Shadowing Practice: I Studied Nutrition for 30 Years. Here’s What Actually Matters. - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Have you noticed you can watch 10 videos on nutrition
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and get all kinds of contradictory advice
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and come away more confused than you went in
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and scared of every food and frustrated and you just feel like giving up.
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Truth is, most nutrition content on social media is not that helpful.
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It misses the point entirely.
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What's worse, it trains your mind to ask the wrong questions.
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And this is really tragic because nutrition applied correctly is unbelievably powerful.
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Heart disease, cancer, diabetes, even dementia are massively impacted by your diet.
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So getting the wrong advice isn't just a complete waste of your time, it also deprives you of life-saving information.
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I've spent the last 30 years studying medicine, biology, and nutrition.
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I've published my own scientific studies and I've had the privilege of interviewing some of the top researchers on the planet.
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And in this video, I'll share with you exactly what my family
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and I do and eat to achieve and maintain exceptional health.
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I'll give you every tool you need so you can build delicious, healthy meals for your family.
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And you can also spot bad nutrition advice, and you can finally stop wasting time with stuff that just doesn't matter.
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I was recently writing this long article answering every frequently asked question on nutrition that you guys ask.
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I'll link that below for you, but I realized it all boils down to five really simple principles.
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And they're so incredibly powerful because they give you peace of mind
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and we can cover them in minutes as you'll see
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and by the end you'll be able to judge nutrition claims immediately if it's something serious or if it's just fear-mongering.
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So here's the first principle.
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A food is a combination of many different pieces of many different nutrients and components
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packed together in a specific structure
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and each of those building blocks can have a separate specific effect on your health for example
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when you eat an avocado you're not just eating fat you're also eating all kinds of vitamins
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and minerals and something called zeaxanthin which promotes eye health
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and scopolitan which has anti-cancer activity and the list goes on and on.
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An apple, a simple apple, is not just carbs.
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You're also eating quercetin, which fights inflammation, and anthocyanins, which promote heart health, and all kinds of different vitamins and different types of fiber.
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Even a food like olive oil, where most people think, no, that's just purified pure fat, right?
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That's all.
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No, it has a plethora of vitamins and carotenoids and other phytonutrients.
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Oleocanthol is formed in olive oil and it has an anti-inflammatory activity.
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And so it's a long list.
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It goes on and on.
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And so the realization here, the bottom line, is that the health effect of the whole food is the combination of the specific effects of each of these molecules.
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And trying to guess the health effect of a food from
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one isolated nutrient in a vacuum gets things wrong all the time.
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This is like the blind man and the elephant.
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You've heard that story, you've all heard it.
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One blind man grabs the leg of the elephant and goes, an elephant is basically like a tree, it's a cylinder.
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The other blind man grabs the ear and says, no, no, no, an elephant's this flexible round leaf almost.
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The other grabs the trunk and says, no guys, elephant's basically like a hose.
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It's a long bendy tube.
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They all have a kernel of truth, but they're all missing the big picture.
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None of them grasp what an elephant is.
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This is such a simple principle.
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You could explain this to a child literally, and I invite you to, and yet it's so powerful.
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You grasp this, and so many dilemmas that puzzle millions of people online every day, they just dissipate away.
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Should we all avoid beans and be scared of beans because they contain lectins?
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Well, beans also contain minerals and different types of fiber and phytonutrients.
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So what's the actual health effect of eating beans in human beings?
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We have piles of studies documenting this we see better control
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of blood sugar we see lower cholesterol we see weight loss
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we see less heart disease we see longer lives in people who eat more beans
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so i eat them all the time i eat them daily beans
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and lentils and legumes like that and i give them to my family
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because we actually know what the documented health effect is in
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spite of all the speculation in reality some lactins can cause issues they can cause gastrointestinal distress
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but the heat wipes them out.
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So the normal processing of the beans, the cooking of the beans, already solves the problem.
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So theory versus reality.
