Chances are, you’ve tried a diet at some point in your life. You might be a diet & fitness plan guru, or you might be your chosen diet’s number one hater. Either way, you’ve probably heard the sentiment, “You can’t exercise your way out of a bad diet.”
But, we’ve gotta be honest. It’s a little confusing trying to determine what diet and exercise plan will work the best. Like, what makes a good diet, anyway?
Recently, we had Gary Brecka on the show. We dove deep into his recommended diet. Plus, he gave us the skinny on why it works! And, when we say we got the skinny, we got allllllllll the details. To get them all, watch here:
So, let’s chat about the Gary Brecka Diet: what it is, why it works, and why you’re struggling to meet your goals without it.
What is the Gary Brecka Diet?
The Gary Brecka Diet was named for renowned human biologist Gary Brecka. It’s a ketogenic diet, meaning it’s high-fat and low-carb. The goal of a ketogenic diet is to provide your body with a source of energy aside from glucose, glycogen, and your body’s own muscles.
Because, if you weren’t aware, your body may “eat” its own muscles to come up with energy when it’s running low on glucose and glycogen.
This is super important knowledge for those of you with weight loss goals. Gary taught us that high-intensity exercise in a fasted state will NOT help you burn fat. Your body will go straight for an easier source of energy: lean muscles. So, you might lose weight, but it won’t be the type of weight you want to lose.
For more on why your diet and fitness plan isn’t working, you can watch the show here. Plus, you’ll see the proof is in the pudding with this diet. Gary’s got big guns & like hardly any body fat to be seen!
The Gary Brecka Diet begins first thing in the morning with something called the “30-30-30 method.” Here’s the idea: you wake up & consume 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking, and then do 30 minutes of low-intensity exercise.
HOT TIP: You can substitute your 30 grams of protein with amino acids. In this episode, Gary will tell you more about what amino acids to take and why they work.
After your exercise, you continue your eating plan based on macronutrient ratios. You’ll want to have:
- 70-75% of calories from fat
- 20-25% of calories from protein
- 5-10% of calories from carbs
Gary recommends getting these calories from nutrient-dense, unprocessed foods.
This diet is popular with Gary’s clients as well as people worldwide. Why? The results speak for themselves!
Just ask UFC President & CEO Dana White he’s one of Gary’s clients.
In 2022, he received news that he only had 10 years to live. Prior to working with Gary, Dana had high cholesterol, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, and needed to take 7 medications daily.
After working with Gary, he lost weight, balanced his blood pressure, controlled his glycaemic index, and no longer needed any medication. He nearly tripled his life expectancy by following the diet!
Who is Gary Brecka?
Gary Brecka is one cool dude. Seriously. We had been dying to have him on the podcast for ages.
He’s a human biologist who found himself biohacking after reviewing the data of millions of people. But, he didn’t get his information through traditional channels like getting a Ph.D.
Instead, Gary started spotting patterns while working in the insurance industry as an actuary. Actuaries use data to determine people’s life expectancies and Gary was very, very good at it.
Wanna know what patterns he saw? Watch the episode to find out!
Now, Gary works with high-profile clients to transform their lives. His clients come to him most often with chronic brain fog, fatigue, and burnout. If that sounds like you, this episode may literally change your life!
How Does The Gary Brecka Ketogenic Diet Work?
Okay, so the way the diet works is by putting you in a ketogenic state. But, what the hell does that actually mean?
Basically, when our bodies need energy, they turn first to the sugar in our blood, aka glucose. After it depletes its stores of glucose, your liver will jump in and turn glycogen into glucose.
But, when you want to lose weight, you want to be using fat for energy. A ketogenic diet and fitness plan allows you to use fat by reducing the amount of refined sugars and other carbohydrates that you consume.
The Gary Brecka Diet also supports muscle growth through its use of protein and amino acids. This way, your body will turn to fat for energy, rather than lean muscle mass.
What Are The Advantages Of The Gary Brecka Diet?
Improve your metabolic health.
