Aidan:
Hello and welcome to episode 231 of the Ideal Nutrition Podcast. My name is Aidan Neuer and I’m here with my co-host, Torwen Eerkins. And this is another Q&A episode. I didn’t think we’d get to 11 Q&As, but here we are. I’ve looked at the stats, and these episodes get a solid number of downloads.
So let’s keep doing them. We’ll go back and forth with some questions. But, the first question I’ve got for you, Torwen, is what do you recommend if you’re always food-focused. Like thinking about it, craving it, or tracking it?
Torwen:
If you’re constantly thinking about food or craving it, you’re likely not eating enough. So, things that contribute include restrictive food rules. Or telling yourself you can’t have certain things, which only makes you want them more. Your meals might not be satisfying or balanced with enough protein, fats, and carbs. Maybe you’re relying on food to manage emotions.
Or you’re just not eating enough calories overall. There are two pathways involved when we think about or crave food. I would like to touch on them. The homeostatic pathway is your body telling you it needs more energy from food. This is triggered by your body’s energy balance and hunger hormones.
Then we have the hedonic pathway which is influenced by your environment. Likes thoughts, emotions, stress, or craving a particular taste. It’s important to know which one drives your cravings. To manage it, make sure you eat enough. Increase your meal size or frequency. Aim for three meals and two to three snacks.
Build balanced meals with adequate protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs. To really support satiety. Add flexibility around food choices to reduce restriction. Mindfully include foods you’ve been avoiding, manage stress in other ways. And prioritise sleep since it affects hunger hormones.
Aidan:
Yeah, I agree. I don’t know if you talk about this with clients. But ff someone’s entire Instagram or TikTok feed is food, I’d suggest changing their algorithm. This is a low priority compared to what you’ve said, but it can help. You can click the top right corner and select “see fewer posts like this.” I’ve seen people scrolling with every post being about food. And of course that makes you think about food more.
Torwen:
The same goes for following creators with disordered eating patterns or obsessive tracking. If you don’t think that the best thing for you, unfollow them. Unfollow anyone whose content doesn’t align with your goals or mindset.
Aidan:
Yeah, I agree for sure. My content is nutrition-focused, so I do get a fair amount of unfollows, but my growth rate stays higher. I don’t take it too deeply. Some people are really into nutrition, then later realise they don’t want to see that content all the time. I get it. I’m not a huge fan of curated algorithms. But you should make your feed align with your values and what you’re trying to achieve.
Torwen:
Cool. I’m going to ask Aidan then. Is collagen worth the money and investment?
Aidan:
I think it’s tricky because it depends on three main things. First, how much money you have. If you’ve got plenty, it’s a small expense. If not, I’d say no. Second, how much you care about its benefits. For example, if you’re focused on skin health and have the money for it. It may be worth it. The research shows slight but positive effects.
Or if you’re an elite athlete and have a tendon injury. I think it’s worth doing it. Even if you’re not an athlete. If you’re just going hard and having a crack at it and you value this stuff. Then it can potentially make sense. And the third thing, think about your capacity to add it in. Like is it a buren to add it in?
If you already take 15 supplements, one more might feel like a burden. Obviously you could look at this from a financial lense. But also from the fact that each additional thing you take is a little but annoying. But if you don’t take any, it’s easier to add.
Torwen:
I 100% agree with you there. In terms of if you have the money and specific goals like skin health or tendon recovery. It might be worth it. Otherwise, it’s not essential.
Aidan:
Somebody asked about weight loss plateau, how to overcome it?
Torwen:
There’s a few things to consider here. Because it’s not usually one thing that contributes. So, firstly, are you still in a calorie deficit? Check if sauces, drinks, or snacks have crept in. It might be worth tracking for a short period to assess your intake honestly. And just be honest with yourself, am I still eating in a deficit? If you’re still in a deficit and have lost weight. Are you still eating at the initial deficit you set? Do you need to reassess this number?
Because theoretically, as you lose weight, your deficit becomes smaller. This is because lighter bodies burn fewer calories just existing. So, metabolic adaptation may also play a small role. Tips to consider then. You could tighten things up, track again, or take a diet break and return to maintenance for a few weeks.
That can reset you physiologically and mentally, reducing cravings and food thoughts. Adjust your calorie target if needed. Sometimes a smaller deficit is easier to maintain long-term. Or you might prefer a short, more aggressive approach to get momentum.
Aidan:
I don’t think I have heaps to add there. I’d add that you should look at how long it’s been. If you’ve made great progress over four to six weeks. There might be one week of plateau which could just be a random weight fluctuation. The progress you’ve made may still be working well.
