Welcome to 1-3-1 Fridays, my weekly newsletter, where I reveal evidence-based strategies to get lean, strong, and create optimal health.

You'll receive one personal health insight, three actionable tips, and one concrete action step. Let's dive in.

What's in store for today:

• An easy high-protein breakfast that you can make in under 10 minutes while boosting your protein intake (using plants).
• The science behind training fasted (and whether you should use this fitness tool).
• My favorite fat-loss cardio to get lean fast without spending hours on the treadmill.

2024 was the year of health for me.

2025 is building on that foundation.

One thing I learned last year was how important food quality is.

I've focused on my food intake for years. I pride myself on knowing about food choices.

But 2024 was a turning point for me.

It was the year I came to the firm belief that food is medicine.

Food is a drug.

It can either heal you or cause problems.

But when you have the right food in the right doses, you can start to create real magic.

I didn't believe this for most of my life.

I went down the rabbit hole.

I sought to heal from a chronic illness that had plagued me since my youth.

It's one I plan to share more about later this year as I near the tail-end of this particular journey I've been on.

Our modern society isn't built to support optimal health.

If you live in the States, it's even less.

We have the highest chronic illness rate in the world. We also have the highest budget for sickness.

I've seen this firsthand, having lived in Europe and South America at different times.

Countries like the UK are close behind us because they are modeling our approach.

The states are far from the model of health.

You can see optimal levels of human health better in countries like Ecuador and Thailand.

Unsurprisingly, they focus on using nutrition as medicine and have done so for millennia.

Germ theory beat terrain theory over a century ago. It is now the accepted view of how our bodies work.

Since then, we've lived in a world that feeds on fear, ignorance, and incompetence about food and what to eat.

Our food is polluted and poisoned, hampered and tinkered with.

Many countries ban most American foods due to chemicals and additives.

And being vegan doesn't give you a free pass, either.

Most vegan junk foods have these same additives. New companies with a similar agenda are exploding in number each day.

If there's enough interest, I can write a newsletter about the specific chemicals, additives, and foods we avoid for better health.

For now, I'll leave you with this:

What you eat can heal you if you eat the right amounts and the right foods.

Food is medicine and should be seen as such.

It fuels your body (your vehicle). It can also boost your mind and emotions when your body works well.

It's your birthright.

It's time you reclaimed it.

Lesson: What you eat, you become. Choose your foods with the same amount of care as you would choose your friends. Both are equally important.

Here's Your 1-3-1 Friday:

1.) Eat this high-protein vegan breakfast

When you're in a jiffy, you might put food last.

I've done this for years.

I've had my share of binge-eating episodes, mainly in the evenings. But for years, my challenge was not eating enough.

The reason was simple:

I got too absorbed in my work.

It's also one I often hear from career-driven and aspiring vegans.

When you put your head down to work, things get busy.

Food is the last thing on your mind (until it's too late, and then you eat anything in the fridge; I've been there too).

So here's my go-to high-protein vegan breakfast that you can make in under 10 minutes:

Introducing the VFR Tofu Scramble:

Tofu is nature’s blank canvas. It absorbs flavors well and packs in protein without any animal products.

It’s a great way to start your day with energy and focus, especially when you’re on the go.

It's also easy to make too.

What You’ll Need:

• 1 block firm tofu: Crumbled into small pieces (think of it as your scrambled eggs, but vegan!)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil: Helps the tofu cook nicely.
• Salt and pepper: Just a pinch to add flavor.
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric: This isn’t just for color; it adds a mild, earthy flavor and some extra health benefits.
• A handful of chopped spinach: Adds a burst of vitamins and that vibrant green look.
• A few cherry tomatoes, chopped: For a bit of juicy, tangy flavor.

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Heat the Pan: Place a non-stick pan on medium heat and add the olive oil. This warms the pan and helps prevent the tofu from sticking.
2. Prepare the Tofu: While the oil warms up, crumble your block of tofu into small, bite-sized pieces.
3. Cooking the Tofu: Add the crumbled tofu once your pan is hot. Sprinkle in a pinch of salt and pepper along with the turmeric. Stir it all together so every piece gets a touch of that sunny color and flavor. Let it cook for about 2-3 minutes. You'll notice it starts to warm up and slightly firm up.
4. Adding the Veggies: Toss in your chopped spinach and cherry tomatoes. Stir everything well so that the veggies mix evenly with the tofu. Continue cooking for another 5-7 minutes. The spinach wilts down quickly, and the tomatoes soften up, creating a mix of textures and flavors.
5. Final Touches: Stir your scramble one last time. This ensures all ingredients are mixed and heated through. Then, take the pan off the heat. Your quick, high-protein breakfast is ready to serve!