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Should we avoid oats and all whole grains because they contain phytates, they contain glyphosate, they contain evananthromides,
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they also contain a thousand other things, viscous fiber and phytonutrients and minerals.
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What's the actual health effect in a human being eating them?
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We have hundreds of studies doing this, giving people oats.
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We see lower blood lower cholesterol, less body fat, lower risk of developing diabetes.
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I eat oats all the time, almost every day
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i give them to my family the children in my family eat oats all the time
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because the health effects we see are overwhelmingly positive here's some
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overnight oats with berries i just had the other day i didn't stress over the bad molecule
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that might be in there i just enjoyed it
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because i know what the overall health effect is should you cut carbs
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or fat from your diet which one is good and
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which one is bad is carb poison are fats good for you are fats bad for you these are the wrong
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questions guys it completely misses the point of nutrition a whole macronutrient like carbohydrate or lipid
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or protein is neither good nor bad it depends on the
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food it comes in sources of whole carbohydrates like fruit or vegetables
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or legumes we consistently see good health effects of those foods sources of highly refined carbohydrates like soda
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or gummy bears or muffins we consistently see not
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so good health effects of those foods
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because these foods are about much more than just the carbs
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that they contain it's a whole package the types of fiber
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and the resistant starches and the phytonutrients and the minerals
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and the vitamins in there a lot of these components are stripped away by the refinement process
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and these building parts have a fundamental effect on how the food is processed in your body, how it's absorbed and digested,
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and ultimately what health effect it has on you.
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So when someone insists that you look at one molecule, always make sure to step back and look at the whole elephant.
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And you can still eat a lower carb or a lower fat diet if you prefer, if you like it that way, if it's more sustainable for you,
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just don't let people tell you these fairy tales that all fat is bad for you, all carbs are good for you.
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That's nonsense.
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Exactly the same for fats, of course.
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Some fatty foods are good for you and some are not.
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Internet debates on fats confuse millions of people.
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It's endless because this simple concept is usually absent.
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It's usually not understood.
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Saturative fat.
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The rivers of ink that have flown debating saturated fat.
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Is saturated fat good or bad for you?
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This is the wrong question entirely.
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Completely misses the point.
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Salmon, yogurt, kefir, dark chocolate, olive oil even.
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These are foods that contain some saturated fat, and yet we consistently see positive health effects of these foods.
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Butter, tallow, coconut oil in large amounts.
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We're not talking about eating them here and there.
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We consistently see concerning effects.
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So saturated fat is neither good nor bad.
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This is cartoonish.
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It depends on a lot of different factors, the types of saturated fats and the package, the food it comes in.
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So you want to look at the whole elephant.
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Seed oils, people losing their minds, pulling their hair out over seed oils.
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They have omega-6s.
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They have hexane.
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They have double bonds.
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Canola oil is poison for you because it has erucic acid in it.
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What's the actual health effect that we observe in human beings consuming canola oil?
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We have a 30-minute video where we systematically went over every study.
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We could find dozens of studies in human beings you see better blood work, lower cholesterol, triglycerides when they change is in a positive direction.
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You see less liver fat, you see lower risk of dying of heart disease, lower risk of dying of cancer,
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lower mortality overall, even in people cooking with canola oil, even after you adjust for obvious confounders like exercise or smoking.
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So I buy canola oil.
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I give it to my family.
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It's one of the many fats that we eat.
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Nobody has to eat it, but I'm not worried because the health effects are there.
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Even the endless protein debates often miss this point.
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Should we eat 0.8 or 1.1 or 1.45 grams per kilo body weight?
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99% of people have no idea how many grams of protein they're eating.
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And we have videos going over all those controversies.
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But the bottom line is most Westerners are already getting plenty of protein.
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They're getting all the protein they need even without counting grams of protein.
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There's a lot of issues with the standard western diet and lack of protein is not one of them.
