2025 Quick Start – Greg's Health Website

Welcome to GT-Healthy 1-pager 2025 update

It’s been about 4 years since I did any major content updates, and since a friend recently asked for an ‘everything’ program, I thought I’d take the opportunity to lay out the best advice I could give based on today’s knowledge

Certainly any of the workouts or nutrition advice previously posted is still valid and potentially very effective, but my thinking has evolved over the years—perhaps most importantly in the areas of habit-forming, personalization, and meeting people where they are. Thus, this will read a bit more like a guideline than a prescriptive program, but one that is easy to transform into as specific a plan that you need.

Just like my website, I’ve divided this into three main sections: exercise, nutrition, and mental health…with lots of links to resources and continuous improvement. This has been heavily influenced by the many books, articles, and podcasts I’ve consumed, mostly notably Peter Attia, Tim Ferriss, Mark Hyman, and Rhonda Patrick as well as their guests. I’ve assumed the basic goal is general health, with a good balance between performance, longevity, body composition. Of course if you have very specific goals (e.g. training for a race or losing/gaining xx pounds) then this approach should be further optimized. But this is essentially what I do myself.

Exercise

Simply put, you want to train five aspects of fitness. Exactly how you do so is super flexible, but the framework should be:

Cardiovascular base—at least 80% of your aerobic training should be done in the proverbial ‘fat-burning’ zone (aka zone 2). By heart rate, this is typically 60-70% of your maximum heart rate; by exertion it should be a level of intensity where you can still carry a conversation, albeit uncomfortable. Ideally you are spending ~180 minutes/week here, but meet yourself where you are and even 10 minutes/day will help.
Cardio peak/VO2 max—once per week, and at most twice—you need to get your heart rate above 85% of max, and ideally >90%, via HIIT (high-intensity interval training). Anywhere between 20 seconds and 6 minutes, with multiple reps (4-10). Tabata’s could do the trick, or Norwegian intervals (4×4 minute max efforts with 3 minutes active recovery between).
Strength training—to build muscle it is best to train with a combination of weights and reps that takes you close to failure. Ideally 1-2x/week for each muscle group, and for 2-3 sets (typically after 1-2 ‘warmup sets’). Depending on your days/hours available to put in the gym, you can do either full body each session, or split up by body parts. See example at end of this page for a 3-4 day/week example.
Joint mobility—dynamic stretching is best, potentially under load, and best to integrate with the lifting (e.g. do shoulder mobility while lifting shoulders and arms). Some examples here: knee mobility and shoulder mobility.
Balance—particularly as we age and need to prevent injuries from ‘life’, having solid proprioception, body control, and balance is key. The easiest way to train this is to work it into your existing routines, either through balance exercises together with strength & core work (e.g. 1-legged wall squats, 1-armed planks, or bicep curls while balancing on one leg), or simply doing some Bosu ball stands or other balance movements between sets. If you’re already quite advanced and want to work the upper body more, try handstands.

Nutrition

Simply put, the best overall ‘diet’ is one that you can commit to, and a healthy one ensures adequate protein and fiber intake with an overall energy balance according to your needs—slight deficit if you are trying to lose fat, slight surplus if you are building muscle, but typically matched with your expenditure & needs:

Protein intake—shoot for 0.8-1g protein per pound of lean body weight (your weight minus your fat) each day. For most men this puts you at ~150g protein/day and for women ~100g protein/day. Unless you’re vegan or avoiding meat and dairy, this target should provide sufficient essential amino acids, but if for some reason you have an odd diet, just ensure the leucine content is >5% (ideally closer to 10%) of this.
Fiber intake—shoot for at least 0.2g fiber per pound of body weight, ideally double this. That means 30-60g/day for most ‘normal’ sized individuals.
Caloric intake—no matter what diet and lifestyle you have, you can still gain or lose weight if your intake isn’t well balanced with your needs & expenditures. This is likely to be in the 2000-3000 calories/day (~15 calories/lb) for most people. What you eat can greatly influence your satiation, though. For example, if you achieve the protein and fiber intake listed above within your calorie target (meaning 20-25% of your calories are protein, and 5-10% are dietary fiber), you will be far more satiated then eating highly processed foods (nearly impossible to achieve such a macro composition).
Supplements—most of us should take 5g creatine/day and vitamin D3 (5000 IU/day) for those not outside a lot or far from the equator during winter months. Aside from that, supplements should be mostly personalized based on biomarker data demonstrating deficiencies. I won’t go deep on biomarkers here, but the most critical ones to assess cardiovascular and metabolic health are ApoB (as low as possible, ideally <75 mg/dl), Lp(a) (a genetic marker to be measured once), triglycerides (as low as possible, ideally <100 mg/dl), fasted insulin (as low as possible, ideally <9 mg/dl), and a glucose tolerance test (or wearing a CGM for some time).
Restrictions and support—perhaps a ‘free form’ diet don’t work well for you. In this case, implementing some sort of restriction could be beneficial. Compliance rates vary and what works for different people can be highly personalized. The two most popular are either time restricted eating or food category restriction such as keto. And in terms of support for finding recipes, AI is the best tool we have today—see my example at the end of this page.

