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Monday, October 19, 2015

A Cardio Workout for the Injured Athlete

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An avid cyclist suffered a foot injury, but he found ways to keep active while healing.
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WSJ.com: What’s Your Workout

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8 healthy ice cream recipes you have to try now. Got a blender? Then you have these smart, easy, delicious desserts.

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Precision Nutrition super chef Jen Nickle developed these 8 incredible, exotic ice cream recipes. They’re healthy enough to eat all the time, even if you want to stay lean. Plus they’re easy to make.

Here’s one of the things I love about PN:

We’re a nutrition coaching company, yet we also love to eat.

I was in a meeting recently and one of our newer PN team members mentioned how excited she was to make “Precision Nutrition Ice Cream”.

You see, she’s enrolled in our Precision Nutrition Coaching program (as many PN team members are in any given year), and her coach sent her a link to my original recipes.

As an ice cream lover, she was in heaven.

For a little backstory, I published the “healthy ice cream” post back in 2010. I spent years on a quest to create the perfect protein shake.

After destroying several blenders, I discovered the VitaMix, a machine powerful enough to cut through tough ingredients like ice, peanut butter, and cacao nibs all at once.

By accident, “Precision Nutrition Ice Cream” was born.

Precision Nutrition Ice Cream, part II

Revisiting that 5-year-old post got me thinking. PN has changed a lot since then.

We’ve helped thousands of clients get lean and healthy, and to meet the demand, our team has grown to 100 people … including world class super chef, Jen Nickle.

So why not challenge her to come up with something even better.

Never one to back down from a challenge, Chef Jen was game.

She promised exotic, surprising delicious ice cream recipes that have wholesome, healthy ingredients and a fraction of the calories you get from standard ice cream.

And three days later she delivered…

Precision Nutrition_Blog Phothography_Ice Cream Post_7

As you can see, they turned out beautiful.

They’re also easy — just three (or fewer) simple steps each — and manageable even for your run-of-the-mill blender, food processor, or other type of obliterator machine.

Plus they’re lots of fun.

How to make Precision Nutrition Ice Cream

Start by choosing from one of the 8 ice cream flavors below.

Then follow the instructions to create the ice cream “batter”.

Want visuals?

Here’s what the process looks like for the Hazelnut Dark Chocolate recipe:

Gather the primo ingredients.

Add to a food processor or blender.

Blend everything together.

Here’s what it looks like before yogurt is added.

Blend with homemade hazelnut dark chocolate ice cream batter

Once the yogurt is added, you’ve got the ice cream batter.

Now it’s freezer time. Here you have two options:

Muffin Tins
Ladle ½-cup servings of the batter into muffin tins and freeze overnight. Then pop as many servings as you want out of the tin and into your blender. (You can add unsweetened almond milk if you want a softer texture but it’s not required).
Loaf Pan
Pour it into a loaf pan and freeze. When you want to eat it, take it out and let it soften for 20 minutes before serving. This is a great option if you’re serving all of it at once.

Frozen, the ice cream looks like this:

Precision Nutrition_Blog Phothography_Ice Cream Post_6b

Precision Nutrition Ice Cream, the recipes

Hazelnut Dark Chocolate

(approx. 12 ½-cup servings)

½ cup blanched hazelnuts
½ cup pitted dates
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
1 ½ teaspoons cocoa powder
1 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt*
1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder
2 cups 1% chocolate milk*
¼ cup dark chocolate chunks

In a blender or food processor, puree hazelnuts, dates, salt, and cocoa powder until a chunky paste forms.
With blender running, slowly add yogurt, protein powder, and chocolate milk until everything is combined; stop blender.
Add dark chocolate chunks and pulse.

Nutrition Facts

Precision Nutrition Hazelnut Dark Chocolate Ice Cream	Häagen Dazs^® Chocolate Chocolate Chunk Ice Cream
Per ½-cup serving	Per ½-cup serving
Calories 103	Calories 300
Fat 4g	Fat 20g
Carbs 12g	Carbs 28g
Sugar 11g	Sugar 25g
Protein 5g	Protein 5g

Espresso & Cacao Nib

(approx. 8 ½-cup servings)

½ cup pitted prunes
2 tablespoons instant coffee
1 ½ teaspoons cocoa powder
1 scoop chocolate whey protein powder
1 ½ teaspoons brandy
¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
½ can full-fat coconut milk**
½ cup lowfat plain Greek yogurt*
¼ cup cacao nibs

In a blender or food processor, blend the prunes, instant coffee, cocoa powder, protein powder and brandy until a smooth paste forms.
Add the unsweetened almond milk and coconut milk in a slow stream.
Add the yogurt and cacao nibs, and pulse until just combined.

Nutrition Facts

Precision Nutrition Espresso & Cacao Nib	Häagen Dazs^® Coffee Ice Cream
Per ½-cup serving	Per ½-cup serving
Calories 98	Calories 270
Fat 5g	Fat 18g
Carbs 10g	Carbs 22g
Sugar 5g	Sugar 21g
Protein 5g	Protein 5g

Peanut Butter & Honey

(approx. 8 ½-cup servings)

1 ½ teaspoons arrowroot starch
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
½ cup lowfat plain Greek yogurt*
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
½ frozen banana
1 ½ tablespoons peanut butter
¼ cup honey
¼ cup chopped peanuts
⅛ teaspoon sea salt

In a sauce pot over medium heat, whisk arrowroot starch and unsweetened almond milk for 2 minutes or until thick; set aside.
In blender or food processor, puree yogurt and protein powder until smooth; blend in banana, peanut butter, honey, and unsweetened almond milk mixture.
Stir in peanuts and sea salt.

Nutrition Facts

Precision Nutrition Peanut Butter & Honey Ice Cream	Häagen Dazs^® Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Per ½-cup serving	Per ½-cup serving
Calories 113	Calories 380
Fat 5g	Fat 26g
Carbs 14g	Carbs 30g
Sugar 11g	Sugar 26g
Protein 6g	Protein 8g

Ginger, Saffron & Vanilla

(approx. 8 ½-cup servings)

1 ½ cans full-fat coconut milk**
1 tablespoon saffron threads
1 ½ tablespoons grated ginger
3 tablespoons honey
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ vanilla bean, scraped
1 ½ teaspoons arrowroot starch
½ cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt*
⅛ teaspoon sea salt

In a sauce pot over medium heat warm the coconut milk and add the saffron, ginger, honey, vanilla extract and vanilla bean.
In a small bowl, whisk ½ cup of coconut milk mixture with arrowroot starch until smooth; pour back into the pot, whisking as you go.
Squeeze out and remove the vanilla bean, and pour the mixture into food processor or blender; add the yogurt and salt and slowly blend until thick and frothy.

Nutrition Facts

Precision Nutrition Ginger, Saffron & Vanilla Ice Cream	Häagen Dazs^® Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Per ½-cup serving	Per ½-cup serving
Calories 140	Calories 290
Fat 12g	Fat 18g
Carbs 9g	Carbs 26g
Sugar 7g	Sugar 26g
Protein 2g	Protein 5g

Blueberry Banana

(approx. 8 ½-cup servings)

2 frozen bananas
1 cup low-fat plain Greek yogurt*
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
¾ cup frozen blueberries

In blender or food processor, blend bananas, yogurt, protein powder, and salt until fully incorporated and smooth.
Add the blueberries to blender a bit at a time, pulsing until combined but still chunky.

Nutrition Facts

Precision Nutrition Blueberry Banana Ice Cream	Häagen Dazs^® Strawberry Ice Cream
Per ½-cup serving	Per ½-cup serving
Calories 70	Calories 260
Fat 1g	Fat 17g
Carbs 11g	Carbs 24g
Sugar 6g	Sugar 23g
Protein 2g	Protein 4g

Pumpkin Spice

(approx. 8 ½-cup servings)

1 cup lowfat plain Greek yogurt*
¼ cup pitted dates
1 teaspoon bourbon
3 tablespoons maple syrup
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 8-oz (400-mL) can 100% pumpkin
1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder

In blender or food processor, blend the yogurt, dates, bourbon, maple syrup, vanilla extract, spices, and salt to form a paste.
Add the protein powder, and pumpkin and blend until smooth.

