The Outlier Health Podcast

Over the past 95 episodes, we've talked a lot about the ideal diet, and ways Matt and I try to find it. Between the two of us, we've experimented with fruitarian, raw, juicing, no oil, and minimal processed foods. But while experimenting and talking about an ideal way of eating is fun and inspiring, it isn't always practical. And without the context, we've come to realize that it almost feels unat...

It's no secret that local, organic, healthy food can get expensive. Add in fake meats and fancy spices or oils, and your new vegan diet is maxing out credit cards. But even when you shop at the hippest grocery stores, it doesn't have to be that pricy. You can eat on the cheap, and still get all the great whole foods your body is craving. In today's episode, we discuss our strategies for saving mon...

A few years ago Matt wrote a post called 10 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Went Vegan. It was a reflection on his first 2 years as a vegan, and all the things he wish someone had told him before he made that change. Now that I'm inching towards my 2-year anniversary, we revisit that topic together and compare lists. When you make a giant change, like switching to a vegan diet or training for your f...

Most of us have no trouble losing weight on a whole foods plant-based diet, but is it possible to actually put weight and muscle on? Ever since college I've wanted to put on weight, and had success for awhile when I still ate meat. After going vegan, I immediately lost weight, and thought I could never bulk up again. Then I met guys like Robert Cheeke and others who were putting on muscle without...

After 3 years of this podcast, we finally answer the age old question we vegans know so well, "But where do you get your protein?"

My wife Erin and I are back stateside after a vegan tour of Italy. In today's episode, we talk about our favorite moments of the trip, what we thought of the food, and why we think it's alright to indulge a bit on vacation. Note: Because we're still on the road, the sound quality of this episode isn't very good. Bare with us another week and things will be back to normal!

Have conventional habit change methods been wrong this whole time? A few weeks ago I wrote about a major mistake I see person after person making as they try to start a new habit. They either go all in, dive head first into massive change, and burn out just as reality starts to set in. Or they take the small steps approach. They follow a slow, arduous process of tiny steps. With no major breakthro...

Our answer to the common question: "What should I eat before a race or long run?"

Right as this episode goes live, I'll be landing in Rome, Italy, where my wife Erin and I are taking part in a vegan tour. It's guaranteed to be a blast. But this week also marks Week 2 of my official marathon training plan. So it begs the question: Should I be running while on vacation? If you’re a regular listener to the podcast, it should come as no surprise that NMA Radio co-host Doug and I ap...

As young children, chasing friends on the playground, screaming through sprinklers, and rushing down the first base line in tee-ball, we were runners. Runners much more concerned with having fun than running form. At the time form didn't matter. Now that we're adults running harder and longer, small form adjustments can prevent injuries, make us faster, and burn less energy. The problem is, adjust...

I run a blog, host a podcast, and am working on my second book, all based on habits most people find challenging. I must be perfect at those habits, right? Wrong. When you read someone's blog, or listen to them share stories on a podcast, it's easy to assume they don't struggle with the same issues you do. The truth is that none of those people are perfect, they just try to look flawless in order...

Trail running is intimidating. There's no way around it. You could get lost or hurt. You have to deal with uneven footing and steep climbs. It's dirty, wet, and exposed. But for co-host Doug, it's the only reason he's still running at all. And all those factors I listed earlier? They're much less of an issue that most beginner's think. Doug runs almost exclusively on mountain trails, is the author...

One of the most frequently asked questions Jason and I get at Run Your BQ is our opinion of the Maffetone Method. You may have heard of Dr. Phil Maffetone and his unusual training philosophy, which put simply suggests that slow running will make you faster. It sounds a little out there, but since first reading one of his books a few years ago, I've heard from complete beginners and elite runners w...

NMA Radio co-host Doug recently attended a bachelor party, where while discussing meals for the weekend, it became clear that one of the guys wasn’t comfortable with Doug’s being a vegan. "We’re all having meat. What are you going to eat, Doug? Carrots?" We’ve all been in this situations like this. It’s that moment at a restaurant, party, or dinner when all of a sudden people realize you’re vegan...

The Old-Timer. The Selfie Runner. The Kicker. We've all seen these runners and thought to ourselves, "I don't ever want to be that guy." I hate to break it to you, but you might be that guy. Or one of the nearly 20 other runner types we discuss in today's podcast. It all started while flipping through Mark Remy's The Runner's Rule Book, where I came across his Types of Runners list. The funny, lig...

A few weeks ago I shared an interview with my wife Erin on her recent success with Chef AJ's weight loss program. That episode was the most downloaded release in No Meat Athlete Radio history, and the feedback and questions about the program have been pouring in. So to help answer those questions, and dive deeper into the philosophies behind the program, I asked Chef AJ herself to join me for an i...

Hanging on the wall in my office, so that I see it every time I start a workday, is a one-page essay by Seth Godin, titled "Pick Yourself."This simple phrase, to me, represents the enormous opportunity offered to each of us by our hyper-connected world. There are almost no "gatekeepers" anymore: if you want to be a leader, an artist, a change-maker, you don't need to wait around and hope you get p...

"How have you been?""Good! Very busy."That common answer to what is most likely the most common question, makes me sad. As a society, we seem to idealize being busy. If we're busy, we must have a purpose. I've never been good at being busy, which is probably why I'm not cut out for the corporate world. I like to have time -- lots of time -- to do the things I like doing, not the stuff I feel like...

Have you ever thought to yourself that your running habit would finally stick if it were just a little easier? As a husband, business owner, and father of two with little time and plenty of obligations, I'll do anything I can to make running easier. That doesn't mean I cheat my way out of the difficult days (I believe that's impossible with running), but it does mean I take advantage of easy trick...

After this year's vegan cruise, my wife Erin set a goal. By the next cruise she would get back to her pre-baby weight and rock a bikini. Over the past few months Erin has not only lost 18 pounds, but reclaimed her passion for fitness in the process.

Here at No Meat Athlete, we aren't fans of following strict diet rules. We believe in a little flexibility when it comes to eating. But if there was an official No Meat Athlete diet, these 10 guidelines would be it. Guidelines for how to eat healthy on a daily basis, with enough wiggle room to make it sustainable for the long term. In today's episode, Doug and I discuss those healthy eating guidel...

What if I told you that by limiting yourself with a strong commitment, you're actually freeing yourself up to be more creative. You'd think I'm crazy, right? But it's true! Constraints on what you can do actually help artists, writers, and even runners. Which is why I recently posted a set of new commitments on the blog. A shiny new running commitment, and a somewhat scary commitment to you listen...

Hold up...Doug WINS a 24 hour ultramarathon? Last weekend he not only kept his NMA Radio guarantee by reaching 100 miles under the cut-off, but did us one better by actually winning the race. In today's episode we hear a few battle stories from the race, what he learned, and how he managed the monotony of a loop course. And as summer approaches in the northern hemisphere, so does the heat. After t...

We answer 8 common questions from No Meat Athlete readers and listeners.

How we're training for two very different races.