💪 The everyday athlete newsletter #149

👋 Hey. Welcome to issue #149 of The Everyday Athlete Newsletter.

Here are my 3 favourite ideas, learns and resources to help you improve your performance this week (4 min read):

🥖 Not all sourdough is sourdough

First it was high protein. Now it’s sourdough.

Since writing about misleading food labels way back in newsletter #63, a few more buzzwords have been slapped on the supermarket shelves.

Most recently: sourdough.

Here’s the deal:

Real sourdough is fermented. Which means bacteria and yeast break down the flour’s sugars (over 12–24 hours). This makes the dough rise and gives it that signature tang.

Which leads to some legit benefits over regular bread:

• 😌 Easier to digest: Fermentation breaks down some gluten and phytic acid (an “anti-nutrient” that can mess with absorption) = easier on the guts
• 💪 Better nutrient absorption: Less phytic acid means more iron, magnesium, and zinc get absorbed
• 🩸 Less blood sugar spikes: The starch structure changes, the bread’s denser, and the lactic acid (byproduct of fermentation) slows digestion — so you feel fuller for longer, without the crash.
• 🦠 Gut-friendly byproducts: The live bacteria don’t survive baking, but their byproducts (like lactic acid) do, and they are good for the guts
• 💧 Fewer additives: Real sourdough just has flour, water, salt, and starter. No commercial yeast. No preservatives.

The problem is supermarket sourdough isn’t real sourdough.

There’s zero regulation.

So the corporate fat cats at Helga’s, Abbott’s and nearly every bread in the aisle of the supermarket thought it smart to jam a big sourdough on the label so they can sell more of their white, flavoured bread…

It's really just white bread with vinegar or sour flavouring. 

How to spot the fake stuff:

1. If it lists yeast in the ingredients, it’s not real sourdough
2. If it’s got more than four ingredients (flour, water, salt, starter), it probably didn’t ferment for 12–24 hours.
3. And if it doesn’t come in a plain white paper bag from a local weapon who sells out by 8am… odds are it’s not the good stuff

Not saying white bread’s the devil… just don’t slap a halo on it and call it sourdough.

🍊 Oranges are shook

Kakadu plums.

100x the vitamin c of an orange.

Haven’t been able to track down the fruit for my “health drink” yet…

But we found a powder.

🧑‍🍳 "Who has time for that stuff..."

I was chatting with a client the other day.

Topic: food prep.

He said: “who has time for all that stuff…”

And look, I get it. Life’s busy. Food prep and cooking can be time-consuming and tedious. There’s faster, less hands-on options a tap away.

And yeah, there’s definitely ways to make it easier.

But it’ll always be a chore if the underlying belief is “who has time for all that stuff…”.

So, ask yourself:

How important is eating good food to your health and energy?

Probabaly a 10/10 important, right?

Then ask:

Does the time, effort, and thought you give to food reflect that?

For most, there’s a mismatch.

And just being aware of that gap is the first step to changing it.

That's it!

Have a great weekend 🤙

Matt

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The Everyday Athlete Newsletter is not a licensed health service nor a substitute for professional health advice, treatment or assessment. The information shared in this email is general and written for a specific audience. If you’re struggling, please see a healthcare professional.