No sugary soft drinks
Water as the default drink, with sugar-sweetened sodas cut out entirely
Cutting sugar-sweetened drinks entirely and making water the default. Soft drinks are the largest single source of added sugar in most Western diets, so removing them is one of the simplest cuts to make, and people who do it tend to describe a fast drop in sugar cravings. Some swap to diet versions, others to sparkling water or nothing. The habit is free and needs no equipment; the hard part is restaurants, travel and children who like Fanta.
Who backs it
Sorted by strength of stance
- Cristiano RonaldoDoes it
Footballer · Portugal captain and five-time Ballon d'Or winner
Sugary sodas sit on his short list of things he avoids because they are bad for him, alongside alcohol and processed food. He says he focuses on simple whole foods instead, and the 2015 interview has him drinking water and a sports drink rather than anything carbonated.
Source: FourFourTwo: Cristiano Ronaldo's training tips“I'm hard with him sometimes because he drinks Coca-Cola and Fanta … I fight with him when he eats chips and fries and everything, I don't like it.”
The National: Why did Cristiano Ronaldo shun two Coca-Cola bottles at Euro 2020? (opens in a new tab) · 16 Jun 2021
Aimed at the same thing
Other entries filed under energy or longevity.
- HabitFREE, no cost
Cutting out alcohol
Drinking nothing, or close to it: the most common upgrade in these stacks
Backed by 12 of 44 stacks: 5 do it, 2 recommend it, 5 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Resistance training
Lifting weights 2-4 times a week to build and hold muscle
Backed by 37 of 44 stacks: 32 do it, 3 recommend it, 2 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Time-restricted eating
Confining food to a set window, often 8-10 hours a day
Backed by 21 of 44 stacks: 13 do it, 0 recommend it, 8 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
Zone 2 cardio
Easy aerobic work you can hold a conversation through, 3+ hours a week
Backed by 12 of 44 stacks: 5 do it, 5 recommend it, 2 have discussed it - Protocol$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Cycling
Steady riding, outdoors or on a stationary bike, as daily low-intensity cardio
Backed by 7 of 44 stacks: 7 do it, 0 recommend it, 0 have discussed it - ProtocolFREE, no cost
High-intensity interval training
Short all-out efforts with full recovery in between, a few times a week
Backed by 6 of 44 stacks: 5 do it, 0 recommend it, 1 have discussed it
Habit entry · notes paraphrased from cited sources, quoted excerpts copied from the transcript they link to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.