TL;DR: Yes, these are the same 4 D’s of time management that you are already a pro at using in your professional life to get projects done. Here’s how you apply them to your metabolism to get metabolic balance done. (about 5 min read)

The 4D’s of metabolic management:

• DO focus on eating protein & fat FIRST in your meal

• DELEGATE out food prep of protein & fiber meals, if you don’t have time to cook everything else yourself

• DEFER making everything from start to finish for each individual meal with a “go-to foods” plan

• DROP tasks that are nice, but not strictly necessary, when you’re running low on resources

Managing your metabolism is an ongoing project. This is literally something you will do for the rest of your life. Just like with our financial investments, the best way to be financially healthy is to set up good habits: make small investments on a regular basis and let them appreciate over time. It’s the same for our health - we invest in our health when we reduce metabolic stress. It’s not about being sexy. It’s about being consistent.

Break up that big, long-term, vaguely defined goal of “being healthy” into bite-sized chunks. Instead of having a checklist of things we must do to stay “healthy” (which doesn’t give us options for when our schedule or resources change), we can think of health as a project with actionable tasks that will end in achieving specific metrics. Our Foundation Five Habits are actionable tasks that we can do to maintain metabolic balance and reduce stress.

Take each on as the start and end of a new “metabolic project”. Every week, start by making a list of what you want to accomplish (ex: get 25g of fiber every day this week), and the tasks you need to do. At the end of the week, review which tasks were easy for you to do on your own and which ones weren’t. Make a new plan for the next week with whatever adjustments would help you reach your goals.

Use the “4 D’s of time management” to work on your metabolic balance. The “4 D’s of time management” are (1) Delegate, (2) Defer, (3) Drop, and (4) DO.

How can we apply this to our metabolism? 

1. Delegate who actually cooks. Ex: Choose take-out that has a good veggie base, has essential fats, & is a good source of protein.

2. Defer making "full meals" on busy days. Ex: Have protein + fat sources on hand for when you don't have time to cook full meals or don't have time to move around much around the time you're eating (cheese, nuts, olives, a cheesy olive spread for carrots or Wasa crackers). Another example: Making a bunch of heritage rice, quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes or squash, pre-cut veggies, overnight oats, or breakfast chia seed pudding at once and then portioning those out for the rest of the week.

3. Drop tasks that are nice, but not necessary. Ex: Identify what is most important to you about a meal and do those things first. For me, I want a meal to be well-balanced with adequate protein, fat, and fiber first. I don't care if I end up eating traditionally "warm" food after it's cold. I end up tossing cold meat on top of greens a lot. For my dad, as a counter-example, he wants stuff that can be heated up easily bc he really likes the "warmth" of warm food. He makes more chilis and stews in the crockpot that he can then heats and eats over the week. We'd both prefer to have warm food that was just made, but if we don't have time, we cut out the "just made" part. 

4.  DO the tasks that are the most nourishing for you. Ex: If cooking is also a creative expression for you that brings you joy, set aside time in the week to be the one who cooks your meal. If logic puzzles are fun for you, try making a list of meals you could eat during the week and a list of foods that are easy to prep/have on hand, then play Tetris to see how many meals you can build with your pre-determined snack blocks. If spending time with friends is the nourishment you need most, cook together or have a potluck. 

The 4D’s of metabolic management:

• DO focus on eating protein & fat FIRST in your meal

• DELEGATE out food prep of protein & fiber meals, if you don’t have time to cook everything else yourself

• DEFER making everything from start to finish for each individual meal with a “go to” foods plan

• DROP tasks that are nice, but not strictly necessary, when you’re running low on resources