Nutrition Facts

Precision Nutrition Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream	Häagen Dazs^® Vanilla Ice Cream
Per ½-cup serving	Per ½-cup serving
Calories 90	Calories 270
Fat 1g	Fat 18g
Carbs 16g	Carbs 21g
Sugar 13g	Sugar 21g
Protein 2g	Protein 5g

Matcha, Mint & … Kale?!

(approx. 8 ½-cup servings)

1 tablespoon kale powder
1 tablespoon matcha powder
1 ½ teaspoons arrowroot starch
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
¼ cup honey
1 can full-fat coconut milk**
¼ cup chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon lime juice, 1 tsp zest

Combine the kale powder, matcha powder, and arrowroot starch. Warm the unsweetened almond milk in a small pot and whisk in the powders to make a smooth paste.
In a blender or food processor, blend the honey, coconut milk, and mint. Add the unsweetened almond milk mix and puree until combined and smooth.
Add the lime juice and zest and pulse together.

Nutrition Facts

Precision Nutrition Matcha, Mint & Kale Ice Cream	Häagen Dazs^® Mint Chip Ice Cream
Per ½-cup serving	Per ½-cup serving
Calories 115	Calories 300
Fat 8g	Fat 20g
Carbs 11g	Carbs 27g
Sugar 9g	Sugar 23g
Protein 1g	Protein 3g

Avocado Toasted Coconut

(approx. 8 ½-cup servings)

1 ½ teaspoons arrowroot starch
½ cup unsweetened almond milk
1 ½ teaspoon coconut oil
2 tablespoons honey
½ can full-fat coconut milk**
1 avocado, peeled and seeded
¼ cup toasted coconut
⅛ teaspoon sea salt

In a sauce pot over medium heat, whisk the arrowroot starch with the unsweetened almond milk, coconut oil and the honey. Once the honey has been incorporated and the mixture is thickened, transfer the liquid into the blender.
Add the coconut milk and blend on high until frothy. Add the avocado and continue blending until smooth and thick.
Stir in the toasted coconut and sea salt.

Nutrition Facts

Precision Nutrition Avocado Toasted Coconut Ice Cream	Häagen Dazs^® Pineapple Coconut Ice Cream
Per ½-cup serving	Per ½-cup serving
Calories 109	Calories 230
Fat 9g	Fat 13g
Carbs 9g	Carbs 25g
Sugar 6g	Sugar 23g
Protein 1g	Protein 3g

A few final notes

* Lactose intolerant (like me)? You can replace chocolate milk with chocolate unsweetened almond milk. And replace yogurt with regular unsweetened almond milk.

** Want to cut down on the fat and calorie content of any particular recipe? Although a moderate amount of daily fat isn’t something to be scared of, you can replace regular coconut milk with the same volume of low fat coconut milk or unsweetened almond milk. However, not only is fat tasty, it’s creamy and velvety. So lower fat options will end up less creamy and more icy.

*** Don’t know what arrowroot starch or saffron threads are — or you wouldn’t consider yourself much of a culinary artist — start with the simplest recipe here to build you confidence.

In the end, if you’re an ice cream lover, give some of these recipes a try. In no time you’ll be making delicious, exotic, ice cream recipes that delight your taste buds and impress your friends.

Eat, move, and live… better.

The health and fitness world can sometimes be a confusing place. But it doesn’t have to be.

Let us help you make sense of it all with this free special report.

In it you’ll learn the best eating, exercise, and lifestyle strategies — unique and personal — for you.

Click here to download the special report, for free.

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Sunday, October 18, 2015

How to build a successful and rewarding career in fitness. A step-by-step guide for personal trainers & coaches.

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Every year, thousands of people consider starting a career in fitness and health. But most have no idea how to make their dream a reality. This article—written for both new and experienced fitness professionals—outlines a new curriculum for building a successful career.

If you’d rather listen to this article, you can download the audio here.

Change your body, change your… career?

Becoming passionate about health and fitness put the rest of my life into perspective.

I caught the fitness bug early. I started working out and reading articles about nutrition and fitness when I was in high school. By the time I was 21, I’d put on 30 pounds of muscle, felt awesome, and vanquished my skinny guy genetics.

Like many people who start living the “healthy lifestyle”, I quickly became the go-to fitness and nutrition expert for my friends and family, a position and responsibility I enjoyed and cherished.

My new-found love for exercising and eating healthy—coupled with the results I saw in the mirror and my ability to help others get in shape—made me feel like a brand new person.

Well, almost.

Because even though I looked and felt different, the rest of my life seemed tethered to the “old me”. I’d transformed my mind and body… but I was still doing the same old stuff.

Working the same unsatisfying job. Going through the motions at my local community college. Following the same routines.

Taking control of my own health and fitness had shown me how much potential I had to change things in my life. To become happier. To find meaning and purpose. To make a difference.

So why the hell was I doing all the boring stuff I was “supposed” to do when I could do something that actually mattered?

A crazy idea popped into my head: What if I became a personal trainer and tried helping others transform their bodies? What if that was my job?

As I thought about the possibilities, I got excited. And then reality slapped me in the face. The way I saw it, I had one huge problem:

I had no formal education, no certification, and worse… absolutely no idea where to start.

Dream job

How do you become successful in the fitness industry?

I wasn’t alone. And I’m still not.

There are thousands of people who are passionate about health and fitness and considering a career change. But like me back then, they don’t know where to start.

Should they go back to school for a new degree? Get certified as a personal trainer? Or maybe something else entirely?

I remember thinking through the positives and negatives of each before deciding on a course of action.

Option 1: Go back to school.

Positives:

Earn a degree.
Learn all about biochemistry, anatomy, and exercise physiology.

Negatives:

Takes at least two years to finish (and more likely, four to six years).
Costs tens of thousands of dollars and could leave me deep in debt.
Doesn’t prepare me for the day-to-day work of training real people (i.e. doesn’t show me how to write training programs or nutritional plans people will actually follow).
Delivers few (if any) classes or resources on change psychology or business development.

Option 2: Get certified as a personal trainer.

Positives:

Faster than going back to school (Usually self-study, so I could go at my own pace.)
Costs way less money.
Learn enough anatomy and physiology to feel semi-competent.
The certificate I earned after taking the test would make me seem more credible to potential clients.

Negatives:

Doesn’t seem as “credible” as a degree.
I don’t know which certification is “good” and which certification is “bad”.
Still doesn’t teach me much about change psychology or business development.

So what did I do?

I got a crappy personal training certification, sweet-talked my way into a job as a “fitness assistant” at a local gym, and started training clients. (I eventually earned a better certification.)

At times, I felt like I was on top of the world. I had gamed the system! Here I was working with people, building my business, reading nutrition and exercise text books, and attending seminars. I felt like I had a big head-start.

But at other times, I felt like a fraud. I worried that everyone would look at my lack of formal education and know I was unfit to work with people, even if I was a certified trainer.

I worried that because I didn’t follow any sort of “path”, my new career in fitness was a joke. It was debilitating and even a little depressing.

But as I would later learn, my lack of a formal fitness and nutrition education put me in good company.

Be a world-class strength coach in 3 easy steps

When people ask renowned strength coach Dan John what they should do to become a successful trainer or coach, here’s what he tells them:

Step 1: Get a degree in English, study Theology, score a job as a high school teacher.

Step 2: Spend evenings teaching an online religious studies course.

Step 3: Volunteer as a strength coach with your high school track team.

Voilá, just 25 years later, you’ll be a household name in strength and conditioning.

While Dan laughs when he says this, that’s exactly what he did. And his hint of sarcasm isn’t missed, largely because Dan knows something most people don’t:

Unlike in certain fields like law and medicine, there are no clear, predetermined paths in fitness.

In other words, there is no single—or obvious—path to becoming a successful health and fitness coach.

When I realized that, I felt a huge burden lift off me. I wasn’t a fraud. I was just a guy who wanted to help people get in good shape. And, like Dan, I had simply taken an “unconventional” path to get there.

What does that mean for you?

It means that you can find the path that suits you. The path that matches your experience, personality, character, and principles.

You can create your own unique path to the dream job you want.

But how?

Start here: The new fitness industry curriculum

Of course, even though there’s no single template, you can still follow and adapt some of the patterns of the top coaches. Here’s how.

1. Start coaching immediately.

You don’t have to do anything fancy from the start. You don’t need to get a degree, rent space in a gym, or start your own studio.

In other words, you don’t need permission from anyone to get started.

All you have to do is help someone get in shape and improve their life, one step at a time.

