Hello my friends,

I have a confession.

I don't follow one diet. I don't do one type of exercise. I don't have a single protocol that I swear by.

I eat mostly plants — but I'll have salmon when I'm out with friends. I use olive oil without guilt. I buy canned beans and frozen vegetables when life is busy.

Some weeks I lift weights. Other weeks I do bodyweight exercises in my living room while holding my baby. Some mornings I stretch. Some mornings I just walk.

If you looked at my habits from the outside, you might think I lack discipline. That I haven't figured it out yet. That someone with a board certification in lifestyle medicine should have the answer by now — one clear system, one definitive protocol.

I used to think so too.

I spent years searching for it — the one right way to eat, the best exercise program, the perfect approach that would finally make everything click.

It doesn't exist. But something better does.

A magpie is one of nature's most indiscriminate collectors. It doesn't follow a blueprint.

It picks up a bottle cap from one yard, a piece of foil from another, a twig from somewhere else — and builds a nest that actually works.

It's not random though. The magpie is selective. It takes what's useful and leaves the rest.

I first came across this idea from JA Westenberg’s video about productivity systems.

His argument: you don't need to adopt someone else's complete system. You take what works from everywhere and build something that functions for your specific life.

The magpie doesn't pledge allegiance to any one system. It steals liberally from all of them.

The moment I watched it, I thought: that's exactly what I do with health.

I take what I've learned from plant-based nutrition and use a 90/10 approach. I borrow from the Mediterranean approach for recreating traditional Filipino dishes and exploring other cuisines.

I lean into what lifestyle medicine teaches about the six pillars of health. I leave behind the rigid rules that made me anxious at family dinners and guilty about a drizzle of olive oil.

And I build a plate — and a life — that works for me. (I just call mine “90% plant-based” so I remember to focus on eating more plants)

Now, I know what some of you might be thinking.

That sounds like "just do whatever you want." Or: That sounds like lowering the bar.

It's neither. Because the science actually says this is the smarter approach.

In 2021, a large systematic review published in JAMA Network Open examined 153 studies conducted for the 2020 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee. Researchers looked at multiple dietary patterns — Mediterranean, DASH, plant-based, Healthy Eating Index, and others.

Their finding: despite widely varying diet labels, every pattern associated with lower mortality shared the same core components.

The authors put it plainly — high-quality diets with nutrient-dense foods are associated with better health, regardless of diet type or dietary pattern name.

This wasn't a one-off finding. The Dietary Patterns Methods Project, published in the Journal of Nutrition in 2015, compared four different dietary scoring systems — HEI-2010, AHEI-2010, Mediterranean, and DASH. All showed an 11–28% reduced risk of death. Different names, different scoring systems, same direction.

A 2023 study in JAMA Internal Medicine confirmed it yet again: adherence to various healthy eating patterns all showed significant reductions in total mortality.

The reason for the consistency? They all emphasize the same things.

The shared principles — the ones that actually drive the outcomes:

This is the theme of healthy eating. The science has drawn them clearly. And within that theme? There is a lot of room for exploration and personalization.

Within those evidence-based principles, you can eat Mediterranean. You can eat DASH. You can eat plant-based, pescatarian, flexitarian, or Blue Zones style.

You can combine elements from several approaches.

Or you can follow none of these labels and simply build your own plate based on your preferences, your culture, your budget, and what's available at your grocery store.

I make healthier versions of traditional dishes I grew up with.

For you, it might look completely different — Indian lentil dishes, Mexican bean soups, Japanese-style meals with fish and vegetables, West African stews with leafy greens and legumes.

All of these work. Because the principles underneath them are the same.

You're not lowering the bar by choosing your own method. You're widening the path to the same high standard.

The principles are the bar. The methods are just how you walk it.

You don't need to join a diet tribe. You don't need to pledge allegiance to one camp. You need to know the principles, then build your own plate.

Take what works. Leave the rest. Build your nest.

The magpie principle doesn't stop at your plate.

Multiple large-scale studies found that running, rowing, brisk walking, and weightlifting all significantly reduced cardiovascular disease risk and mortality. Not one type of exercise — all of them.

An analysis of over 270,000 older adults in JAMA Network Open (2022) found that participation in any leisure time physical activity was associated with lower mortality risk across the board — all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer.

While some activities like racquet sports showed slightly larger reductions, every activity provided substantial benefits compared to inactivity.

The PURE study — 130,000 people across 17 countries — found that benefits were independent of activity type and consistent across income levels. The greatest relative benefit came from moving from sedentary to even modest activity.

The principle: regular movement at adequate intensity.

The method: run, lift, swim, hike, dance, do yoga, play basketball, do martial arts — or combine any of these.

Your body doesn't care what you call your exercise program. It cares that you move.

Be a magpie with your movement too.

The principles are universal, but your emphasis within them might shift based on actual data.

High cholesterol? Lean harder into fiber and unsaturated fats. Pre-diabetic? Pay closer attention to saturated fat, added sugars and refined grains.

The magpie still picks from the same pile — but your bloodwork tells you which pieces to grab first.

This is why regular checkups with your healthcare provider matter.

Your numbers help you personalize your approach within the same evidence-based principles. Not a different set of rules — just a different emphasis.

If you read last week's newsletter about the Decide Once strategy, you might be wondering:

"Wait — last week you told me to lock in my decisions. This week you're telling me to take from everything. Which one is it?"

Both. They solve two different problems — and they work in sequence.

The magpie solves the selection problem.

Decide Once solves the repetition problem.

My own habits are built this way.

With exercise, I've been a magpie across different seasons — I picked Muay Thai kickboxing classes when I had the time and access, switched to the FightCamp app when I needed something at home, and used the Ladder app for prenatal workouts during pregnancy.

Different methods for different seasons, all serving the same principle of regular movement.

But within each season, I Decided Once — I didn't renegotiate what workout to do every morning. I chose the method, locked it in, and the only daily decision left was to show up.

Same with nutrition. I'm a magpie — I draw from plant-based eating, borrow from Mediterranean principles, and adapt based on my current season.

But I Decided Once on weekday breakfasts: oatmeal. Every workday. For three years. The magpie chose the method. Decide Once removed the daily friction.

The magpie selects. Decide Once sustains. You need both.

One more thing. This magpie approach also applies to the health content you consume — including mine.

You might follow several health creators and science communicators.

Each one teaches valuable things. But you don't have to do everything every creator recommends. That's a fast track to overwhelm.

Be a magpie with your learning too.

Take what resonates. Leave what doesn't. Build something that works for your actual life.

I share options and strategies so you can choose for yourself. I'm not handing you a checklist to complete.

I'm offering a menu to choose from.

The principles are clear. The research is consistent. What varies is the method — and that's where you get to be a magpie.

Know the principles. Take what works. Combine what fits your life, your taste, your culture, your schedule. Leave the rest. Build your nest.

The principles are your standard.

The method is yours.

With gratitude,

Grazelle 🌱

PS: I've started publishing YouTube videos again! The recent ones were filmed last year during my second trimester — I just never had the time or mental space to edit them. But now that my baby sleeps through the night consistently, I'm rested enough to pick back up. Here's the latest:

Whenever you’re ready, here are some other (free) resources you can check out: