My 2025 Functional Blood Work: Gut Health, Protein, and the Hidden Clues - Part 3
My gut health story goes back to around 2010, when I was deep into the endurance world — marathons, triathlons, and Ironman events. At the time, I thought endurance athletes were the fittest people on the planet. That more hours, more miles, more pain meant more health.
It took a few years (and plenty of symptoms) to realise just how wrong I was.
Endurance sports can do a number on your gut — especially when training volume is high, sleep is poor, stress is chronic, and recovery is an afterthought. If you want to read more about how that chapter impacted my health.
My 2025 Functional Blood Work flagged a 62% probability of GI dysfunction.
Men in Midlife: You Probably Need to Eat More, Not Less
When most men in midlife think about losing weight or getting healthy, the first instinct is to eat less. Skip breakfast. Cut calories. Try intermittent fasting. Maybe just have a coffee and tough it out until lunch.
Sound familiar?
This might feel like discipline, but the truth is: many men are unknowingly under-eating—especially when it comes to nutrients, not just calories. And it’s wrecking their energy, hormones, metabolism, and long-term health.
Let’s break this down.
Why the Dad Bod Isn't Harmless—And What You Can Do About It
When we think about muscle, we often picture movement and physical strength. While it's undeniably crucial for locomotion and performance, muscle plays an equally vital role behind the scenes—boosting metabolism, supporting fat loss, and enhancing overall health. As men navigating midlife, building and preserving lean muscle isn't merely beneficial—it's essential.
Yet most men in midlife aren't training effectively to support their health, boost testosterone, and decrease the risk of obesity and chronic disease. Look around any office and you'll likely see a worrying trend: many men are overweight and undermuscled.
Diet is certainly important, but alone it's insufficient. Cutting calories, intermittent fasting, and skipping meals might seem effective short-term, but these methods can slow your metabolism, often leading to weight regain once regular eating resumes.
There’s a far better solution—one that allows you to eat like a man, boost your metabolism, and lose belly fat sustainably.
Why Men in Midlife Need to Eat MORE Protein, Not Less
For decades, we've been fed a dangerous narrative:
"Eat less red meat."
"Cut down on saturated fats."
"Animal protein is bad for you."
Meanwhile, Big Pharma and Big Food have profited massively as our health has declined. Obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and muscle wasting have all skyrocketed. Coincidence? Not likely.
One of the biggest tools they used? The Food Pyramid.
Designed in the late 20th century, the Food Pyramid demonised nutrient-dense foods like red meat and saturated fats while promoting grains, refined carbohydrates, and processed foods as the foundation of a "healthy" diet. It steered us away from the very foods that sustain strength, vitality, and metabolic health — and into a carbohydrate-heavy, inflammatory diet that has fuelled modern chronic diseases.
If you're a man in your 40s, 50s, or beyond, it's time to open your eyes: you need MORE protein, not less. Especially high-quality animal protein.
Here's why:
Why “Healthy” Foods Were Wrecking My Sleep: My Experience with Histamine Intolerance
For months, I noticed a strange pattern: whenever I had certain meals—like slow-cooked meats, curries, or anything I’d prepped ahead and stored in the fridge—I’d end up feeling off.
It wasn't just the bloating or foggy head. It was what happened at night that caught my attention.
I’d lie in bed with a racing heart, feeling wired but exhausted.
Sometimes it felt like my breath was hot, like heat radiating from the inside out. I struggled to drift off, and even if I managed to fall asleep, I’d wake up feeling like I hadn’t rested at all.
At first, I chalked it up to stress or maybe something random I ate—but the pattern kept repeating. Eventually, I connected the dots: it was histamine.
9 Key Nutrients Men in Midlife Need to Boost Testosterone Naturally
Testosterone levels in men today are significantly lower than they were 30 years ago. Studies show the average man's testosterone has declined by approximately 20-30%. Why is this happening?
Modern lifestyles, chronic stress, poor sleep, and particularly, the Standard Western Diet (SAD) loaded with ultra-processed foods play a big role. These processed foods are calorie-dense but nutrient-poor, leading to deficiencies that disrupt hormone balance—especially testosterone.
Butter: The Nutrient-Packed Superfood Men in Midlife Need
For years, we’ve been told that butter is bad for us. That it clogs arteries, raises cholesterol, and should be swapped for so-called "heart-healthy" spreads. But what if I told you that butter is actually one of the healthiest fats you can eat? And that the alternatives we’ve been sold are the real problem?
I know this because I grew up on a dairy farm. My grandmother churned butter straight from fresh, raw cow’s milk. The rich, creamy taste was unlike anything you’ll find on store shelves today.
We ate it every day—on potatoes, vegetables, rice, and steak.
And guess what?
No one was scared of butter.
No one was terrified of cholesterol.
And people weren’t dropping dead from heart disease at the rates we see today.
The Cholesterol Myth: Why You’ve Been Lied to About Heart Disease
Heart disease is the number one killer of men worldwide. In Australia alone, it causes one in four deaths—yet the usual advice given to men in midlife is: “Your cholesterol is high, you need statins.”
But what if we’ve been misled?
What if cholesterol isn’t the enemy, and the real culprits behind heart disease are metabolic dysfunction, chronic inflammation, and insulin resistance?
Dr. Aseem Malhotra, a world-renowned cardiologist, has been at the forefront of challenging outdated ideas about cholesterol and statins. His research shows
Why Men in Midlife Should Consider an Animal-Based Diet
A year ago, I made a decision that, in many ways, reshaped my health. I was in midlife, searching for more energy and greater clarity. My workouts were feeling sluggish, my energy would crash mid-day, and it was hard to pinpoint why I wasn’t feeling my best.
After trying different diets and tweaking my meals, I noticed a pattern—plant-based foods, despite their "health halo," often left me feeling bloated, tired, or just... off.
That’s when I started to explore the animal-based diet
Optimal Midlife Diet: Cutting Through the Confusion
If you’ve been frustrated by the contradictory nutrition advice that dominates the media, you’re not alone. One minute eggs are terrible, and the next, they’re a superfood. Fat was demonised for decades, only to be followed by a low-carb craze.
It’s enough to make your head spin!