Two Percent with Michael Easter

In Protein Myths Part I, published Wednesday, Michael examined at how much protein is enough for goals like general health, fat loss, or building muscle; if protein elevates your metabolism; whether protein is more filling than other foods; and more.Today’s episode, Part II, covers practical questions about protein, its sources, and how to get it. You’ll learn:* Whether protein bars are good for you.* Whether plant proteins are sub-optimal.* The truth about protein powders.* Whether nuts or (insert some other food you’ve heard is high in protein) are high in protein and a framework for determining whether a food is high in protein.* Whether you should supplement protein.Subscribe for free at TWOPCT.com.

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It’s the first Friday of the month. Which means it’s time to Burn the Ships.On the first Friday of every month, we publish a new Burn the Ships workout for Members only.Members of the Two Percent community do the workout every weekend—a bunch of us satellites, all sweating and improving together as one extensive network.This month, we’re definitely burning the ships.We have a challenging workout that’ll crank through calories, work your entire body, and truly test your endurance and strength-to-weight ratio (which I consider the most important strength metric).Our workout is called Love Potion No. 9 in honor of Valentine’s Day. You’ll probably hate me as you do this workout—but love me later on when your fitness improves.

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Protein is having a moment. The protein market is set to double to nearly double in the next 25 years, and more manufacturers are marketing us “high protein” foods.Protein is a critical part of the human diet.But are we overselling how important protein is? Are we “overdoing” protein? And if we are, does that come with downsides?This episode is part one of a two-episode series covering the truth about protein. You’ll learn:* Whether the standard American diet gives us “enough” protein.* How much protein we should eat.* If you can eat too much protein.* How important protein is for muscle growth.* If protein helps us lose weight.* If there are longevity benefits to eating less protein.* If protein elevates your metabolism.* If protein is more filling compared to other foods.* When we need protein the most.Become a Member at TWOPCT.com to get full access.

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Today on Two Percent, Michael speaks with Sahil Bloom, the author of The 5 Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life.The 5 Types of Wealth is a fantastic and well-researched work that helps us discover what matters. Sahil writes, “Throughout your life, you’ve been slowly indoctrinated to believe that money is the only type of wealth. In reality, your wealthy life may involve money, but in the end, it will be defined by everything else.” Sahil breaks down wealth into five types: Time, social, mental, physical, and financial.Michael and Sahil cover:* A rapid-fire where Sahil reveals his greatest ESPN highlight, favorite tweet, top live concert he wants to go to, and more.* How a single conversation made Sahil realize he was chasing the wrong things and altered Sahil’s life forever.* Why time is the most precious asset we have—and how that insight can guide our decisions.* Why “wealth” should be measured in more than just money. Here Sahil explains the five types of wealth. * The type of wealth we neglect most, and what we can do about it.* Why defining what “enough” means is empowering.* The power of non-negotiables and why they can help you establish priorities in life and simplify your decisions.* How Sahil balances his large online following with some of the downsides of social media. * How to use social media well. * Sahil’s thoughts on physical health and fitness—i.e., Physical Wealth.* How Sahil ran a fast marathon despite his dedication to family time and hectic work schedule.* Mental tricks for making sure you’ll exercise.* How Sahil eats more than 200 grams of protein a day.* How to identify your personal values to live a wealthier life.

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The Two Percent New Year Challenge just wrapped up. Michael explains a few critical lessons from the challenge. He covers: * The four pillars of wellness he considered while creating the challenge.* Two big surprises you all gave Michael during the challenge (we were all tough and not tough in surprising ways!)* Five challenges that stuck with Michael that he’ll be incorporating into his life more often.* An ask: What challenges were your favorite and why? Drop your wisdom in the comments in the post at TWOPCT.com.

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Become a Member at TWOPCT.com for full access.Michael’s first job was acting as Fitness Editor for Men’s Health magazine.In that role, he spoke to the world’s top athletes to its greatest health scientists and athletic trainers.When these experts sent an exercise or workout, Michael had to test it to ensure it would work for Men’s Health readers. He vetted hundreds and hundreds of exercises.And he’s kept all the best exercises in a file ever since.Two Percent is running a new monthly series that goes into the file and releases Michael’s favorite exercises of all time.This is the second volume of the series. It focuses on one of the most potent lower body exercises ever. It’s great for anyone who has a body and uses it. That is to say, you.

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Become a subscriber for free at TWOPCT.com. Michael speaks with Kyle Chayka, who is one of his favorite thinkers on technology and how it’s changing our lives—what we see and experience and how we live.Kyle is the author of Filterworld: How Algorithms Flatten Our Culture, an exceedingly thought-provoking book.Kyle and Michael cover:* A rapid-fire where Kyle reveals his death row meal, the best and most annoying parts of writing for the New Yorker, what he learned from his dog, and more.* How algorithms influence our cultural experiences and lead to a “sameness” in culture worldwide.* Kyle gives a great example of how the “look” of hip coffee shops worldwide is similar due to Instagram algorithms.* How algorithms actually work. * How algorithms filter content based on engagement metrics and what we gain and lose by prioritizing “engagement.” This alters everything from the friends we stay in touch with to the health information we see to the places we go.* How algorithms are changing content:* Kyle gives the example of how the rise of TikTok has changed how music is being created.* Why algorithms often lead online creators to create increasingly extreme content.* How algorithms incentivize useless and extreme health information.* The strange rise of videos featuring someone doing something boring while talking about something heinous. E.g. A video of someone knitting with a voiceover saying, “When I was seven, a truck driver brutally murdered my neighbor and ever since then 18-wheelers have become triggering for me …”* Why getting a recommendation from a human is often more trustworthy and interesting. * How to be more mindful of the media you consume. This will help you find more interesting and useful media. * Why understanding the business model behind content is crucial for consumers. “If you’re not paying for media, you’re the product.”* Why directly supporting artists and creators often leads to better and more diverse work.

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We pulled the wise and powerful Dr. Trevor Kashey out of his learning lair to answer your questions.Dr. Kashey has influenced my thinking more than any other person. You might remember him from The Comfort Crisis. He’s the super genius in chapters 14 and 15.Dr. Kashey owns Trevor Kashey Nutrition, where he’s helped people lose a collective 300,000+ pounds. He’s also coached and consulted for gold medal winning Olympic squads and Fortune 500 Companies. Michael asked Dr. Kashey to help us with two questions:* How can I motivate myself to exercise more? * I work a shift work job with non-traditional hours. What can I do to stay healthy?The motivation question matters because understanding the fundamentals of motivation will help you build your life to do more of what you want to accomplish in any domain.The shift work questions will help shift workers like medical professionals and first responders stay healthier. But the lessons can also help anyone design their life in a way that helps them lose more fat, improve their nutrition, and make better decisions.

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Michael reveals surprising findings of a new study that looked at how to lose more fat.The results have long-term implications for your health and how you should think about exercise, nutrition, and other topics.It’s particularly important for people dieting or wanting to lose fat while maintaining or building muscle. It’s also critical for those wantin…

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After two months of truly terrible sleep, Two Percent writer Emily Pennington went on a scientific journey and spoke to experts to uncover data-proven strategies for better rest.The effects of the lack of sleep on her body and mind were staggering—and she’s not alone. As many as 1 in 5 people suffer from insomnia.Four simple methods helped her reclaim her sleep and get back on track. The methods can help anyone sleep better.You’ll learn what happens to your body and mind when you lose sleep, the four methods that fixed our writer’s sleep, the upsides and downsides of sleeping pills, and why your family doctor might not always be the best person to talk to if you have sleep troubles.

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