It doesn’t matter if that someone is a friend, family member, or a paying client. The only way to see if you actually enjoy working with people is to start working with people.

And if you’re not feeling confident enough to coach on your own, ask if you can “shadow” a personal trainer or another experienced coach for a day.

Remember: You don’t have to know everything about exercise and nutrition to help someone get in shape and improve their life. All you need is to know a little bit more about health and fitness than the person you’re trying to help.

Becoming great at something (like coaching) is always about trial and error.

No matter how well prepared you think you are, no matter how many tests you pass, no matter how many internships you do, you will eventually have to try stuff and you will still have to make mistakes. On your own.

So start doing—and learning—now.

2. Get certified.

While you’re coaching, start earning your credentials.

Yes, we all know that a lot of certifications in the fitness industry are considered a joke. Many require a single weekend of “effort” (and I put that in quotations deliberately).

Most barely scratch the surface of what a trainer really needs to know to work effectively with a client.

But if you want to be viewed as a professional—and if you want insurance—you’ll need the paperwork. So get some kind of certification anyway.

Start with a basic certification like one of the following:

Once you’ve cleared the initial hurdle and have rounded out your skill set (see below), you can consider more advanced certifications and mentorships.

3. Become a “complete” fitness professional.

Once you get your basic personal training certification, it’s time to take it a step further and expand your education. We know that exercise alone won’t get your clients the kind of results they’re hiring you for.

And your clients will need more help than just the two or three sessions a week they have with you.

So what you should you do?

Nutrition education

First, learn more about nutrition, so you can feel more confident discussing food and diet with your clients.

Nutrition is where people 1) need the most help and 2) will see the greatest results.

In fact, including nutrition coaching with your training advice can increase your effectiveness as a trainer by at least five times.

In other words:

That could be 25 pounds lost, instead of 5.
That could be 20 points knocked off the blood pressure score, instead of 4.
That could be 5 inches off someone’s waist, not 1.

That could be at least five times more client commitment, confidence, motivation, retention, and satisfaction… with five times less effort from you.

Since a high-quality, real-world nutrition certification didn’t exist a few years ago, we set out to create one: The Precision Nutrition Certification. It’s quickly become the industry’s most respected nutrition certification, a fact we’re very proud of.

Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification

And if you’re already a student or graduate of the Level 1 program, we’ve got something for you too. Check out this Level 2 page where you can learn more about the Master Class.

Also, if you want more research on the different nutrition education options out there, check out this site. It compares and contrasts the best schools and online education platforms. That way you can make an educated decision on what’s best for you.

Nutrition Education and Certification Reviews

Movement education

After establishing your nutrition system, I recommend one more thing to round out your basic skill set: improving your ability to assess movement.

Most exercise programming assumes that clients move well to begin with. And that might be true, if you were training child circus performers, instead of office workers or athletes and manual laborers with years of repetitive stresses and strains.

As physical therapist Gray Cook says, you shouldn’t load dysfunctional movement patterns. Adding weight to a structure that can’t support it isn’t going to make that structure any better.

Your exercise programming can actually hurt your clients if you don’t first learn how to help them fix their dysfunctional movement patterns.

So, consider checking out one of the following education tracks for better understanding and programming movement.

4. Learn how to coach real people.

After you’ve spent some time learning about movement, nutrition, and exercise programing it’s time to learn how to coach your clients.

That means understanding the deeper psychology at play and saying the right things in the right ways at the right times. It means really connecting with your clients and helping them through their body transformations one step at a time.

You can have someone do all the squats and eat all the broccoli you want, but until you learn “change psychology” and the art of coaching, you’ll never be able to actually help your clients change their habits.

Where should you start?

Here are two must-read resources to check out:

Note: In the second article we share six books that will teach you the basics of change psychology. Use it as a jumping off point for digging deeper into this area.

And if you’ve done all that and you’re ready to level up, you might consider these courses:

5. Get some business training.

You’ve gotta keep the lights on, your financials in order, and clients coming in the door. But how?

If you’re considering opening your own personal training studio or gym—or if you work at a bigger gym and want to learn how to get more clients—you’ll need to get some business training.

I’m not talking about a MBA here. I’m talking about fitness-specific training taught by people who’ve actually had success in the field.

Here’s are some great options:

(And here’s a great article outlining the 5 key stages of a successful fitness business).

The better you get at marketing and running your business, the more people you can help, and the more money you can make.

6. A career of learning and development.

Once you’ve built a strong foundation of training, nutrition, movement, change, and business knowledge, it’s time to commit to a lifetime of learning and personal development.

Feel free to pick the books, courses, internships, and certifications that most resonate with you. Or will most help your clients.

Now is the time to geek out about advanced programming for different populations, nutrient timing, soft-tissue therapy, hormonal issues, advanced exercise and diet techniques, and more.

If you’re interested in finally leveling up that basic training certification from Step 2 above, consider:

PTA Global (Advanced Course)

And if you’re ready for internships and mentorships, these come highly recommended:

If you’re interested in different areas of nutrition:

Nutrition Education and Certification Reviews

If you’re interested in more athletic populations:

Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS)
Certified Physical Preparation Specialist (CPPS)
Certified Functional Strength Coach (CFSC)

If you’re interested in high intensity and group training:

If you’re interested in special populations:

Corrective Exercise Specialist (NASM)
Fitness and Exercise Therapy Certification (ISSA)
Youth Fitness Specialist (IYCA)
Senior Fitness Certification (ISSA)
Golf Fitness Certification (TPI)

Personal trainer

Remember: There is no one “right” way to make it in the fitness industry

Fitness and nutrition is still a young industry. There is no one “right” path to success. In fact, there may never be.

And I kinda like it that way. It means that possibilities are infinite.

The best trainers can come from anywhere: four-year colleges. Doctoral programs. Theology school. College drop-outs. Someone who found a gym flyer in the parking lot.

It doesn’t matter.

If you’ve got the energy, the drive, and the interest to do this work, you can eventually do it… no matter what you’re doing as a career now.

What to do

While there isn’t one “right” path, there are six things you can do to set yourself apart from 99% of other trainers out there:

Start coaching now—even if it’s just family or friends.
Get certified—even if it’s a basic entry-level certification.
Become a “complete” fitness professional—someone who understands exercise, but also nutrition and quality movement.
Learn how to coach real people—by focusing on change psychology and connections.
Get business training—so you can take your fitness “pipe dream” and turn it into something meaningful and profitable.
Commit to a career of learning and development—geek out on advanced programs and build your skills and specialties.

Take the next step

Regardless of which field you’re coming from, developing your skill set and becoming a great coach takes education and practice.

If you’d like to fast track the process, consider working with us.

Our next Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification group kicks off shortly and is designed to teach fitness, strength, nutrition, and rehab professionals how to be awesome coaches and help clients get in the best shape of their lives.

Since we only take a limited amount of students, and the program sells out every time, I strongly recommend you add your name to our presale list below.

When you do, you get the chance to sign up 24 hours before everyone else. Even better, you save $ 200 off the cost of the program.

[Of course, if you’re already a student or graduate of the Level 1 program, we’ve got something for you too. Check out this Level 2 page where you can learn more about the upcoming Master Class.]

The post How to build a successful and rewarding career in fitness. A step-by-step guide for personal trainers & coaches. appeared first on Precision Nutrition.

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Saturday, October 17, 2015

Why personal training will die within the next 10 years. And five big opportunities to stay passionate, relevant, and employed.

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You’re dedicated to eating well and exercising. You want to change lives. And you want to make a great living doing it.

These are all amazing things.

Unfortunately, personal training will die within the next 10 years. Or, at least, the type of personal training being done in most gyms today will be irrelevant and obsolete.

Sounds dramatic, I know. But it’s not all bad news.

By taking advantage of the five biggest opportunities in the fitness industry today, you’ll be in position to thrive while your competitors are wondering where all the clients went.

In this seminar—recorded live in Long Beach, California—I outline these opportunities, laying out a blueprint for the fitness industry of the future.

Learn how you can become The Complete Fitness Professional… doing meaningful work, helping people change for the better, and building a successful business in the process.

The Complete Fitness Professional:
Turn your passion for fitness into the career of your dreams.

Click the play button to watch the seminar.
Or click here to download the free audio file.

What to do next

Want help improving your own health and fitness?

Learn more about our Precision Nutrition Coaching program.

Want to become a Complete Fitness Professional and ensure yourself a successful career?

