Nutrition on Paul Nystrom

Why I Prefer CrossFit

Fri, 01 May 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This year marks 20 years of CrossFit for me. I was fortunate enough to discover it in the Navy while at Dive School. This year marks 20 years of CrossFit for me. I was fortunate enough to discover it in the Navy while at Dive School. My fitness has been steadily improving ever since. Age is catching up with me like everyone else, but I’m far more capable—and more useful—than I was in my 20s.

Do you have any medical problems?

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Do you have any medical problems?

I ask patients this question frequently. Some immediately get irritated with me and tell me to “just look in the computer.” And as with every patient, I do look in the medical record regarding their prior medical problems, recent clinic/ER visits/hospital admissions, and medications. However, asking the question tells me a lot about how tuned in they are to their medical problems, and it gives me some idea of their medical literacy. Their involvement and degree of concern about their medical problems often figure into whatever is going on.

Moderation

Sun, 01 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Moderation is a junk term. It is too ill-defined to provide any actual structure for changing behavior. It’s most often used in relation to eating patterns, as people like to say, “I eat everything in moderation.” When pressed for details, those are hard to come by.

I can personally eat a package of bacon in a single sitting. For many, that would be excessive, while two pieces of bacon feels adequate. How many, then, is considered moderation? Four? Six? Eight? Ten? What defines a moderate amount of bacon?

Balanced Diet

Wed, 05 Nov 2025 00:00:00 +0000

“Eat a balanced diet.” It’s a common phrase that you hear from experts. But what does that actually mean? The word “balanced” is vague and lacks any meaningful value.

When someone says “balance,” what exactly are they referring to? Does it mean that your food generally contains each of the three macronutrients—carbs, protein, fat? Does it mean that it only contains what is essential for nutrition, specifically certain fatty acids and amino acids? (I.e. protein and fat; there are no essential carbohydrates.) Does it mean balance in terms of micronutrients, vitamins, and minerals?

Nutrition Summary

Fri, 08 Aug 2025 00:00:00 +0000

Summary of nutrition advice