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And these endless fights, the plant protein versus the animal protein, all this UFC style battle, you watch this stuff all day long,
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you come away thinking that nutrition is about choosing a side, choosing a team.
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We consistently see good health effects of fatty fish like salmon, fermented dairy like kefir for example,
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great health effects, Legumes, like beans and lentils, nuts also.
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We see better blood work, less heart disease, less inflammation on these foods.
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And some are from plants and some are from animals.
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So that doesn't explain it.
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When I sit down to eat, I'm not stressing out and losing sleep over the amount of protein in my diet.
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I know I eat a diverse diet that includes a number of protein-rich sources and they're health-promoting.
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That's the main thing for me even fiber
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which the evidence for health benefits of fiber is one of
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the strongest evidence bases in nutrition we see less heart disease less cancer less diabetes
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but really it's the foods the fiber comes in
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that natural package right that's what we're talking about it's the health effect of those foods not necessarily
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the effect of any food with fiber.
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Because if we forget this whole elephant concept, then we get gamed by the food industry selling us their sugary foods saying,
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hey, it contains fiber, we threw fiber in there.
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All of this, all of this principle doesn't mean that nutrients don't matter, right?
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That humongous article I wrote goes over dozens of nutrients one by one
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and best sources and how to make sure you're getting enough.
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But the bottom line is at the end of the day, don't forget, step back, look at the whole elephant.
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The beautiful thing is how simple this principle is, how easy to grasp.
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You don't need to be a scientist and it's so powerful.
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We constantly hear from viewers saying how they reverse diseases
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and maintain fantastic blood work and they have peace of mind eating
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and they don't get swept away by the fear-mongering on social media anymore.
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I remember one viewer who messaged me, I'll never forget that she was terrified of her lunch.
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She was literally petrified of every food because one influencer told her carbs are poison.
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The other said fats are bad for you.
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The other said dairy is toxic.
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The other said oils are a no-no.
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She had nothing left.
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She just started going through some of our simple videos explaining these concepts.
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She instantly understood that these are imaginary monsters.
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This is made up stuff.
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and she started to relax and enjoy her food and eating a healthy diet without being in constant panic.
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Okay, just with this first principle, you're already way harder to fool than almost everybody on the internet, but this next principle trips up a lot of smart people.
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Second fundamental principle, some people have specific conditions and specific intolerances and they need to personalize their diet.
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That doesn't necessarily apply to all of humanity.
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You'd be blown away by how much fear-mongering and confusion on social media depends on you not understanding this.
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Some people are intolerant to gluten.
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There are legit conditions like celiac and others.
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We have videos covering that, how to diagnose and how to navigate that for people who have those conditions, but that doesn't apply to 99% of humans.
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Some people form kidney stones and a subset of those form kidney stones made up of oxalates.
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For those individuals, there are very specific strategies.
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We've covered all those before.
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But this doesn't apply to the vast majority of humans.
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Do you know how much I worry about oxalates when I sit down to eat?
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Zero.
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Never think about them.
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Because I'm not a stone farmer.
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In my family, we're not stone farmers.
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So that's one thing we don't need to worry about.
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Here's a beet salad with walnuts and greens I had the other day.
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Did I measure the oxalates in this?
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Didn't think about it once.
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Just enjoyed it.
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Some people have GI conditions.
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IBS, irritable bowel, or IBD, inflammatory bowel.
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Those people need to personalize.
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There are strategies for that.
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A lot of those intolerances can sometimes be reversed.
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But the point is, those limitations and personalizations don't apply to a healthy individual.
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Other things that also vary a lot person to person and cause a lot of confusion.
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Eggs.
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Do eggs raise your cholesterol or not?
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People can't get a straight answer.
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That's because there is no one answer.
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Some people, when they eat cholesterol in their diet like eggs, their blood cholesterol level skyrockets.
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But for most people, that's not seen.
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Most people, they see a modest increase of about seven points in your cholesterol level.
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So it makes sense to personalize for your biology, for your needs.