Begin boosting your credentials with our Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification. Twice a year, we take a group of trainers and coaches and teach them how to deliver world-class lifestyle and nutrition advice to every type of client.

If you’re interested in finding out more about the Precision Nutrition Certification program, make sure to add your name to the presale list. It gives you two big advantages:

First, if you’re on the presale list, you pay less than everyone else.
Second, you increase your chances of getting a spot in the program.

Already a PN Level 1 graduate? No problem. Learn more about our all-new Level 2 Certification Master Class.

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Friday, October 16, 2015

Precision Nutrition Level 1: Nutrition Certification Frequently Asked Questions.

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On , we’re opening registration for the 2015 Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification Program. For more info, read this set of frequently asked questions.

More than eight years in the making, the Precision Nutrition Certification synthesizes everything we’ve learned over the past 15 years of coaching and research in the nutrition field.

It’s designed for elite fitness, strength, and rehab professionals working with clients in a training or coaching environment.

And it’s based on the university nutrition courses we teach and the data we’ve collected from thousands of Precision Nutrition clients over the years.

But, here’s the thing:

You don’t have to currently run a health and fitness business to benefit from the Precision Nutrition Certification.

Many of our students complete their certification as their first step to becoming an elite health and fitness coach. (Oftentimes, they’re still in a job they hope to eventually leave so they can start working in the fitness industry.)

Other students go through our program simply to be able to help family and friends with their own fitness and nutrition.

Every time we offer spots in the program, we get lots of questions about it. So I decided to answer some of the most common ones here, to help you decide if it’s a good fit for you.

Why offer a certification like this?

Because an effective nutrition coaching system is the missing component in the health, fitness, strength, and rehab professions today. If a health intervention or exercise program isn’t accompanied by an effective nutrition system, the client will get mediocre results — no matter how badly they “want it.”

The fact is this: Exercise alone doesn’t work.

Many very good exercise coaches see their efforts go to waste because their excellent training programs aren’t accompanied by a proper nutrition intervention. And that’s not merely my opinion.

To give you a very specific example: There’s ample research demonstrating that in the absence of nutrition change, even very intense exercise programs with experienced trainers will yield an average of 3 to 6 pounds of fat loss in 6 months’ time.

Think about that: A client would spend $ 3,000-$ 5,000 for 6 months with a personal trainer, only to lose a few measly, unnoticeable pounds of body fat. That’s not good.

To give you a counter example, in our Precision Nutrition Coaching program, clients average around 15 pounds of fat loss in the first 6 months. That’s nearly 3 times as effective.

In Precision Nutrition Coaching, we provide both exercise and nutrition coaching, and that’s the difference.

But keep in mind: Our coaching is 100% online. They get those results without ever meeting us in person.

If they work with a coach or trainer while doing Precision Nutrition Coaching (which can help them work harder in the gym and stay accountable locally), they lose closer to 25 pounds of fat in 6 months. That’s over 4 times as effective.

So something is missing, and that something is nutrition coaching.

That’s why we developed the certification program: to teach health and fitness coaches how to coach nutrition, too. Because once you can do it effectively, you can deliver results that are impossible with exercise alone.

(Of course, nutrition coaching isn’t just about fat loss. It’s also about building strength, improving health, feeling energetic, and more. I’m just using fat loss as an example.)

What do you mean when you say, “Exercise alone doesn’t work”?

I mean exactly that: Exercise alone doesn’t work.

If a person doesn’t change their nutrition, nothing else they do will matter when it comes to body composition change (fat loss, muscle gain) and the associated health improvements.

And that’s what 95% of people are looking for, isn’t it?

Simply put, the past 25 years of published research show that while exercise alone can promote very small changes in body fat, lean mass, and the associated health markers, those changes are almost negligible.

In fact, one published review, a meta-analysis of over 700 previous exercise studies done over 25 years, showed that about 6 months of supervised exercise programming will produce only 9 pounds of weight lost.

If we assume 50% of that weight lost is fat (which is a safe assumption, based on the research), that means that clients can expect to lose around 4.5 pounds of fat during a 6-month training program.

So, let’s assume a client meets with his/her trainer 4 times per week for $ 50 per hour. That’s $ 200 per week, $ 800 per month, and $ 4,800 for 6 months. All for 4.5 pounds of fat lost? That’s a cost of just over $ 1,000 per pound of fat lost.

After all that time and money spent, would an overweight client even notice 4.5 pounds fat loss? Would their cholesterol be significantly lower? Would they feel like they got their money’s worth?

Not likely.

What results can I expect when I integrate nutrition coaching into my practice?

Again, let’s look at one comparator, Precision Nutrition Coaching, which incorporates both exercise and nutrition.

During the first 6 months of the online-only program, the average fat loss is around 15 pounds. In addition, we see hundreds of reports of clients being taken off blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes medications.

If that client uses our exercise and nutrition system while working with a trainer in person, they’ll see an average of 25 pounds of fat loss in 6 months.

And the best performers are losing up to 100 pounds in 12 months. It’s quite amazing.

So with the right exercise and the right nutrition programming, supervised by an in-person coach, the cost per pound of fat loss can go down from $ 1000 per pound to $ 100 per pound. That’s nearly 5 times the fat loss and 10 times the cost effectiveness.

If you’re a health or fitness professional, imagine how in-demand you’d be if you could regularly deliver results like that.

It’s absolutely possible. In fact, it’s what we should expect. But no one is teaching this stuff.

Nothing out there covers the specific problem: How to deliver nutrition coaching in an exercise, personal training, health, rehab, or sport coaching environment. And that’s why I wanted to create this certification.

I want to help create a new kind of program; one that helps coaches become body transformation experts, and one that helps clients get the kind of results they deserve.

The Precision Nutrition Certification is a massive step in that direction.

What qualifies you to teach a course / offer a certification like this?

Well, for one I have pretty vast exposure to almost every aspect of fitness and nutrition. I’ve been:

A student of nutrition, going on to complete my Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology and Nutrient Biochemistry at the University of Western Ontario.
A teacher of nutrition at the University of Texas, Eastern Michigan University and the University of Western Ontario.
A competitive physique athlete, winning the Mr. Jr. USA title in 1995.
A personal trainer, running a successful training business in Miami.
A researcher with studies published in peer-reviewed academic journals.
An author of over half a dozen nutrition books and hundreds of articles in magazines like Men’s Health, Women’s Health, and more.
A consultant to companies like Apple, Nike, Equinox and Titleist.
A nutrition coach to thousands of everyday people and quite a few pro athletes and Olympic gold medalists.

So apart from being qualified academically, I think I have a pretty unique perspective — one that’s very well-suited to teaching this material, especially to coaches.

I’ve seen the field of nutrition from more angles, both personally and professionally, than almost anyone else teaching nutrition today.

In addition, I’ve written chapters for other nutrition textbooks, I’ve created masters-level university courses on sport nutrition, and I’ve created nutrition certification material for other certifying bodies.

So I have quite a bit of experience creating academic course material.

But most of all, I think I’m qualified to teach this because we’ve used and tested this very system extensively with our own clients here at Precision Nutrition.

Over the past 8 years, through our Precision Nutrition Coaching Program, we’ve been quietly conducting what I think is the largest body transformation research project in the world.

We’ve had nearly 45,000 clients go through at least 6 months of coaching with us. Essentially a total exercise, nutrition and lifestyle intervention.

The purpose of the Precision Nutrition Coaching is simple: help people lose fat, gain lean mass where needed, and completely transform their bodies (and lives).

Now, here’s the thing: Since the entire program is online, we were able to collect data on everything. And I mean everything.

Because we don’t see clients in person, we can’t “eyeball” things. We need data. So we have detailed psychometric (personality) profiles on our clients. We track compliance and every measurable and relevant behavior. And, of course, we regularly collect photos and monitor body composition and performance outcomes.

And as a result of this rigorous data collection, I’m guessing that we here at Precision Nutrition know, better than almost anyone else in the world, which variables are most important to body transformation success.

Now, remember, I’m not talking what we think is correlated to success. I’m talking about what we absolutely know is correlated with success. Success here meaning compliance, consistency, and ultimately, fat loss, muscle gain, and life-changing health improvements.

It takes a long time to gather this kind of information, especially since no one in the health or fitness industry has ever done anything like it before. But now that it’s been gathered, analyzed, and tested, I believe it’s time to share it.

