to science and in our own best interest, and that surely one cookie a day couldn’t possibly make a difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well, it can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not only can that one cookie make a difference\u2014it can become part of a daily pattern that matters over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I recently told someone: save that one treat for a real occasion. Don’t spoil it by grabbing ultra-processed, high-sugar foods every day.<\/strong> And here’s why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our gut health depends, in part, on the environment we create, and we can influence that environment through the choices we make about what we consume.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are trillions of microorganisms living in and on our bodies, particularly in our gut. Many of them play important roles in helping us maintain our health. These are the \u201cgood guys.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what we do to our microbiome on a daily basis can be quite remarkable when you think about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Have you ever heard of \u201cfeeding your microbes\u201d?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That’s essentially what happens inside us. With every bite we take and every sip we drink, we are providing our gut microorganisms with substances they can use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The question is: which ones are we supporting?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

To put it simply, a diet high in added sugars and highly processed foods can contribute to an unhealthy dietary environment and may negatively affect the balance and diversity of the gut microbiome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Think of it as two armies competing for resources. The more favorable conditions we create for one group, the more we may influence the balance of the other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what about a cookie every day?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simply put, the issue isn’t necessarily the single cookie. It’s the daily pattern<\/strong> behind it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If highly processed, sugary foods become a daily habit, you may be continually reinforcing an unhealthy dietary environment rather than giving your body the opportunity to benefit from a more diverse, fiber-rich diet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead, you could make those foods occasional treats rather than everyday staples.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And let’s be realistic: unless you were born with extraordinary discipline\u2014or simply have a completely different relationship with food\u2014you probably won’t eat perfectly clean every single day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There will be periods when you do exceptionally well, perhaps for a few days or even several weeks. Eventually, you may slip back into old habits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And that’s okay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me make my point clear: the past we all came from was, sadly, not equipped with the knowledge we have today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We simply didn’t know better.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So if most people cannot live perfectly \u201cclean\u201d 24\/7, what can we actually do to reduce the negative effects of unhealthy food while still being able to enjoy life?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One approach is to delay gratification<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of having these foods every day, enjoy them occasionally. By making them occasional rather than habitual, you create more room in your diet for foods that support your overall health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You see where I’m going with this?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I believe it’s much better, both in the short and long term, to enjoy an indulgence occasionally and still feel good about the choices you’re making overall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I’ve seen this in practice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When people train with us several times a week, their everyday habits often begin to shift from unhealthy toward healthier choices. And it’s not necessarily because they force themselves to change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quite the opposite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They begin to enjoy the transition.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And as their trainer, I feel beyond joyful when I hear these confessions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When people open up to one another after class and honestly say that they can see and feel their progress, you can almost see a veil being lifted from them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can see it in their faces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They radiate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They speak from the heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And they speak with genuine joy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those are the moments I live for.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