Torwen:
Good point. Aidan, does tart cherry extract give the same sleep and soreness benefits as juice? And what’s the dosage?
Aidan:
An easy one. The research shows tart cherry extract is just as effective as juice. And the dosage is 500 to 1000 milligrams per day. It’s often cheaper, easier to take, and lower in sugar.
Torwen:
Yeah, I don’t have much to add there.
Aidan:
Next question. Should you track to make sure you’re eating enough?
Torwen:
I talked about this with a client recently, and I’m in two minds. If you have a healthy relationship with food and just want clarity, tracking can help. Even a few days of tracking can teach you what portions and macronutrient amounts look like. Therefore, it might not be something you need to do long-term. But if you’re prone to obsession or fixate on numbers, it can do more harm than good. In that case, focus on consistent meal patterns instead. A plan without calorie numbers can also work well.
Aidan:
I agree. I love that you’ve factored in these things here. For people who’ve never tracked and aren’t obsessive, it’s usually low-risk. Almost everyone I have ever had as a client who has tracked learns something useful. The real question is whether it’s worth the risk, and that depends on the person. If the goal is simply to ensure you’re eating enough, I’d say the risk is lower.
Torwen:
I just want to add something on there. If your goal is eating enough, I’d also ask what number you’re aiming for. Where did you get it from? Are you comparing yourself to someone else, or basing it on your actual needs? That makes a big difference. Okay, Aidan, thoughts on extended fasting. So, 24 to 36 hours for fat loss instead of a regular calorie deficit?
Aidan:
It’s almost always harder. I don’t think it’s the easiest way of doing things. I’m going to add some context here. A kilo of body fat equals about 7700 calories. If you fasted for 24 hours, you’d remove roughly your daily maintenance calories from that. Say your maintenance is 2500 calories. That’s about a third of a kilo of fat if all the loss came from fat. You might see a larger drop on the scale from less food, glycogen, and water.
But not all of it is from fat. It’s easier and more sustainable to stay in a consistent calorie deficit. When fasting, your thermic effect of food drops, which usually makes up about 10% of calories burned. You’ve already lost some calo;ries from that. You burn fewer calories digesting, and you probably move less.
That reduces your total energy expenditure and fat loss further. I have seen some people see success with a 5:2 approach, fasting two days a week. But for most people, a steady deficit is easier and more manageable. This is because people have jobs and they want to function well. Some people have social situations, and fasting makes this hard to navigate. This is the same if you have a family and have family dinners together. It is a lot harder than the alternative.
Torwen:
I agree. Most people have jobs and social commitments that make fasting impractical. It’s not something I’d recommend, but if someone prefers it and it works for them, that’s fine.
Aidan:
The next question. Do you recommend having anything during Hyrox? Like gels or drinks?
Torwen:
This is a good one. Hyrox events last about 60 to 90 minutes, which falls into the range where intra-fuelling helps. Taking carbs during the event can maintain energy. You could sip sports drinks at each station or use a carbohydrate mouth rinse. We know this is beneficial around that 45-75 minutes of intense exercise.
This involves swishing a carbohydrate drink around in your mouth for five to ten seconds before spitting it out. That triggers a brain response that reduces fatigue, even without swallowing. Because you’re not swallowing the food, it is a neurological response. So you’re not actually getting the energy. It’s an option and it works for some people. Another option is taking a small energy gel during rowing or running. But always test this during training first.
Aidan:
Yeah, that’s exactly right. I agree completely. I’d also recommend doing a full or mini carb load leading into the event.
Torwen:
Amazing. Final question. Is it best to take creatine before a workout or any time?
Aidan:
Taking it any time works best, as long as you’re consistent daily. I discourage linking it to workouts because many people only take it on training days. This is something that builds up in your system over time. Consistency is key. Technically, the research slightly favours taking it near workouts. But that’s short-term. Once you reach saturation, timing doesn’t matter. Consistent use gives the same result.
Torwen:
I agree with that. Anything else you wanted to add, Aidan?
Aidan:
Do we do any of the other questions? Do you reckon?
Torwen:
I think we’ll leave it there.
Aidan:
Alright, we’ll leave it at those ones.
Torwen:
We’ll save the rest for next time.
Aidan:
Anyways, I’ll check the downloads and see if people are still interested in these episodes. If they are, we’ll keep doing them. Thank you so much for listening. If you enjoyed the episode, please leave a rating or review. It really helps us out.