From there, the Precision Nutrition Certification was born.

How does the Precision Nutrition Certification compare to other nutrition education options?

Well, for one, it’s based on real client data and our own coaching experience.

We’re not really a certification organization. We’re coaches. So this is coming from first-hand knowledge that we use ourselves every day.

This certification is based on real client results, and a reliable and reproducible system for monitoring and achieving those results. That’s what you learn when you become Precision Nutrition Certified.

Two, it’s designed specifically for people passionate about nutrition and fitness — including health and fitness professionals. Many of our students are coaches, therapists, physicians, dietitians, and nutritionists working with people who exercise.

That’s very important, because most nutrition courses suffer from 1 of 2 problems.

Problem 1: They have little or nothing to do with exercisers looking for health or body transformation.

Most credible nutrition education today is meant for people looking to become professors, researchers (people who work at universities) or clinical dietitians (people who work at hospitals). If you want to do any of that, you go to college, study for years and get a Ph.D. or an RD. Both noble professions.

I got a Ph.D. in the field myself, so I’m not knocking it. And both Ryan Andrews and Brian St. Pierre, who co-wrote the textbook for the Precision Nutrition Certification, got their RDs and worked at prestigious hospitals and research institutes.

But neither of those roads teach you how to actually coach an exercising client through a health and body transformation. That’s a very specific skill set, requiring both an understanding of the science of nutrition and — this is critical — a reliable system for coaching it.

So unlike anything else out there right now, the Precision Nutrition Certification does both of those things. It was designed from the ground up, specifically for people who work with, or are looking to work with, clients.

Problem 2: Most nutrition certification programs are, well, kind of a joke.

I just Googled “nutrition certification” and found thousands of results. Good God. The situation is bleak, my friends.

Of the non-university level nutrition certifications out there, I see plenty of garbage, quite frankly. Weekend seminars, no exams, no studying. Lots of rubber stamping.

Some are more challenging, I’m sure, and probably a few are even worth the money. I don’t know — I can’t look at the Google results for very long before getting depressed.

I think I would sum it up this way: If you’re here, reading this, you’ve probably followed us for some time and you probably think a lot like us. And so I suspect you will probably benefit more from the Precision Nutrition Certification than from any other non-university level nutrition education you’re likely to find.

That’s just my gut feeling, so take it for what it’s worth.

How thorough is the Precision Nutrition Certification?

Very. To give you an idea: I teach a masters-level Sport and Exercise Nutrition course at Eastern Michigan University. The course is part of a High-Performance Physiology master’s degree program at EMU.

And the Precision Nutrition Certification covers the very same material that my master’s students learn as part of the EMU program. So make no mistake, this isn’t some “Mickey Mouse” nutrition certification. It’s an elite certification based on grad school material.

Will there be multiple levels of certification?

Yes, two.

This is the first, the Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification, and includes the textbook, the online material and the online exam.

Essentially, Level 1 certifies that you understand the theory. Once you pass the exam, you get a Level 1 certificate acknowledging your completion of the theory part of the certification program.

Some trainers and coaches will stop there. And that’s cool with me. With the Level 1 certificate, they’ll be as well trained in exercise and sport nutrition as my master’s students.

The Precision Nutrition Level 2 Master Class is an invitation-only program for students from the Level 1 program.

The student is required to do an online mentorship, perform regular research reviews, and produce client case studies showing that they can actually deliver results. Level 2 certifies that you can take the theory and apply it with clients all the way through a successful health and body transformation.

So, unlike other nutrition certification programs, the Precision Nutrition Certification has both a theory component (Level 1) and a practice component (Level 2).

Those students who complete both levels will be among the best in the world at getting client results.

Do I need to have a science degree to become certified?

No. We assume no prior knowledge of biology, chemistry, etc., and so we don’t require a university degree.

Now, if you were terrible in science, expect this certification to be challenging. But if you are generally comfortable with science and are willing to read and review, you can learn this stuff.

Once I’m Precision Nutrition Certified, will I be listed on your site?

Yes. And given our exposure online, that’s a big advantage for Precision Nutrition Certified health and fitness pros. As we grow our online coaching programs, that advantage will grow with it.

For example: Our coaching clients are often interested in finding a local coach, one who actually knows what the heck they’re doing, to help them out with their new exercise movements, etc.

In the past, we had no one to send them to.

I can’t just send them blindly in the typical local fitness club with their Precision Nutrition exercise and nutrition program in hand. It would be a disaster.

The trainer doesn’t know what to make of our program, or they start criticizing it or trying to change it. And the client spends half their time trying to mediate between us and them. Not good.

So with the Precision Nutrition Certification we’re creating an army of coaches and fitness professionals who actually get it. Coaches who our readers, clients, and customers can trust.

What’s more, by being Precision Nutrition Certified, trainers and coaches will be part of a network of local professionals that we trust and that we can refer our own clients to.

Once you’re certified, you’ll have a professional profile in our new online directory of Precision Nutrition Certified Professionals, so you’ll be easy to find when people are looking for local help.

Would nutritionists and dietitians benefit from this program as well?

Absolutely. In fact, I wish every dietitian would find their way to this program and get involved.

Although RDs have excellent training in all aspects of clinical nutrition, most dietetics programs don’t even offer a sport and exercise nutrition course. If they do, the course is usually too general to be of any use in the field.

Trust me. I know because I’ve taught in dietetics departments. Just because someone has earned an RD or LD credential doesn’t mean they’re done learning. The best dietitians, trainers, and strength coaches make lifelong education an important priority.

The Precision Nutrition Certification program would be an asset for every dietitian.

Is this program accredited by a national education board?

No, it’s not accredited by any of the national education boards. Again, we’re a research and coaching company, not a certification company.

If you want letters and a rubber stamp, there are organizations for that. At Precision Nutrition, we’re all about passing on important and life-changing knowledge. We’ll leave the bureaucratic hoops to other organizations.

However, I should mention that we are recognized as a continuing education provider by the top fitness and nutrition organizations in the world (see below). In addition, as mentioned above, our course material is approved for teaching at the Master’s level.

What about those people specifically looking for national accreditation?

People come to Precision Nutrition to get certified because they want the best possible exercise and sport nutrition training — from one of the world’s most recognizable exercise and sport nutrition companies.

For those of you looking for some other end, like national accreditation (which often means that the program has been reviewed by your government; and we all know how awesome they are at offering nutrition information), give us a shout at info@precisionnutrition.com.

There are other programs for that and we’ll be happy to point you to those types of certification programs.

Can I earn CEUs from my personal training organization with this program?

Most likely. The curriculum is pre-qualified for CEUs with the following organizations:

ACE (2.0 CEUs)
ACSM (20 credits)
AND (16 sessions)
CPTN (14 credits)
Fitness Australia (15 CEUs)
NASM (1.9 CEUs)
NSCA (2.0 CEUs)
PTA Global (24 CECs)
REPs UK (6 CPD points)

This means that, if you are certified by any of the groups listed above, CEUs are guaranteed upon successful completion of the course.

I should also note that a host of additional organizations accept our course on a one-off basis. For these, graduates from our program submit a summary of the course and their certificate for review.

Note: We’re also in the process of qualifying for CEUs with a select number of other international organizations.

How long does it take to complete the Level 1 program?

The PN Level 1 Certification is entirely self-paced, so there’s no deadline. You can take as much time or as little time as you like.

If you’d like some guidelines, however, the pace that seems to work best for most of our students is completing one chapter per week. That means reading the chapter, reviewing the online video, answering the workbook questions, reviewing the FAQ, and writing the 10-question exam.

If you follow that structure, you can expect to spend 3-5 hours per week on the certification materials. Since there are 18 total chapters, you’d earn your Pn1 credentials in a little over four months.

How about Level 2?

The Level 2 program is an in-depth online mentorship that takes 12 months to complete.

What are other people saying about the program?

The feedback on the Level 1 Certification has been overwhelmingly positive.

In the past 5 years we’ve enrolled nearly 20,000 students in the course. And student satisfaction ratings exceed 99%, meaning nearly 100% of our students rate the course as “excellent”.

Here are a few independent and thorough reviews from graduates: review #1, review #2, review #3.

What advice will someone be able to offer clients after completing the course?

That’s a great question and one we cover in depth in the course.

Fitness professionals are allowed to make nutrition recommendations to otherwise healthy clients. So even without the Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification, trainers and coaches can make nutrition recommendations. What we’re offering is a much better system for making those recommendations.

