At 20 years of age, Shawn’s spine and body were failing him. That is, until he took his health in his own hands and shocked his doctors.
Now a professional nutritionist and best-selling author, Shawn Stevenson shares how to “Stack The Cool” for success, and why better sleep may be the “missing sauce” in your weight loss journey.
“We need to focus on being healthy and being vital, putting the right information into our body. Food is information for the body.”
Shawn’s Bio and Background
At 20 years of age, Shawn was diagnosed with Degenerative Disc Disease, and four different doctors told him he had “the spine of an 80-year old.”
His leg wasn’t functioning properly, and he was experiencing pain throughout his back, leg, and body.
During one conversation with a doctor, Shawn asked if what he was experiencing had anything to do with what he was eating. Shawn recalls that the doctor “looked at me like I was crazy, and said, ‘This has nothing to do with what you’re eating.’ “
The doctor then promptly wrote a prescription for Shawn to take medication.
For two years, Shawn followed doctor’s orders and struggled, feeling very sad about his situation. Then, something slowly changed inside him. He stopped asking “Why me?”, and stopped feeling powerless and sorry for himself.
Instead, he began asking himself what he could do to change, what he needed to do to get results, and how to improve his life.
The Discovery
Shawn stopped eating fast food and began cooking more of his own food. He educated himself and got serious about what he chose to put into his body.
Six weeks later, he had lost 30 pounds and was no longer experiencing any pain.
“It was as if the pain had never been there. I was so busy feeling good and being well, that I didn’t even realize when the pain went away.”
At his next check-up, Shawn’s doctor was astounded by the changes in his health.
“Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it.”
Shawn’s doctor
Shawn recalls feeling a whole new level of energy and a vitality he had never experienced before.
“There was an energy back in me… I just felt so amazing. I felt like I had been given a new chance.”
This changed the course of Shawn’s education at the time, and eventually led him into the career he has today helping other people improve their health.
Shawn’s Insights About Weight Loss
Shawn makes an important distinction between what is typically labeled “attractive” and what is genuine health is.
“There’s a big difference between fitness and health.”
Shawn shares how, even for himself – a busy father of three, husband, author, and someone running a business – he is an example of what’s possible for health “if you know the right tools and apply the right things.”
“Get people out of the mindset that they have to adhere to what media says we have to have. We have to create our own definition of what beauty is, to respect our uniqueness.”
“We need to focus on being healthy and being vital, putting the right information into our body. Food is information for the body.”
The Importance of Sleep to Your Health and Weight Loss Goals
Shawn shares some recent research findings (that he discusses in his book) linking insufficient sleep to insulin resistance. This is a bad thing.
- Group A: slept 8+ hours every night with a diet & exercise program.
- Group B: exact same diet & exercise program, but was sleep-deprived.
After the study period, with all other factors being equal, Group B lost far less weight and far less body fat than Group A.
“Just one night of poor sleep quality can make you as insulin resistant as a Type-2 diabetic.”
Sleep is your anabolic state, which means it’s the time when your body is healing and recuperating. If you aren’t getting enough sleep, your body is breaking down rather than rebuilding itself.
However, it’s not just enough to sleep more – you also need better sleep.
How Exercise Timing Affects Your Sleep
Shawn shares about another study that researched the best times to exercise.
- Group A: exercised at 7 AM
- Group B: exercised at 1 PM
- Group C: exercised at 7 PM
Those who exercised in the morning spent 75% more time in the deep, rejuvenating stages of sleep.
This doesn’t mean mornings are the only time to exercise, but that if you want the best possible sleep and recovery for your body, then getting some form of activity in the morning “stacks the conditions in your favor.”
“Sleep is that Third Pillar. Nutrition is important… exercise and movement is important, but with only two legs on the stool, it’ll tip over. That third pillar is the sleep.”
Starting Your Weight Loss Journey
Shawn gets his clients started by getting “food intelligence” into their body. This means giving your body the information, tools, material, and fuel it needs through powerful, healthy food.
An easy way to start is with tasty, natural food shakes – and Shawn shares a great recipe around the 33-minute mark, explaining how & why each ingredient he recommends can help your body heal itself.
Shawn’s Pet Peeves About Contemporary Health Advice
Shawn’s first pet peeve: waist wraps. He expresses his urge to face-palm when he sees these “gimmicks” that don’t really impact people’s health or bodies in a fundamental, long-term-success way.
“You can’t hire someone to do your push-ups for you.”
–Jim Rohn
Second pet peeve: the idea that you must count calories in order to lose weight. Shawn shares how – while calories are important and do factor into overall weight – they aren’t as important as hormone function.
“Your hormones literally determine what your body does with the calories that you consume.”
How do you do this?
- Optimize insulin function. This is done by reducing and controlling the amount of sugar you consume. Replace sugar with healthy fats wherever possible.
- Leverage the power of leptin. Leptin is a satiety hormone that lets your body know it’s consumed enough. This is improved by eating mineral-rich food, such as vegetables.
Shawn recommends making half your plate non-starchy vegetables, like brussel sprouts, kale, spinach, broccoli, bok choy. Of the half plate remaining, make 1/3rd of that healthy fats, such as olives, avocado, nuts, seeds, almond butter.
The last portion of your plate should be made up of protein. This is organic chicken, turkey, ground beef, fish, etc.
“If you start to structure your plate like that, you can’t do anything but win.”
Mindset and “Stacking The Cool”
Shawn talks about the importance of connecting with your deep reason for improving your health. Is it your dream activity?
Is it your children? (Shawn references this episode of his podcast.)
Your ‘Why’ should be the driving force that propels and drives you through whatever obstacles you may encounter.
“Your why should make you cry… start your day knowing why you are moving towards this thing.”
“Stacking the cool” is creating conditions that work in your favor so that it’s impossible to fail. An example is immersing yourself in positivity, empowerment, and things that moving you toward a goal.
If you spend time every day listening to inspirational Ted Talks, motivational and educational podcasts, and associating with people with positive attitudes, you won’t be able to help but feel more positive yourself.
Shawn also recommends exercising first, then soaking up this information early in your day. This is when your brain and body are best primed, and it starts off your day on the right foot.
Your Children’s Health and Habits
Shawn shares some practical advice for your children’s health success:
- Set the example and own your role as leader. The “my kids won’t eat it” problem is a direct result of your previous behavior. Make the experience fun whenever possible. For example: kids want burgers? Make the burgers at home.
- Set the bar while they’re young. Shawn shares that his youngest child, currently two years old, doesn’t know what candy is, or what the “food like products” in vending machines are. The more you make whole food a regular part of your children’s days, meals, and routine, the better foundation you’ve laid for their future nutritional habits.
- Make their food. Making the preparation and cooking process fun and inclusive is another great way to build your children’s comfort and skill in the kitchen.
Resources Discussed In This Podcast
- Drink Water app [ Android / Apple-IOS ]
- Sleep Smarter [Amazon] by Shawn Stevenson
Contacting Shawn
Shawn is best-selling author of Sleep Smarter [Amazon], host of The ModelHealthShow podcast, and founder of the Advanced Integrative Health Alliance. Find him online at the following places:
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