They give me such a rush. They fill me with butterflies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I still find it hard to believe how far I’ve come\u2014where I came from, what I’ve witnessed, and how clearly I can now see where I want to go from here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And perhaps that clarity didn’t come only from my own experiences. It also came from witnessing other people going through their own transformations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep this in mind: our health is deeply influenced by our environment, our habits, and our daily interactions.<\/strong> The same principle of creating a supportive environment applies to the communities of microorganisms living inside us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So make sure you’re maintaining, as much as possible, a healthy environment<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And here’s something fascinating:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did you know that two people can eat the exact same apple and potentially absorb and metabolize its nutrients differently?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our individual microbiomes, genetics, physiology, and overall health can influence how our bodies process food. This absolutely fascinates me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It has made me appreciate just how complex\u2014and potentially fragile\u2014our systems can be, even though our bodies are remarkably resilient and designed to function throughout an entire lifetime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In today’s world, perhaps the question isn’t simply whether we will live long enough<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perhaps the more interesting question is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do we want to age?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Modern medicine has given us extraordinary tools to treat disease, extend lives, and restore health in ways previous generations could hardly imagine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But beyond simply extending our years, how do we want to move through those years<\/strong>?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do we want to feel?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How do we want to move?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How independent do we want to remain?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are fortunate enough to have a choice in how you care for your body, wouldn’t you want to walk through this life as gracefully, strongly, and healthfully as possible?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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microbiome & gut-health<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A healthy gut microbiome – the trillions of beneficial bacteria living in your digestive system – is essential for overal health. It helps digest food, absorb nutrients, support the immune system, produce important vitamins, and protect against harmful bacteria. A balanced gut microbiome is also linked to better metabolism, improved mental well-being, reduced inflammation, and a lower risk of chronic diseases making it a key foundation for long-term health. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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skipping breakfast – is that a trend? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I strongly disagree with some modern thinking on the topic of skipping breakfast. While breakfast has traditionally been considered the most important meal of the day, recent trends\u2014particularly intermittent fasting\u2014suggest that skipping the first meal after waking up may have health benefits, with some claiming that it allows the body to remain in a \u201ccleaning\u201d or restorative mode for longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, these approaches don’t always come with a clear or \u201crestrictive\u201d list of what you should consume during the eating window to support your gut and organs. On the contrary, parts of the fitness industry can give the impression that if you incorporate intermittent fasting into your diet, you can eat almost anything during the hours when you’re allowed to eat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my opinion, this can be problematic because modern diets contain highly refined foods almost everywhere you look, regardless of where you get your food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now imagine this: according to the popular intermittent-fasting approach, you finish eating at 8 PM and don’t eat again until 12 PM the following day. That’s 16 hours without food, with the assumption that this extended period allows your body to carry out its natural restorative processes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don’t imagine that this should be particularly difficult for a healthy body. However, if you’ve consumed all the wrong foods the previous day, I\u2019m not surprised that giving your digestive system a longer break might feel beneficial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What certainly makes sense is reducing highly processed foods and foods with a high glycemic index, which can cause rapid increases in blood glucose. These include many highly refined products, such as white flour used to make white bread and other refined dough products, as well as foods containing large amounts of added sugar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Anything that requires minimal effort to turn into a convenient meal has often undergone some degree of industrial processing, and many highly processed foods provide little benefit to the gut microbiome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Therefore, intermittent fasting may be more beneficial when combined with a high-quality diet rich in minimally processed, natural foods<\/strong>, rather than being treated as a free pass to eat whatever you want during the eating window.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may have heard about the importance of fiber-rich foods<\/strong>. Fiber is particularly valuable because it can support a diverse and healthy gut microbiome. Fermented foods can also be beneficial because they may provide live microorganisms and other compounds that interact with our gut ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the more diverse and resilient our gut microbiome is, the better equipped it may be to maintain a healthy balance between beneficial microorganisms and potentially harmful ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So perhaps your question is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIs one cookie a day really such a big problem?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The answer isn’t necessarily as simple as yes or no.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In general, having a small treat occasionally can fit perfectly well into a healthy diet. Rather than having a sugary cookie every single day, you might choose to enjoy a more indulgent dessert occasionally, such as a piece of cake once a week.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because frequent consumption of foods high in rapidly absorbed sugars can contribute to repeated blood-glucose and insulin responses and, depending on the overall diet, can make it harder to maintain metabolic health. However, the idea that eating a cookie \u201cfeeds bad bacteria\u201d while avoiding it for several days literally starves those bacteria is an oversimplification. The gut microbiome is much more complex than that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An occasional indulgence is unlikely to undo an otherwise healthy dietary pattern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where the idea of \u201cfeeding your soul\u201d<\/strong> can perhaps be reconsidered. Mindful eating isn’t necessarily about eating whatever you want whenever you want. It can also mean being conscious of what you’re eating, why you’re eating it, how often you’re eating it, and how those choices fit into the bigger picture of your health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, there is something incredibly comforting about knowing that our bodies are constantly working to keep us alive, repair themselves, maintain balance, and protect us from harm. We often appreciate the importance of our health most deeply when we begin to feel that it is being compromised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So let’s build that internal army up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s give our bodies the best resources we can.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s work on being healthy, staying healthy, and giving ourselves the best possible chance of remaining healthy for as long as we have on this planet.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"Zwart-wit<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Frequently mistaken facts that the medical industry is not advertising with and if you should be informed by<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Does sugary food feed cancerous cells? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Cancer cells\u00a0do need glucose<\/strong>, just as normal cells do. Some cancers consume glucose at particularly high rates, which is one reason FDG-PET (fluorodeoxyglucose) works so well. Your body doesn’t distinguish between glucose from a piece of fruit and glucose ultimately derived from refined sugar in some special way that makes cancer cells selectively “feed” on the refined sugar. When you eat carbohydrates, your digestive system breaks many of them down into glucose. Your blood glucose is then regulated by hormones such as insulin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And importantly,\u00a0even if you completely eliminated added sugar, your body would still maintain blood glucose<\/strong>. Your brain, muscles and other tissues require glucose, and your liver can produce it when necessary. However, consistently consuming large amounts of\u00a0added\/refined sugars<\/strong>\u00a0can be unhealthy for other reasons. Excessive intake can contribute to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– weight gain and obesity<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– insuline resistance <\/p>\n\n\n\n