The only scope of practice that’s prohibited is Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT), which means giving nutrition advice to treat or cure disease. You wont be qualified to do this, and you should never try, unless you’re specifically MNT accredited.

When does the Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification program begin?

The next Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certification Program begins on . And there won’t be another one until .

We’re using a cohort (group) model to accept registrations: The program begins on a specific day, everyone starts at the same time, and group size is limited.

How do I increase my chances of getting a spot in the next Level 1 group?

To get an early bird chance at registration — because the program does usually sell out within 24 hours —please sign up for the presale list below.

We’ll send you a special link 24 hours before the general public and that’ll increase your chances of getting a spot.

What’s the special discount I’ve heard about?

If you’re on the presale list below and enroll for the program before the general registration opens, you’ll save $ 200 off the cost of the Level 1 Certification program.

The regular prepaid option, for the general public, is $ 999.99. However, if you’re on the presale list and sign up on the presale day, you’ll pay only $ 799.99.

Is there a payment plan?

Yes there is.

The regular monthly plan option is $ 99 per month (over 12 months) for the general public. However, if you’re on the presale list and sign up on the presale day, you’ll pay only $ 79 per month (over 12 months).

How can people find out more?

To learn more about the course, and to get on the Level 1 Certification presale list, which gives you a chance to register early, 24 hours before the general public, sign up below.

Once you’re on the list, we’ll follow up with more information about the program.

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Thursday, October 15, 2015

Exercise during pregnancy. [Infographic] The safest, most effective ways to stay fit and healthy.

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Yes, you can — and should — exercise during pregnancy. Here’s how to stay fit while keeping your baby (and yourself) safe and healthy.

The research is pretty clear: Exercise during pregnancy offers tons of health benefits to you and your child, both now and down the road.

That said, it’s not good if you choose the wrong workouts, or to mistakenly overdo it.

Here’s a simple guide to the safest, most effective ways to stay fit and lean — and support your baby’s health and your own at the same time.

Want to print this out and bring it with you? Post it at the gym? Click here to download.

Click here for a fully printable version of this infographic. Take these tips with you to the gym, share them with your trainer, or just keep them handy as a reminder next time you want to work out.

Want to learn more? For a complete explanation of this infographic, check out our accompanying article: “Pregnancy Workouts: How to exercise during pregnancy.”

Eat, move, and live… better.

The health and fitness world can sometimes be a confusing place. But it doesn’t have to be.

Let us help you make sense of it all with this free special report.

In it you’ll learn the best eating, exercise, and lifestyle strategies — unique and personal — for you.

Click here to download the special report, for free.

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Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Are GMOs bad for your health? If you’re asking this question, you’re probably missing the point.

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GMOs are such a hot topic. With so many people debating pros and cons, it’s hard to know what to think. So let’s answer the question: Are GMOs bad for your health? Then let’s look at a few other important questions.

Want to listen instead of read? Download the audio recording here…

Vitamin A deficiency leaves up to half a million kids blind each year.

If I were to tell you that this is the most powerful statistic in the debate over GMOs, what would you think?

Would you wonder how vitamin A could possibly relate to those little “Non-GMO Project Verified” labels you see on cereal boxes at Whole Foods? If so, here’s the story.

Ingo Potrykus is a humanitarian and plant scientist in Switzerland who co-invented genetically modified rice. Yep, he makes GMOs, aka genetically modified organisms.

Is he a villain then? Or at least a shill for some multinational corporation?

Actually, his “golden rice” was engineered to fortify itself with vitamin A. By inserting a mere three genes into the plant’s DNA (out of around 50,000 total genes), Potrykus was able to create rice that carries the vitamin A in its grain instead of just in its inedible leaves.

Up to 500,000 children lose their sight each year due to vitamin A deficiency, with half of them dying within 12 months of going blind. Golden rice would prevent this.

Unfortunately, even though Potrykus finished his project about 15 years ago and made the seeds available for free to subsistence farmers around the world, malnourished children still can’t get golden rice. Because passionate opposition has blocked its development.

So here we have a cheap, nutritious crop. Seven years of extensive scientific research. An invention that could completely eliminate an unnecessary epidemic.

And that simple invention can’t reach the people who need it.

But aren’t GMOs evil?

I know, I know. “GMO” science can sometimes sound like comic-book stuff: crazy laboratories and mad geniuses, megalomanic super villains messing around with people’s food for their own entertainment and/or financial gain.

Fish mated with cantaloupe! Rice with eyeballs! Wheat that makes you grow a tail! Frankenfoods! Island of Dr. Moreau! Etc.

The whole issue has become synonymous with unchecked power, unethical tinkering, Monsanto, pesticides, contamination, and greed.

I get it. Nobody loves giant evil conspiracies (except for super villains). But this is real life. There are no superheroes and super villains. The truth, as usual, is much more complex. And less diabolical.

When it comes to GMOs, scientists — who are just highly educated regular folks, by the way, and rarely malevolent geniuses — are mostly working toward innovations in genetics that:

fight disease;
fight hunger and malnutrition;
improve animal and crop breeding practices; and
potentially even save lives.

Of course, scientists haven’t been all that great at explaining this to the average person. (That’s what happens when you’re sequestered all day at a fluorescent-lit lab bench trying to splice DNA from fungi or whatever, along with writing grant proposals.) So, naturally, the average non-scientist imagines scary stuff.

Allow me to speak for my people — the science geeks — and bridge the gap.

How “GMOs” became a four-letter word

If GMOs creep you out, you’re not alone.

A growing team of anti-GMO activists — including hundreds of reputable advocacy groups, state legislators, and big-name chains like Chipotle, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s — are questioning the safety of GMOs.

They say GM foods could cause major health problems like tumors, liver toxicity, allergic reactions, and death.

So it’s no surprise that over half of the U.S. public said genetically modified foods are unsafe to eat in a recent survey from Pew Research Center. One-quarter of those surveyed said they check product labels for GMOs every single time they shop.

GMOs sound scary and evil.

But do people really even know what they are? Or how they work?

What are GMOs?

A GMO, or genetically modified organism, is any living thing that’s been manipulated to evolve, whether via breeding, engineering, or mutagenics (something that purposely changes an organism’s genetic material).

Most of the time, people debating GMOs aren’t really talking about GMOs. Instead, they’re talking about GEOs: genetically engineered organisms, things that have somehow been constructed by scientists in a lab.

Genetically engineered (GE) plants, animals and microorganisms have had their DNA surgically altered for some specific purpose, such as increasing the vitamin A content of rice, making plants that need less water, or exploring genetic disorders.

For instance, you’ve probably heard of Roundup Ready^® Wheat. This is a strain of wheat that resists a weed-killing herbicide known as Roundup.

Roundup is often sprayed on crop fields to kill off weeds. It works by attacking a plant enzyme called EPSP synthase. When EPSP synthase is attacked, weeds die. But so do other plants.

While Roundup Ready Wheat still has the EPSP synthase enzyme, it has a different version, which is invulnerable to that attack. So the weeds die while the wheat survives.

As simple as addition or subtraction

When we talk about altering an organism’s DNA, we may be talking about adding something in or taking something away:

You can add “programming” to the existing DNA system to make something new.

The product would be a transgenic organism (as in, you transferred in a gene), and that method has come to be known as gene “knock-in.”

For example, to create Roundup Ready Wheat, they added a gene for EPSP synthase from a bacteria.

Or you can stop the program of an existing portion of DNA.

This is called gene “knock-out.”

Interestingly, both knock-ins and knock-outs happen normally in nature.

For example, chickens used to have alligator-like teeth. (Creepy, huh?)

Oddly, they still carry talpid2, the gene that used to make the teeth, but over time the gene got knocked out by regular old evolution. Now it’s nonfunctional. Thankfully.

When engineered, knock-outs are usually done for research. They help us figure out what a gene does.

Did a GMO save your life today?

As I mentioned earlier, the vast majority of GMOs aren’t crops like corn and soy, but rather mice, bacteria, and viruses used to investigate diseases and cures in labs all over the world.

As a molecular biologist, I’ve made hundreds of GM bacteria, hundreds of GM yeasts and one GM mouse. They’ve helped me understand how muscle develops and fixes itself, and, from there, how we might develop treatments for muscular dystrophy.

