134: The 7 Health Rules I No Longer Follow
If you've been following me for any amount of time, you know I've had strong opinions on diet, training, and what belongs on your plate. Some of those opinions I've walked back. Not because I was wrong about everything, but because I've learned more, lived more, and stopped clinging to ideas just because they were mine.
How you handle being wrong says a lot more about you than how confident you were when you thought you were right. And when you build an audience or even just a social circle around certain positions, those positions become part of your identity. Walking something back feels like losing credibility. But doubling down on something you no longer believe is what actually destroys it.
In this episode, I walk through the seven biggest areas where my thinking has shifted and why.
For example, I used to move from one strict dietary framework to the next: paleo to keto to carnivore, fully believing each was the answer until the next one replaced it. Where I've landed is that no single framework captures reality. Humans are meat-leaning but opportunistic omnivores, and the problem with rigid labels is they turn food into ideology. You stop asking "is this good for me?" and start asking "is this allowed?"
That connects to a broader shift away from black-and-white thinking. I used to believe clarity meant certainty. If something was bad, it was always bad. But biology doesn't operate in binaries. Carbs make sense for some people in some contexts and not others. Intermittent fasting is a powerful tool but not a universal prescription. Plants are toxic to varying degrees, and I haven't changed my mind on that science, but growing a garden this spring has changed my appreciation for what plants offer beyond nutrition: exposure to soil, sunlight, movement, family time. There's an innate benefit to the process itself.
On intensity, I've started asking what the minimum effective dose is that keeps me strong and healthy for decades, instead of always going all in. Organisms that burn hot tend to burn out faster, and the recovery side of training is the part I've neglected most. On biohacking, gadgets can supplement a life well lived but they cannot replace one. I'd rather spend an hour in the garden with my kids than 45 minutes hooked up to devices in a dark room, and I think the health outcomes from the first option are probably better anyway.
The thread running through all of this is simple: the willingness to update your thinking is the single most important health skill you can develop. Stay curious, stay critical, and don't confuse confidence with certainty.
Learn More:
59: Paleo, Keto, Carnivore [Navigating Dietary Changes as a Family]
Thank you to this episode's sponsor, Apollo Neuro!
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In this episode:
00:00 Why I changed my mind
05:45 #1 Beyond diet labels
08:43 #2 Black and white thinking
11:55 #3 Rethinking plants
15:07 #4 Intensity vs. longevity
18:40 #5 Gadgets vs. nature
22:10 #6 Choosing health mentors
24:48 #7 Store products reality check
27:08 Final thoughts
Find me on social media for more health and wellness content:
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Website: https://michaelkummer.com/
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Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/mkummer82
[Medical Disclaimer]
The information shared on this video is for educational purposes only, is not a substitute for the advice of medical doctors or registered dietitians (which I am not) and should not be used to prevent, diagnose, or treat any condition. Consult with a physician before starting a fitness regimen, adding supplements to your diet, or making other changes that may affect your medications, treatment plan, or overall health.
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