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Some people are very salt sensitive.
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They eat more sodium and their blood pressure goes through the roof.
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Others are more salt tolerant.
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Varies a lot. So personalize.
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Eat to your blood work eat to your test.
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Just a great mindset.
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Blood sugar spikes, the glucose spikes, people are pulling their hair out over the spikes.
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Some individuals have health conditions where their glucose response to a meal is not normal.
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Typical example is someone with diabetes.
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We have a whole video explaining strategies for those individuals, but this does not apply to healthy people.
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How come we have millions of people terrified of glucose spikes, of oxalates, of gluten, and then the most knowledgeable people on earth on these topics
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that i talk to all the time that study this for a living
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they're not worried about it they just sit down
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and enjoy their food i got my phd for work on aging
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and nutrition i've read thousands literally thousands of studies on nutrition
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when i sit down to eat with my family we're not stressing out over oxalates
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or glucose spikes we're just enjoying food a lot of fear-mongering
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out there relies on you not understanding these basic principles and fearing things that don't apply to you.
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Why?
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Because fear is a very powerful trigger to get you to click stuff and swipe your credit card.
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Okay, the glucose spikes, panic, and stampede also misses another fundamental principle of biology and nutrition.
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And this is our third principle that we're going to cover.
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This confuses so many people, including smart people, and it's It's so simple.
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Your body is in constant motion, constant changes.
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We call it homeostasis.
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During exercise, your blood pressure goes up.
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Your heart rate goes up.
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After you eat something with fat in it, those fats go into the bloodstream.
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Your triglycerides go up.
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After you eat something with carbohydrate, those sugars go into your bloodstream.
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Your blood sugar goes up.
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These are examples of temporary changes.
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We call them acute changes.
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This is not disease.
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It's not the same as disease.
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The problem is continuous exposure to these issues what we call chronic exposure.
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Your blood pressure is high all the time.
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You're sitting down and your blood pressure is through the roof.
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That's hypertension.
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That's a problem.
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Your triglycerides are high all the time, even when you're fasted.
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Your blood sugar is high even when you're fasted.
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That's an issue.
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Don't fall for this switcheroo, for this cheap trick.
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A blood test going up after an activity
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or during an activity is not the same as
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that blood value being high all the time in the context of a disease.
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Fourth principle of nutrition.
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This explains so much.
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You grasp this.
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A lot of the dilemmas just fade away.
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Compared to what?
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Everything in nutrition is instead of what?
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Stop thinking of foods as good and bad, as superfoods and poison.
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That's not how this works.
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And that type of mindset makes you an easy target.
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Because any food can be made to look good or bad depending what you compare it to.
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I can make ice cream or bacon or anything look good by controlling what I'm comparing it to.
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The saturated fat debates confuse people with this all the time.
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Oh, I found a study where more or less saturated fat doesn't make a difference, so it's all a wash.
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Compared to what?
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Large studies have shown this many times.
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We've known this for many years.
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You compare butter to white bread or muffins, you don't see much of a difference in terms of heart disease.
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Compare butter to olive oil, you see less heart disease, or to brown rice, or to steel cut oats.
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There you see the difference.
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Fifth principle of nutrition, and this probably gives people the most peace of mind.
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It is so liberating.
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Your health is determined by the foods you eat consistently, not something you do occasionally.
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So it's not about being perfect.
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It's about most of your diet being healthy foods.
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I went to a family picnic last week and I had a bunch of potato chips.
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Am I worried about that?
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Not really because I do that once in a blue moon
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and 99% of my foods in my diet are really healthy
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Have the ice cream on the weekend with your kids have the piece of candy once in a
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while The problem is eating that stuff day in
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and day out The real currency of nutrition is dietary pattern more
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so than isolated foods And the diet we have the most evidence for is something called traditional Mediterranean diet
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We see less heart disease, less diabetes, less of some types of cancer, less mortality, even better mental health.
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What is the traditional Mediterranean diet?