Genetically modifying microorganisms has led to some of the most revolutionary, life-saving medicines of our time:

If you have type 1 diabetes, GM bacteria made your insulin cheap, safe, and accessible.
If you’ve suffered from a genetic growth disorder such as Turner’s syndrome or short bowel syndrome, GM bacteria made the Human Growth Hormone injections that help regulate your growth.
If you’re a hemophiliac, I’m sure you feel much safer with your treatment coming from GMO rather than from blood donations. Cells in a lab dish made recombinant human factor VIII.
If you ever suffer a stroke or heart attack, you might be treated with medication made by tissue plasminogen activator, a cellular GMO.
If you have multiple sclerosis, you’re perhaps thankful for interferon, also made by a cellular GMO.
If you have cystic fibrosis, the enzyme you take, Dornase alfa, is made by a GMO.
Undergoing chemotherapy for cancer? Two GMO drugs that help your bone marrow and blood counts are Erythropoietin (EPO — yes, that EPO) and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF or GCSF).
Lactose intolerant and taken lactase? It comes from GMOs thanks to genes from either a fungus or a yeast.
If (heaven forbid) you ever contract Ebola, you’ll be beyond grateful for ZMap, a collection of antibodies grown from GM tobacco infected by GM viruses.

In the end, it’s kind of a shame that the debate over GM crops has led the general public to brand everything “genetically modified” as bad. Because GM crops only represent a teeny, tiny percent of what’s happening in the GM universe, most of which is geared toward helping people and saving lives.

The-GMO-Universe-3-2

“But they’re unnatural!”

Sometimes people say that GMOs aren’t natural. And, if they’re referring to genetic engineering, they’re correct.

Most of the evolution we’ve known on this planet has been the result of naturally occurring, random gene recombinations and mutations. In fact, that’s how you and I came to be.

Intentionally making a GMO on the other hand — again, that’s genetic engineering — is deliberate and strategic. And that may be a good thing.

Here’s why.

Farmers have been deliberately changing organisms by playing with DNA (whether they realized it or not) for millennia. More than 10,000 years ago, our ancestors domesticated hundreds of plants, inventing agriculture and cultivating crops that are still our main food sources today.

Through artificial selection — selecting specific traits over generations of crop or livestock — plants like corn and wheat have been bred for flavor, texture, size, and tolerance to environmental conditions.

Tomatoes, for example, used to be small and tart; if you want a bigger, sweeter tomato, then you only plant seeds from the biggest, sweetest tomatoes.

In the 17th Century, Dutch farmers bred carrots that were orange instead of yellow or purple — a nod, some speculate, to the Netherlands’ orange flag.

Today’s consumers typically want all of their produce to be bright with no blemishes, and seed-free. (Did you know that bananas used to have seeds?) The reason this is possible: Most produce has been bred (i.e. genetically modified through artificial selection) to be blemish and seed-free.

Artificial selection has been used with domesticated animals too: In 1950, an average chicken would produce 125 eggs a year. Decades later, we’ve bred them to lay 250 eggs annually.

Cows’ great-great-great-great (plus a bunch more “greats”) grandparents were aurochs. They were bigger and they were total jerks. After years and years and years of people picking the most agreeable aurochs, we ended up with creatures so docile you can tip them over (if you yourself are a jerk).

The point is:

Genetic modification isn’t some scary new science.

We’ve been doing it for a long time. However, we’ve been doing it in a very rough, imprecise, “chainsaw” sort of way.

Now, with genetic engineering, we’re able to do it in the best possible way — in a strategic, precise, “scalpel” sort of way. We also have a much better idea of what we’re changing and what impact it’ll have.

It’s true that with genetic engineering you can use any gene from anything — you could even make up your own DNA — potentially creating combinations that would never otherwise exist. But this isn’t really an argument against GE.

“Foreign” DNA inserts itself into other organisms in the wild all the time, likely yielding all manner of outcomes — positive, negative, and unknown.

For example, around 8 percent of human DNA is actually from viruses, which have invaded our bodies throughout history. This viral DNA has helped placental development during pregnancy, and for making more enzymes to break down carbs.

In general, corn is corn is corn

One major source of concern about GM foods is that genetic engineering might cause the DNA to go haywire, accidentally turning on nonfunctional genes (such as ones that could make the plant toxic), or creating genetic instability that would allow the plant to continue to evolve (in unintended, potentially scary ways) even after the scientists are “finished.”

Some of these concerns have to do with the aforementioned fear of inserting “foreign” genes into the DNA of the crops.

The truth is that GE foods really aren’t so different from conventionally bred plants and animals.

Look at Figure 1. We have wild corn alongside conventional corn artificially selected for hundreds of years. Notice how different the corn has become through non-GMO strategies (i.e artificial selection or “the chainsaw method”).

Teosinte ear (Zea mays ssp mexicana) on the left, maize ear on the right, and ear of their F1 hybrid in the center (photo by John Doebley.) Tracking Footprints of Maize Domestication and Evidence for a Massive Selective Sweep on Chromosome 10. Tian, Feng, Natalie M. Stevens, and Edward S. Buckler. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 106.Suppl 1 (2009): 9979–9986.

Figure 2 compares conventional corn and genetically modified corn. Can you guess which is which?

Photo courtesy of Jason Haegele.

And check out Figure 3. Is that bull on steroids, or what? (More on this to come).

Double muscling in cattle due to mutations in the myostatin gene. Alexandra C. McPherron and Se-Jin Lee PNAS 1997 94 (23) 12457-12461

Bottom line: Genetic engineering is a much more exact method that leaves less to chance than conventional breeding or artificial selection.

Both methods change genes in an organism. The difference is how much change, and how precise that change can be. A quick comparison:

Genetic engineering	Classical breeding
Modifies only a few genes (usually only one, in fact) leaving the rest untouched.	Shuffles hundreds of genes at once, changing their position in the DNA.
Allows strict control of each gene’s production — where (for example, in the seed but not the plant) and when (for example, during development but not once the plant is mature) genes are on.	Breeders have no idea where and when these genes will end up and how they’ll be expressed.

What this means:

Genetically modified corn is exactly the same as domesticated corn, with the exception of one or two genes.

In comparison, wild corn has many genes that differ (about 5 clusters of genes), each producing small variations in the plant.

These effects include:

How much starch corn makes, and what type
The type of environment and soil the corn will grow in
How long the cob is, and how many kernels are in each row
The size, shape, and color of the kernels
Resistance to pests (yes, even conventional corn can and does resist pests)

So, in most ways, conventional farming methods have had much more of an impact on our food than genetic engineering.

Oh, and by the way, Figure 3 is a not a GM bull, but one made from breeding. Again, artificial selection not genetic engineering.

Some fluke (there’s the chainsaw analogy again) mutated a gene (myostatin) and made this cow (Belgian blue). It has double the muscle and nearly no fat (less than boneless skinless chicken breast.)

With the precision of genetic engineering — what most people fear when talking about GMOs — this “accident” wouldn’t have likely happened. But with artificial selection — what most people seem okay with — you get this freaky cow.

The biggest threats posed by GMOs

There’s nothing intrinsically unsafe about genetic technology. As I argue above, it’s probably even safer than most of the approaches being used today.

However, there are some GMOs that could harm the world’s food supply.

First, certain kinds of GM crops could be wiped out by weeds or pests.

Humans and weeds are at war with each other. Crops go to the winner. As with many wars, this one has seen a military escalation, with more and better weapons.

Humans use herbicides (chemicals that are toxic to weeds and living things in general). The weeds retaliate by evolving to resist the herbicides. Humans then use more of a different herbicide. And on and on the escalation goes.

Problem is, the crops can only take so much herbicide exposure before they become collateral damage in the war.

Solution! Enter genetic engineering and its herbicide-resistant crops (remember Roundup?).

Great! War over, right?

It doesn’t work that way. The massive use of herbicides wiped out nearly all of the weeds — but the few that survived are now hyper-evolved, breeding herbicide-resistant strains.

Let’s use more herbicide! The war drags on.

Eventually, the weeds become resistant to these herbicides, and there’s major loss in crops.

Similarly, Bt-corn is programmed to make its own pesticide to wipe out the caterpillars that might munch on it. Good, right? But what if there are other, just as destructive pests just waiting for those weak and frail caterpillars to get out of the way so they can jump in to eat the leftovers?

The second big threat GMOs pose to our food supply is genetic erosion.

Genetic erosion happens when an already-small gene pool gets even smaller and more uniform.