Mental Health

No matter how good your exercise and nutrition habits, you will never achieve optimal fitness without a balanced life. There are resources, clinicians, and researchers far more expert than I, but here are some basic needs and considerations:

Sleep—simply put, it’s essential for recovery and overall health. Research is a bit divided on exactly how much (most suggest >7 hours/night) and how best to measure/target, but do yourself a favor and be as consistent as possible with good sleep hygiene (dark room, cool temperature, comfortable arrangement).
Mindfulness—whether it’s meditation or simply taking mental breaks through the day, you will need to find some practice to reduce stress/cortisol levels. Journaling also works for many, and I would encourage taking 5 minutes each morning to write down something you are grateful for and the most important thing to accomplish today. I also highly recommend that you spend at least 30 minutes outside every day—ideally in the morning sunlight (this will help your sleep too).
Relationships—foster the good ones, eliminate the bad ones, and remember that you are typically the average of your 5 closest friends; so surround yourself with those you’d like to emulate. Random calls or messages to those you care about are also fulfilling.
The best way to achieve all your goals is through thoughtful habit forming.

CONCRETE EXAMPLE

For those desiring something more prescriptive, here is a program based perfectly on the principles above:

Exercise

For all exercises listed, targeting 3-5 sets of somewhere between 6-10 reps is ideal. 2-3 of the sets should be within 1-2 repetitions of failure (i.e. ‘reps in reserve’)
Progressive increase of the weight for each set is typically a good strategy

Monday: 20 minutes ‘zone 2’ warmup. Lifting for legs: squats, lunges, and calf raises. In between sets, do knee mobility and/or other dynamic stretches

Tuesday: 60 minutes ‘zone 2’ cardio

Wednesday: 20 minutes ‘zone 2’ warmup. ‘Pushing’ lifts for chest, shoulders, and triceps: barbell or dumbbell bench press, pec deck or chest fly, shoulder press, lateral shoulder raises, tricep pull down, skull crunchers. In between sets do shoulder mobility and/or other dynamic stretches

Thursday: HIIT training. 10 minute warmup, then Norwegian intervals—4 minutes ‘on’ at 85%+ HR followed by 3 minutes ‘off’ at 60-70% HR; repeat 3 more times

Friday: 20 minutes ‘zone 2’ warmup. ‘Pulling’ lifts for back and biceps: pull ups or lat pull-downs, barbell or dumbbell rows, bicep curls, reverse curls. In between sets do farmers carries with heavy dumbbells and dead hangs on pull-up bar

Saturday: 20 minutes ‘zone 2’ warmup. Core work. In between sets do balance work (standing on 1-leg with eyes closed or looking at ceiling)

Sunday: Go for a hike or ruck outside, or play a fun athletic game.

Meals

Target calories = 2500 (feel free to adjust everything proportionally up or down depending on your size and target)
- Protein intake = 150g/day
- Fiber intake = 50g/day (30-60g for some flexibility)
To ease the burden of protein on meal selection, consider supplementing with a protein shake. Personally, I typically do 40g unflavored whey protein + 5g creatine each day, with a bit of cocoa powder and cinnamon for flavor (don’t expect it to be a delicious ‘smoothie’, but make it tolerable). Feel free to do use one of those flavored protein supplements, but be careful of the junk (including sweeteners) in most of them.
Now (with ~40g protein and 200 calories subtracted from my target), try pasting this into ChatGPT: “send me a lunch and dinner recipe that add up to 2300 calories, including at least 110g of protein and 40g of fiber”, and voila you have a nice grilled chicken quinoa salad and a turkey & sweet potato stir fry (pasted below).
If you don’t want to supplement with the protein shake, try this: “send me recipes for three meals that add up to 2500 calories, including at least 150g of protein and 50g of fiber”. I’ve pasted the output that I got at the far bottom of this page.

MEAL OUTPUTS from ChatGPT (first set is 2 meals intended to be supplemented with protein shake)

Lunch: Grilled Chicken Quinoa Salad

Calories: ~1150
Protein: ~55g
Fiber: ~15g

Ingredients:

6 oz grilled chicken breast (about 280 calories, 52g protein)
1/2 cup cooked quinoa (about 110 calories, 4g protein, 2g fiber)
2 cups mixed greens (about 20 calories, 2g fiber)
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (about 15 calories, 1g fiber)
1/2 avocado (about 120 calories, 2g fiber)
1/4 cup chickpeas (about 45 calories, 3g protein, 5g fiber)
1 tbsp olive oil (about 120 calories)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (about 14 calories)
1 tbsp chia seeds (about 60 calories, 3g fiber)
Salt, pepper, and herbs to taste

Instructions:

Grill the chicken breast until fully cooked (about 6-7 minutes per side).
Cook quinoa according to package instructions.
In a bowl, combine the quinoa, mixed greens, tomatoes, avocado, chickpeas, and chia seeds.
Slice the chicken and place it on top of the salad.
Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, then season with salt, pepper, and herbs as desired.