– fatty liver disease <\/p>\n\n\n\n

– dental decay <\/p>\n\n\n\n

– metabolic and cardiovascular problems<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And\u00a0excess body fat and certain metabolic conditions are associated with increased risk of several cancers<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How can I become more disciplined?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

What most people won’t talk about is that being disciplined is only one of the six steps required to achieve your goals<\/strong>. Your success does not depend solely on discipline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But what does that mean?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a good reason why most of us fall back into our old habits: we often don’t go through all six\u2014or at least the first five\u2014of the steps needed to make lasting change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s break it down so you can get a better understanding. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 1 is\u00a0inspiration<\/strong>, <\/p>\n\n\n\n

which can feel truly euphoric and uplifting because it activates parts of the brain involved in emotion, motivation, learning, memory, and reward. The limbic system is often described as an important part of the brain’s emotional and motivational circuitry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sadly, inspiration ebbs and flows. It doesn’t last long enough to fuel you continuously toward your goal. It can disappear within minutes, hours, or days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So while inspiration can be powerful,\u00a0it is not reliable fuel<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 2 is\u00a0motivation<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the question itself often reveals:\u00a0How motivated are you?<\/em>\u00a0In other words,\u00a0do you have a reason to achieve what you have set out to accomplish?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Motivation\u2014or your reason why\u2014sets the direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is also why we cannot simply tell other people what to do and expect them to follow through unless they have a meaningful reason of their own. They need to understand why<\/strong> they want the outcome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For most people, motivation is already present. Otherwise, the goal probably wouldn’t feel meaningful, realistic, or aligned with who they are. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 3 is\u00a0intention<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

and this is crucial. Intention is, in other words, having a plan for what is required to achieve your goal. It means taking the bigger goal and breaking it down into smaller, manageable steps, making it more realistic and therefore more achievable.Most people simply want something, but they have no idea how to get there. Yet they don’t take the time to map it out, let alone follow through\u2014which brings us to the next step: the notorious\u00a0discipline<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 4 is\u00a0discipline<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discipline can feel like a burden when inspiration is at its lowest. When inspiration is flowing, we tend not to have much trouble staying focused and willing to work toward our goals.But when inspiration is nowhere to be found, it can feel as though we are running on empty\u2014like there is no fuel left to keep us moving.At this stage, we have to do the work\u00a0without the immediate reward<\/strong>, which is obviously more difficult than it sounds.\u00a0When it feels like nothing is coming back in return, we don’t feel rewarded\u2014at least not in the short term. And when we’re running low on psychological fuel, the long term often stops being our concern.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So we allow our focus to fade.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a high-risk fall-out state.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But if you can manage to pull yourself through this stage, you may discover that it is sometimes easier than you anticipated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And if you make it through, you win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Because the next step is where things start to become different. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 5 is\u00a0habit<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even though I mentioned that there are six steps in total, if you have managed to reach this stage, you’ve already accomplished something significant: your behavior is beginning to become ingrained.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Repetition starts making the behavior more automatic. What once required considerable effort can eventually become something you simply do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Not everyone will make it to Step 6\u2014and that’s okay. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Step 6 is\u00a0passion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sometimes, you simply find the one thing that truly captures you\u2014something you can become deeply passionate about.And when that happens, it’s powerful.You haven’t just achieved another goal; you may have discovered\u00a0another sense of purpose<\/strong>.\u00a0So, do you see it now?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

