The problem this solves
Nutrition and alcohol are the two most-discussed and least-implemented dietary topics in modern adult life. The boring science consensus on each has barely moved in decades; the loudest online voices have moved aggressively away from it. Result: well-informed adults often eat and drink in ways the actual evidence doesn't support.
This micro-course covers what the consensus bodies (NICE, WHO, ADA, USDA, NHS) genuinely agree on, what the wellness industry oversells, and the small set of dietary and alcohol changes that move the needle for most healthy adults. Conservative framing throughout; nothing here is medical advice for your situation.
A taste of the exercise
The preview lesson walks you through a 7-day food + drink log — protein intake, plant variety, liquid sugar, alcohol units. By day 7 you have a working baseline, and the rest of the micro-course tells you which of the consensus levers to pull first based on what your data shows.
Key concepts
- Energy density
- Calories per gram of food. Ultra-processed foods are engineered for high energy density and low satiety, which is the mechanism that drives most adult weight drift.
- Protein adequacy
- Hitting 1.2-1.6 g/kg bodyweight in protein per day for active adults — the most reliably underdone macro for adults over 30.
- Liquid sugar
- Sugar from drinks (juice, sweetened tea/coffee, sodas, alcohol mixers). Bypasses satiety in a way that solid sugar mostly doesn't.
- Low-risk drinking
- Current UK CMOs / WHO guidance: 14 UK units / 7 US drinks per week as an upper bound for low-risk, with no level deemed entirely risk-free.
- Sleep architecture
- The structure of sleep cycles. Alcohol fragments the second half of the night even at low doses, which is why ‘I slept fine’ can still mean degraded next-day function.
Common mistakes
- Believing the loudest online voices over the boring consensus bodies.
- Optimising supplements while the foundation (protein, plants, fibre, water) is still off.
- Treating one named diet as the answer rather than a starting point.
- Ignoring liquid sugar because it doesn't feel like sugar.
- Relying on the old ‘glass-of-red-is-good-for-you’ story.
- Under-estimating own alcohol intake.
- Stopping alcohol suddenly when physically dependent without medical guidance.