Dinner: Turkey and Sweet Potato Stir-Fry

Calories: ~1150
Protein: ~60g
Fiber: ~30g

Ingredients:

7 oz ground turkey (about 300 calories, 42g protein)
1 medium sweet potato (about 120 calories, 2g fiber)
1/2 cup bell peppers, diced (about 25 calories, 1g fiber)
1/2 cup broccoli (about 25 calories, 3g fiber)
1/2 cup spinach (about 20 calories, 2g fiber)
1 tbsp olive oil (about 120 calories)
1 tbsp soy sauce (about 10 calories)
1 tbsp sriracha or hot sauce (optional, about 5 calories)
1/4 cup edamame (about 60 calories, 5g protein, 5g fiber)
1 tbsp ground flaxseeds (about 40 calories, 3g fiber)
Salt, pepper, garlic, and ginger to taste

Instructions:

Peel and dice the sweet potato into small cubes. Cook in a microwave-safe dish with a bit of water for about 4-5 minutes or until tender. Alternatively, roast or pan-cook it.
In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and ginger (fresh or powdered) and sauté until fragrant.
Add the ground turkey and cook until browned and fully cooked (about 8-10 minutes).
Add the diced bell peppers, broccoli, and spinach to the pan. Sauté for 3-4 minutes until tender.
Stir in the cooked sweet potato, soy sauce, sriracha (if using), edamame, and flaxseeds. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, mixing everything thoroughly.
Serve hot, and enjoy!

Nutritional Summary for the Day:

Total Calories: ~2300
Total Protein: ~115g
Total Fiber: ~45g

2nd MEAL OUTPUT (3 meals)

Breakfast: High-Protein Oats with Eggs and Berries

Calories: ~800
Protein: ~40g
Fiber: ~15g

Ingredients:

1 cup rolled oats (about 150 calories, 6g protein, 4g fiber)
2 cups unsweetened almond milk (about 60 calories)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder (about 120 calories, 25g protein)
1 tbsp chia seeds (about 60 calories, 5g fiber)
1/2 cup blueberries (about 40 calories, 2g fiber)
1 tbsp almond butter (about 100 calories, 3g protein, 2g fiber)
3 large eggs (about 210 calories, 18g protein)

Instructions:

In a saucepan, cook the oats with almond milk over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once the oats are cooked, mix in the protein powder and chia seeds.
While the oats are cooking, scramble or fry the eggs to your liking.
Top the oats with blueberries, almond butter, and scrambled eggs.
Optionally, sprinkle a little cinnamon for extra flavor.

Lunch: Grilled Chicken and Lentil Salad

Calories: ~900
Protein: ~60g
Fiber: ~25g

Ingredients:

6 oz grilled chicken breast (about 280 calories, 52g protein)
1/2 cup cooked lentils (about 115 calories, 9g protein, 8g fiber)
2 cups mixed greens (about 20 calories, 2g fiber)
1/2 cup cucumber (about 10 calories, 1g fiber)
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes (about 15 calories, 1g fiber)
1/4 cup red onion, diced (about 15 calories)
1 tbsp olive oil (about 120 calories)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (about 14 calories)
1/4 avocado (about 60 calories, 2g fiber)
1 tbsp sunflower seeds (about 55 calories, 2g protein, 1g fiber)
Salt, pepper, and herbs to taste

Instructions:

Grill or pan-cook the chicken breast until fully cooked, then slice it.
In a large bowl, combine mixed greens, cucumber, tomatoes, red onion, and avocado.
Add the cooked lentils and sliced chicken.
Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Toss everything together and top with sunflower seeds.
Season with salt, pepper, and herbs of your choice.

Dinner: Beef and Bean Chili

Calories: ~800
Protein: ~55g
Fiber: ~15g

Ingredients:

6 oz lean ground beef (about 300 calories, 38g protein)
1/2 cup kidney beans (about 110 calories, 7g protein, 7g fiber)
1/2 cup black beans (about 100 calories, 7g protein, 7g fiber)
1/2 cup diced tomatoes (about 20 calories, 2g fiber)
1/2 cup onions, chopped (about 25 calories, 2g fiber)
1/2 cup bell peppers, diced (about 25 calories, 1g fiber)
1/4 cup tomato paste (about 30 calories, 2g fiber)
1 tbsp olive oil (about 120 calories)
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions and bell peppers, sautéing until softened (about 5 minutes).
Add the ground beef and cook until browned, breaking it up into small pieces.
Stir in the beans, diced tomatoes, tomato paste, and all the spices. Add a little water if the chili seems too thick.
Simmer the chili over low heat for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Season with salt and pepper, and serve.

Nutritional Summary for the Day:

Total Calories: ~2500
Total Protein: ~155g
Total Fiber: ~55g

This plan balances lean proteins (chicken, beef, eggs, and beans) with high-fiber ingredients like oats, lentils, and vegetables. You’ll hit your calorie target while ensuring you get a solid amount of fiber and protein to fuel your day. You can adjust the portion sizes slightly to meet your exact needs, but these are close!