The Gary Brecka Diet can improve your metabolic health by putting you in the ketogenic state, The ketogenic state is that metabolic state where you use fat for energy instead of sugar. This helps your metabolism by improving insulin sensitivity, supporting weight loss, and balancing lipid profiles.
Burn fat.
Since the diet helps your body burn fat for energy, you can burn your body fat through this diet!
The ketogenic state means that your body prefers to use fat, so when it’s out, it’ll turn to the fat stored in your body.
Lower your risk of heart disease.
One of the more significant long-term effects this diet can have is to lower your risk of heart disease. It does this by lowering inflammation through restricting simple sugars, as well as supplying the heart (and other muscles) with omega-3 fatty acids.
BTW, did you know omega-3 fatty acids are one of the top 3 things Gary says everyone needs to be consuming? To find out why & what else you need, check out the episode here!
Feel full for longer.
The Gary Brecka Diet is high in nutrient-dense fats and proteins. Gary told us that “your stomach [may not be] full content wise you’re satiated.” So, you’ll need less food to feel satiated.
HOT TIP: If you want to feel satiated, Gary Brecka totally supports Lauryn and her bowl of meat for satiation. It’s definitely worth a try!
Reduce or remove the need for insulin in those with Type-II Diabetes.
This study found that, when using a continuous care model including a low-carbohydrate diet, 94% of patients reduced or eliminated their need to be supplied with insulin.
What Are The Disadvantages Of The Gary Brecka Diet?
It’s possible to lose muscle mass.
It’s really important to note that this diet is not just high-fat and low-carb. It’s also a moderate-to-high-protein diet that requires physical activity. If you’re following this diet without reaching your protein goals or using your muscles, you may lose muscle mass.
This is for two reasons:
- Without adequate protein intake, your muscles won’t have the necessary amino acids to repair and grow.
- When you don’t use your muscles, your brain thinks they’re less necessary for life. Your body will then take the “unused” muscles and break them down for energy.
However, with adequate protein intake and resistance training, your body will recognize your muscles as vital. It will also be able to support their growth and repair!
You might catch “carb flu.”
Carb flu is not an actual flu, but its symptoms do mimic flu symptoms. Basically, when you cut out a significant source of calories from your diet, your body may go through withdrawal-like symptoms. It takes time to adjust to the new diet, but staying hydrated can help lessen symptoms.
HOT TIP: Our BEAUTY SALT was made to help you hydrate! Use it daily for best results!
It can increase your likelihood of developing kidney stones.
Developing kidney stones is a possible long-term side effect of the Gary Brecka Diet. This has not been significantly studied, however.
How To Do The Gary Brecka Keto Diet
Start with the 30-30-30 method.
As mentioned above, the 30-30-30 method is a great way to start your day with the nutrients you need. Begin by having 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking up, and then do some low-intensity physical activity for 30 minutes.
Follow the macronutrient ratios.
This specific diet is high in fat, low in carbs, and has moderate to high levels of protein. Here are the ratios you want to follow:
- 70-75% of calories from fat
- 20-25% of calories from protein
- 5-10% of calories from carbs
Eat nutrient-dense foods.
You’ll want to make sure that the food you’re eating is nutrient-dense and unprocessed. Gary recommends eating whole foods like leafy greens, meat, low-starch fruits and vegetables, etc.
HOT TIP: If you need high-quality protein sources, we love Chomps meat sticks! At 10-12 grams per stick, these are a great way to get your protein in. You can get them here using code SKINNY for 15% off!
Gary Brecka Diet Food List
Here are some of the foods Gary Brecka recommends:
- Arugula
- Asparagus
- Avocado & Avocado Oil
- Berries
- Broccoli
- Coconut Oil
- Ghee Butter
- Grass-Fed Butter
- Grass-Fed Beef
- Pasture-Raised Free-Range Eggs
Talking with Gary changed our perspective on so much.
Seriously we covered so much in this episode with Gary. His recommended diet is only part of the picture!
If you want to know more about biohacking your life, the impact of the pandemic on our health, GLP-1s, AND MORE, this episode is a must-watch for sure.
Have you tried the Gary Brecka Diet? Or are you feeling inspired to try it now? Drop a comment below to let us know what you’re thinking!