By constantly pounding on that one poor concept of discipline<\/strong>, asking yourself over and over again, \u201cHow can I become more disciplined?\u201d<\/em>, you may be focusing on the wrong problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It might not even be about discipline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chances are, you haven’t even made it to Step 4 yet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maybe you never created an actual plan. Maybe you didn’t establish a clear intention. And even when you do, you’re still going to experience setbacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But here’s the important part:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your recovery time can become shorter and shorter.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing can come in handy here because, after a setback, you will most likely feel lost, confused, or even overwhelmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It’s a little like making multiple failed attempts to park your car. With every unsuccessful attempt, the pressure can feel heavier. The heavier the pressure becomes, the more your focus starts to blur\u2014and eventually, you switch back to automatic pilot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And there we are again:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Back in the old habits.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But instead of staying there, you can do something much simpler.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Accept that you lost track. By breaking the negative loop you will regain focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stop caring about how long you’ve been “out.” Look only forward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stop punishing yourself for the past.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And simply get back on track.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As simple as that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tomorrow, today will no longer matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today is yesterday, gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Face in the direction you want to go, and eventually, that’s where you’ll go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Good luck\u2014and remember: tomorrow, today will no longer matter.<\/strong>\u00a0

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Am I on automatic pilot? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The facts are that the cortex\u2014the youngest and most recently developed part of the human brain, which plays a major role in logical reasoning\u2014accounts for approximately 10% of our brain, while the remaining 90% is our subconscious brain, which stores information consisting of memories and data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We now know that the brain simply has no capacity to consciously record everything that happens throughout the day. Instead, it filters information, giving greater attention to what aligns with our existing beliefs, expectations, and experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We also know that humans generate thoughts for a significant portion of the day. During much of this time, our conscious attention is not actively directing every thought or behavior; rather, many processes occur automatically, based on deeply established patterns and learned associations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our belief system is shaped largely by how we perceive the world around us\u2014particularly by observing how the people around us respond to situations, often according to their own belief systems. Over time, these responses can become familiar to us and eventually feel like the normal way of thinking, feeling, and behaving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the interplay between nature and nurture<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Basically, we can say that a significant amount of our behavior operates on automatic pilot<\/strong>. And this raises an important question: Does this have anything to do with the difficulty many people experience when trying to stay focused?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

By \u201cstaying focused,\u201d I do not mean ADD\/ADHD. I mean the ability to remain focused on long-term goals<\/strong>, despite distractions, impulses, habits, and deeply ingrained patterns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the answer is yes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Why does focus fades?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We know that our \u201cthinking brain,\u201d the cortex<\/strong>, plays an important role in setting goals. But because our brains rely heavily on automatic processes, it is easy to slip back into \u201cautomatic driving mode.\u201d That is why we need to be especially intentional about reminding ourselves every day what we wanted to achieve in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you imagine your goal as though you have already achieved it\u2014much like the current trend on Instagram surrounding the Law of Attraction<\/strong>\u2014there can be both positive and negative effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let me break it down for you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thinking in the present tense, as though you already have what you want, can help keep your goal mentally present and your attention focused on it. This is sometimes explained by saying that the brain can respond to imagined experiences in ways that overlap with its responses to real experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, there is another side to this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you repeatedly convince yourself that you have already achieved the goal, you may reduce the sense of urgency or motivation that comes from wanting something you don’t have yet. In other words, you might give your brain the emotional satisfaction of having already arrived, potentially reducing the drive to do the work required to get there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So be careful with these mental exercises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The brain is an incredibly complex system. It can work in your favor, but certain mental strategies can also work against you if you use them without understanding their effects.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is called The Gollwitzer Substitution Effect<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is a highly frustrating psychological phenomenon where sharing or over-focusing on your big intentions completely derails your ability to achieve them. When you draft an elaborate ten-year plan, build a beautiful vision board, or tell your closest friends about your massive goals, your brain struggles to separate fiction from reality. The human subconscious is incredibly impressionable and it interprets the vivid imagery and social praise as a literal reality. As a result your brain releases a premature hit of dopamine, granting you the exact psychological reward of success before you have actually done an ounce of the grueling work. Your mind essentially ticks the box, assumes the destination has already been reached and actively dampens the neurobiological drive, hustle and raw hunger you desperately need to execute. By celebrating the identity by who you want to become you accidentally substitute the feeling of success for the actual labor of success. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

To bypass this evolutionary glitch you must radically shift your focus away from the grand fantasy of the finish line. Instead of scripting who you want to be, you need to script how you will handle friction, fatigue and failure. This requires moving from abstract ‘identity goals’ to concrete, automated behavioral triggers that bridge the gap between thought and action. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

(In 1953 a psychologist proved that writing down your grand goals actually forces your subconscious to self-sabotage)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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the gut the brain and the heart are like a 3 pillar combo to take you through life<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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