Category: Companions
Ghrelin
Ghrelin is the “hunger hormone” that rises before your usual meal times — not because you’re running low on energy, but because your body expects food. Research by Cummings showed ghrelin peaks preprandially, before meals — its own paper putting it as suggesting a role in meal initiation. Over longer spans ghrelin does track energy state, rising with weight loss. Crucially, hunger comes in waves: ghrelin spikes, peaks, then recedes on its own within about two hours. If you wait out the wave, it passes. You can also retrain ghrelin by changing eating patterns. This companion covers ghrelin’s role, the…
The Farewell to Food
Saying goodbye to a food you love is real loss — pleasure memory, identity connection, social associations. Research by Kahneman shows loss aversion makes giving up feel worse than gaining feels good. But you’re giving up regular, automatic access — not banning forever. In exchange: health, energy, freedom from the food’s grip. Taste preferences shift; cravings diminish. This companion covers why farewells feel hard, the reframe, making peace, and adaptation. (3 min read)
The Spice Cabinet
A well-stocked spice cabinet makes whole-food eating sustainable — when you can make grilled chicken taste like different cuisines without sugary sauces, healthy eating becomes enjoyable rather than endurable. Spices lose potency after 1-2 years; if there’s little aroma, they’re too old. This companion covers the core collection (salt, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, herbs), the freshness factor, using spices effectively (season before cooking, don’t be timid, build flavor profiles), and how to replace processed sauces with spice-based alternatives. (4 min read)
The Processed Food Ratio
The ratio in your kitchen predicts the ratio on your plate. Research by Hall shows ultra-processed diets cause excess calorie intake even when matched for macronutrients. If 70% of available food is processed, processed food will dominate your eating — not because of choice but availability. Auditing and adjusting this ratio changes eating without willpower. This companion covers defining processed versus whole, why the ratio matters, conducting the audit, and shifting it. (3 min read)
The Portion Size Audit
Plate sizes have increased from 9 inches in the 1960s to 11-12 inches today — a 12-inch plate has 44% more surface area. Research by Geier, Rozin, and Doros on “unit bias” shows people serve themselves 25-30% more on larger plates without awareness, then eat it all because a full plate feels like a complete meal. You’re not choosing portions — your plates are. Smaller plates are one of the simplest environmental interventions. This companion covers the expanding plate, unit bias, visual illusions, the audit, and the intervention. (4 min read)
The Refrigerator Door
Door shelves are prime refrigerator real estate — maximum visibility, easiest reach, frequent exposure every time you open the door. Research by Hollands shows proximity dramatically affects consumption. What lives there shapes what you consume. Water, front and center, increases hydration. Easy-to-grab snacks are dangerous. This companion covers why door shelves matter, common inhabitants, conducting the audit, and strategic placement using accessibility to your advantage. (3 min read)
The Gardener
Gardens don’t happen overnight — they require daily attention and seasonal patience. Your health works the same way, and the version of that worth having beyond the metaphor is about identity: each repetition is evidence to yourself about who you are, and it accumulates from the evidence rather than the declaration. You don’t need unanimity, only a majority. The gardener doesn’t starve plants to make them grow faster. They water daily, weed what doesn’t belong, prune excess, and protect from pests. This companion covers the gardening mindset, daily tending, patience with the process, seasonal attention, and the question of what…
The Satiety System
Four qualities create lasting satisfaction without overconsumption: high protein, high fiber, high water content, and low caloric density. Research measuring 38 foods found boiled potatoes scored 323% on the satiety index while croissants scored just 47%. Fat, surprisingly, had a negative correlation with fullness per calorie. This companion explores the satiety index, the four factors that predict fullness, why this explains which eating patterns work, and how to choose foods that satisfy naturally. (4 min read)
The Cheat Day Concept
“Cheat days” can serve legitimate purposes — psychological relief, social flexibility, sustainability — or become license for extreme overeating that erases a week’s deficit in 24 hours. Research on restrained eating shows the approach matters more than the concept itself. Ask honestly: Does your cheat day leave you satisfied and ready to resume normal eating, or does it become a binge? The answer tells you whether it’s strategic or self-sabotage. This companion covers the case for and against, and better alternatives. (4 min read)
Protein and Insulin
Protein triggers insulin, but differently than carbohydrates — through direct amino acid stimulation, not blood sugar spikes. Research by Holt on the insulin index shows protein-rich foods stimulate significant insulin despite low carb content. Protein also triggers glucagon, which partially offsets insulin’s effects. Fat has minimal insulin impact. The result: protein causes a more moderate, balanced hormonal response supporting satiety and muscle preservation. This companion covers carbs and insulin, protein and insulin, fat and insulin, and practical implications for meal design. (3 min read)