Why I only eat Beef and Eggs

And sometimes Spinach

Hey, what’s up?

I appreciate you opening my emails. It’s fun to share with you everything I’m learning about self-mastery and persuasion.

Thank you for being a reader of Woody’s World.

Today I’m going to tell you why my diet consists primarily of beef and eggs and the pretty interesting benefits.

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Full transparency, I’m not a doctor (my brother is though), and I have no idea if this will work for you… but it seems to work for me.

Konstanz, Germany - Sept. 2021

Random lady offered to take my photo, my face turned red from embarrassment.

When I first moved to Germany, I cooked the most extravagant meals.

• Rice

• Meets

• Eggplant

• Salad with dates, french cheese, and vinegar

• Milk and honey for dessert

And that was just lunch!

I was happy to do it because it was my first time living in a semi-permanent apartment as an adult, and enjoyed feeding myself well.

But now, my typical lunch looks like this:

• 350g of Ground Beef

• 1-2 Fried Eggs

• Spinach

Nearly every day.

Why the drastic change?

There are 3 key reasons:

1. Via Negativa

Via negativa is an idea I first discovered from Nassim Taleb.

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“The three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates, and a monthly salary.” - Nassim Taleb

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In a nutshell, most people try to fix health problems via positiva (by addition). But in reality, the simplest, safest, and most effective way is usually via negativa (by subtraction)

See, I’ve suffered from acne and indigestion over the years, and always failed to understand why. For a while, I chalked it up to bad luck or bad genetics. It was psychologically painful to never know what caused the marks on my face or the rumbles in my stomach.

Now, I understand that a few foods caused 99% of my problems

• Excess dairy / added sugar → Acne

• Gluten (pizza, pasta, etc.) → Indigestion

Once I removed these allergens from my diet, 99% of my acne and indigestion went away.

And when I eat them again?

They come right back, like clockwork.

2. Superior Performance

Once I started eating eggs and spinach for breakfast, and beef and spinach for lunch, I noticed two things:

1. It literally tickles my stomach

2. I don’t have strong hunger cravings throughout the day

On the other hand, if I have a simple carb breakfast, I’m starving by 11:00 am, unfocused and irritable.

For me, a high protein, low sugar diet has been an absolute game changer in my ability to perform at a high level.

3. Maximizing Efficiency

One time, gf and I were in a hurry to get home for a sales call.

But I needed beef for the next day, so we ran into the supermarket across the street.

I remember how I used to spend 20-30 minutes three times a week deciding what vegetables, cheese, or meets to buy. But that day, I walked in and grabbed 1 pound of beef, 20 eggs, and 2 bags of spinach in about 90 seconds.

Instead of having to debate with yourself every day about what’s on the menu, reducing your options frees up bandwidth for productive pursuits.

What about carbohydrates?

I don’t eat zero carbs.

Some nights I eat rice with dinner. And on Saturdays, I eat whatever I want (though if I have too many simple carbs, I immediately notice my mood and energy lower again.)

But I’m convinced, the easiest and best diet for me is consistently this:

• Beef

• Eggs

• Spinach

And to the objection, that’s so boring, what about living life?

That’s fine, not everyone has to do this.

To me, at this point in time, diet is a means to an end (energy, focus, strength). Not something I want to derive pleasure from. Also, I’m still down to eat pancakes on the weekends. Just not on days I want to use my brain well.

Here are a couple of other things that are working well for me diet-wise:

1. Three glasses of warm water in the morning

I learned this hack from the Chinese.

They treat warm water like a cure-all. And if you give it a try, you may notice it significantly improves your digestion for the day.

2. Irregular Fasting

I don’t follow a strict intermittent fasting program.

But some days, I skip breakfast or dinner or go long stretches without food. I do not believe our body evolved for a constant gravy train of food, and fasting is a way of restoring our true balance.

Seems crazy, but also seems like it works.

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“Fast and you will be healthy” - Muhammad

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Recently read this children’s Quran. Did you know Jesus is considered a prophet in Islam? And the story of Moses is a part of the Koran? I never knew there were such similarities.

That’s what’s working for me, I hope it gave you a bit of inspiration.

Thanks for reading!