Getting GM food to market is a strictly regulated process that takes up to 12 years.

One part of this process is ensuring that GM foods are 100 percent genetically uniform. Every single seed, every single ear of corn, has to have the exact same DNA.

This homogeneity — this genetic erosion — may mean that we lose diversity, which could make our food supply less robust.

With the same DNA, organisms have the same vulnerabilities. A plague, drought, fungus, or other pathogens could wipe out all our crops at once. Then we starve.

Don’t blame the GMOs

Herbicide escalation and genetic erosion should be taken seriously, to be sure. But in order to consider solutions, it’s important to recognize that these problems aren’t specific to GMOs.

For instance:

We’re well aware of the unacceptably high pesticide levels found in many of the fruits and vegetables at the grocery store.
Non-GMO crops can be the source of herbicide escalation, too (weeds simply become resistant through natural selection).
Genetic erosion isn’t a new worry: 100,000 years of breeding practices have led to a certain amount of uniformity already (though it’s prudent to make sure GM crops with advantages over conventional ones don’t further narrow the genetic pool).

No doubt that GM practices should be checked and strictly regulated. It’s a good thing that we have watchdog groups keeping the balance. Like everyone, scientists make mistakes and do the wrong thing sometimes!

But we have to look at the big picture. Focusing on GM foods means missing 99 percent of the problem.

So are GM foods safe?

I know you want to know — and I sympathize. GM ingredients and additives are used in so many of the foods we eat.

To begin with, there are 1500 published studies indicating that GM foods are safe. But I’m not going to rest a case on them. There are some animal studies that might raise red flags, but I won’t cite those, either.

Because here’s reality: While most scientists believe GM foods are probably safe, science will never prove it 100 percent unequivocally.

The answer is much more complicated than “yes or no,” “pro- or anti-.”

We need to get beyond that, to stop throwing studies at each other.

Nothing can be proved to be absolutely unequivocally safe. Pick anything, and somebody has died from it.

So let’s explore the grown-up questions and gray areas, and think about what trade-offs we’re willing to make, in a scientifically informed and literate way.

For instance:

What aspects of GM technology could be really good for the world? Why?
Which aspects should we be cautious about? Why?
What do we know to be true (or is probably true), and what is speculation? What’s the evidence?
How much is our discomfort with the unfamiliar driving the fears?
Are we correctly assessing risk and reward?
What’s an acceptable level of risk to get the benefits?

As a scientist, I would love people to embrace science, evidence, and the joy of discovery. Scientists grapple with some very difficult and complex questions. And most of them just want to make the world a better place.

What to do next

Short of going back to school for a Ph.D. in biology, what can you do right now?

1. Elevate your thinking game.

Almost no scientific question is about good versus evil. Even spacetime bends occasionally. Recognize that issues are complex.

If you’d like some practice with this, may we recommend our Level 1 and Level 2 Nutrition Certifications?

2. Be a critical consumer, learner, and listener.

Contrary to what the mainstream media might lead you to believe, the biggest threats posed by GMO crops on the market today are not to your individual health, and they’re not even specific to GMOs.

Picking a side — and assuming the other side is unreasonable — makes real communication impossible. Scientific findings presented as the “final word” are probably being misinterpreted; be wary of anyone who tells you something is “100 percent true” about GMOs.

Even as sciencey folks ourselves, we’re not going to give you The Big Definitive Answer either. Because there isn’t one.

3. Address specific issues. Don’t mix them up.

With GMOs and other food safety and regulatory issues, it’s important to think critically about our concerns.

Are you against pesticides? Great! But that’s different from being against GMOs, and to focus on GMOs here is to ask the wrong questions.
Want GM foods to be labeled as such? Great! But the importance of food labeling goes way beyond GMOs.
Worried about large companies controlling our food? I get that. Be against Big Food, not GMOs.

Both conventional farming and GMOs use herbicides and pesticides, narrow the genetics pool, and increase the risk of catastrophic loss of crops. Conflating these issues means change will never happen.

4. Focus on the big picture and real-life priorities.

The fourth-largest cause of death in the United States is accidents. Wearing your seat belt will lower your risk of early death much more than worrying about GMOs. (And quit texting and driving. You know who you are.)

Other leading causes of death are largely due to the toxic combination of sedentary lifestyles, stress, and poor nutrition. Never mind GM vegetables — people aren’t eating vegetables, period.

So start with the key behaviors that will really make a difference. (If you’re wondering what those are, check out our Nutrition Coaching Programs for men and women).

5. Keep things sane and sensible.

The world, in general, can feel scary. Things we don’t understand can feel even more so.

Control what you can control, as best you can. Make PN-friendly choices as consistently as possible, as well as possible.

Check out these infographics to get started.

Eat, move, and live… better.

The health and fitness world can sometimes be a confusing place. But it doesn’t have to be.

Let us help you make sense of it all with this free special report.

In it you’ll learn the best eating, exercise, and lifestyle strategies — unique and personal — for you.

Click here to download the special report, for free.

References

Click here to view the information sources referenced in this article.

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Diamond, J.M. Guns, Germs, and Steel. W.W. Norton & Company, New York, 1997.

Doebley JF, Gaut BS, Smith BD. The molecular genetics of crop domestication. Cell. 2006 Dec 29;127(7):1309-21. Review.

Domingo JL, Giné Bordonaba J. A literature review on the safety assessment of genetically modified plants. Environ Int. 2011 May;37(4):734-42

Feschotte C. Virology: Bornavirus enters the genome. Nature. 2010 Jan 7;463(7277):39-40.

Fda.gov,. ‘Statement Of Policy – Foods Derived From New Plant Varieties’. N.p., 2015. Web. 17 Sept. 2015.
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Freedman, D.H. The truth about genetically modified food. Scientific American 2013 August 20.

Grow EJ, Flynn RA, Chavez SL, Bayless NL, Wossidlo M, Wesche DJ, Martin L, Ware CB, Blish CA, Chang HY, Pera RA, Wysocka J. Intrinsic retroviral reactivation in human preimplantation embryos and pluripotent cells. Nature. 2015 Jun 11;522(7555):221-5.

Hamilton, R. ‘Breeding Better Crops’. Sci Am 19.2 (2009): 16-17. Web. 17 Sept. 2015. [http://ift.tt/1KMDui4 ]

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Lagorio S, Röösli M. Mobile phone use and risk of intracranial tumors: a consistency analysis. Bioelectromagnetics. 2014 Feb;35(2):79-90.

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Lemaux PG. Genetically engineered plants and foods: a scientist’s analysis of the issues (part II).Annu Rev Plant Biol. 2009;60:511-59

Mandell DJ, Lajoie MJ, Mee MT, Takeuchi R, Kuznetsov G, Norville JE, Gregg CJ, Stoddard BL, Church GM. Biocontainment of genetically modified organisms by synthetic protein design. Nature. 2015 Feb 5;518(7537):55-60. doi: 10.1038/nature14121

McPherron AC and Lee SJ Double muscling in cattle due to mutations in the myostatin gene PNAS 1997 94 (23) 12457-12461

Mi S, Lee X, Li X, Veldman GM, Finnerty H, Racie L, LaVallie E, Tang XY, Edouard P, Howes S, Keith JC Jr, McCoy JM. Syncytin is a captive retroviral envelope protein involved in human placental morphogenesis. Nature. 2000 Feb 17;403(6771):785-9.

National Research Council (US) Committee on Identifying and Assessing Unintended Effects of Genetically Engineered Foods on Human Health. Safety of Genetically Engineered Foods: Approaches to Assessing Unintended Health Effects. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 2004.

Nicolia A, Manzo A, Veronesi F, Rosellini D. An overview of the last 10 years of genetically engineered crop safety research. Crit Rev Biotechnol. 2014 Mar;34(1):77-88.

PEWS Report (http://ift.tt/1vbUe19)

Tian, Feng, Natalie M. Stevens, and Edward S. Buckler. Tracking Footprints of Maize Domestication and Evidence for a Massive Selective Sweep on Chromosome 10. PNAS 106.Suppl 1 (2009): 9979–9986.

Van Blerkom, L. M.. Role of viruses in human evolution. AJPA, 20030122(S37), 14-46.

Van Eenennaam AL, Young AE. Prevalence and impacts of genetically engineered feedstuffs on livestock populations. J Anim Sci. 2014 Oct;92(10):4255-78.

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