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It's basically fruits and vegetables, legumes, whole grains, olive oil, fish and seafood, some dairy, lean meats, and low in ultra processed junk foods.
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So basically all the foods and principles we already covered, right?
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It all comes full circle.
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This is a general reference.
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It's not a strict menu.
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It's not shackles.
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you can and you should personalize it
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if you don't like one of those foods don't eat it
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if you have an intolerance take it out
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if you want to eat a low carb or low fat
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or a vegetarian version you can do
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that once you understand it's not about the name of the diet it's about the fundamental principles
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that we covered then you can tweak any dietary pattern
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and still eat a healthy diet
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but very important caveat make sure to fill any nutrient gaps
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most healthy adults on a diverse diet get all the nutrients they need macronutrients micronutrients vitamins minerals
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and they don't need supplements but
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if you're on a vegan diet for example you need a source of b12 if you don't have
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iodine in your diet a lot of people don't eat fish
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or seafood a lot of people are moving away from dairy a lot of people are cutting back on salt
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and those are the main source of iodine
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make sure you have some iodine in there or supplement
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and as we said eat to your blood work eat to your tests, get blood analysis, measure blood pressure,
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look in the mirror, and adjust and personalize based on that.
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Very powerful.
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This moves you away from the need to memorize every nutrient and knowing every study.
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Someone scares you with an isolated molecule.
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You ask, what does the whole elephant look like?
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Someone shows you a spike after eating.
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You ask, does this matter long term?
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Is this specific to a disease setting that I don't have?
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And you can eat a treat once in a while
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and have peace of mind
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because you understand your health is determined by what you do
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consistently guys i wrote this behemoth article covering every frequently asked question
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that people ask me about nutrition the cholesterol the artificial sweeteners
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the organic foods the supplements the nutrient deficiencies the best sources i'll link to
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that in the description it's completely free access there's no paid
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subscriptions no sales ever it also talks about intermittent fasting
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and it covers all kinds of popular diets if you follow the link i'll send you the entire
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article no strings attached and i'll also notify you
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when i publish a new video so you don't miss out so check that out and i'll see you next time
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Who Is This Video For?
This video is perfect for English learners at the intermediate to advanced level looking to boost their english speaking practice and critical thinking skills. Whether you’re prepping for IELTS speaking practice or just want to sound more natural in daily conversations, the clear, conversational tone makes it ideal for shadowspeak (repeating phrases aloud to mimic pronunciation). The topic—nutrition—is relatable, so you’ll learn practical vocabulary while improving your fluency.
Words & Idioms Worth Stealing
- Contradictory advice: Advice that conflicts with other information. Example: “The two doctors gave contradictory advice on diet.”
- Fear-mongering: Scaring people with exaggerated threats. Example: “Don’t fall for fear-mongering about ‘bad’ foods—most are fine in moderation.”
- Plethora of: A large amount of something. Example: “This book has a plethora of tips for learning English.”
- Blind man and the elephant: A story about missing the big picture by focusing on one part. Example: “Arguing over one nutrient is like the blind man and the elephant—you need to look at the whole food.”
How to Get the Accent Right
The speaker uses a clear, neutral accent with natural pacing—great for shadow speak practice. Focus on: - Stress in multi-syllabic words: “Nutrition” (nu-TRI-tion), “anti-inflammatory” (an-ti-in-FLAM-ma-to-ry). - Linking sounds: Notice how “combination of” becomes “combi-nay-shun-uv” and “packed together” flows as “packt-tuh-gether.” - Intonation in questions: The speaker raises their voice slightly at the end of rhetorical questions (e.g., “Have you noticed…?”) to engage the listener. Repeat these phrases aloud, pausing the video to match the rhythm. This will help you sound more natural in improve english pronunciation and everyday conversations.
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | Have you noticed · I've spent · I've published |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is formed · are stripped · is processed |
| Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing | scopolitan which has · people who eat · people who have |
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.