Extra Tips for Your Busy Morning:

• Customize It: Feel free to add any other quick veggies you love, like bell peppers or onions. They add more flavor and extra nutrients!
• Meal Prep Magic: You can crumble extra tofu and chop veggies in advance. Just store them in the fridge, so you’re already halfway there when you wake up.
• Boost the Protein: Add a sprinkle of nutritional yeast on top. It adds a cheesy flavor and a protein boost.
• Carb it up: You can put this into a wrap and take it on the go - an easy way to top off with some carbs and an extra protein boost.

2.) Should you train fasted?

I used to train fasted for months.

It was addictive.

I thought if I trained fasted, this would help me get leaner.

While I didn't gain body fat, I also didn't build any serious muscle.

Here's what the research is pointing to:

Fasted training leads to suboptimal training results.

While unpopular in opinion, here's how fasted training got 'sexy.'

There's a theory that lower glycogen stores can boost fat oxidation.

This may burn a bit more body fat because you have less energy since you haven't eaten for a while.

Yet, it comes with a big drawback: you can't train as hard.

When you work out, you use your anaerobic system.

A = without

Aerobic = oxygen

You're training with an energy system that uses less oxygen. It focuses on high-intensity efforts.

Think of lifting 200 pounds for a barbell squat for 8-12 reps.

That's high-intensity anaerobic training.

Most studies on fast training focused on low-intensity, sedentary humans.

However, two studies had some interesting takeaways.

Researchers conducted a study on Muslim bodybuilders who fast during Ramadan, their holy month.

They fast from dawn to dusk.

Their conclusion?

"Hypertrophic training during Ramadan, whether fasted or fed, does not affect body mass or composition in bodybuilders."

In other words, fasted training did not improve their body composition or mass while using muscle-building workouts.

Another study was done on endurance athletes.

Being an avid soccer player most of my life, I found this study interesting as well.

There might be improvements in fat oxidation and some health markers.

However, for athletic performance, their conclusion was similar to the study on bodybuilders.

"Research shows that training on an empty stomach raises perceived effort. It may reduce training quality and harm health."

The verdict is in:

Training fasted won't improve your fitness (according to current studies).

While there's more to research on this topic, science is also a personal observation.

I've noticed when I train fasted, my workouts dip in performance (significantly).

Science is (and always will be) about experimentation, testing, and observation.

Test this out for yourself.

Be your own health and fitness scientist.

3.) My favorite fat-loss cardio protocol to get lean fast

If I wanted to drop body fat, I'd first use an intelligent caloric deficit.

I'd eat less, below my maintenance calories. Then, I'd lift weights 3-4 times a week to keep my muscles.

I'd then layer in, hitting 8-10k steps per day, hitting my water hydration goal, and sleep 7-9 hours per night.

Then, I would only layer in 1-3 short weekly cardio sessions.

I wanted to make this clear because the order of fitness priorities is confusing for many people.

That's how I would get lean fast.

That said, here's the cardio protocol I'd use to give me the remaining 5% of fat loss results.

High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): The Fat-Blasting Accelerator

HIIT alternates short bursts of all-out effort with periods of rest or light activity.

Think of sprinting, cycling sprints, or bodyweight circuits.

Why HIIT Works

• Burns More Calories in Less Time: It maximizes calorie burn during and after your workout through the "afterburn effect" (EPOC).
• Improves Metabolic Health: Boosts mitochondrial function and insulin sensitivity, both critical for longevity.
• Preserve Muscle: Stimulates growth hormone, which helps keep lean muscle while torching fat.
• Time-Efficient: It takes 15-20 minutes for busy humans.

How to Do HIIT

• Frequency: 1-3 sessions per week.
• Duration: 15-20 minutes per session.
• Examples: Sprint for 30 seconds, then recover for 60-90 seconds. Repeat for 6-10 rounds.
• Pro Tip: Do HIIT on non-lifting days or after strength workouts.

My favorite way to use HIIT is with hill sprints.

It protects your knees during climbs. It has less impact than sprints on flat ground. Plus, you get a great return on investment for your fitness effort.

For a similar effect, you can substitute hill sprints with a stair climber, rower, or pool laps.

Use HIIT sprints for heart health, longevity, and fat loss.

They're a powerful fitness tool in your arsenal.

1 Action Step

It's 1 month into the new year. Check why you haven't been consistent with your exercise and diet.

If you've been consistent, what's helped you be successful?

What's been getting in the way of you reaching your fitness goal this year?

Identify the main obstacle and drop it.

Client of the Week

Julie is a busy senior accountant. She’s also a mother to her 11-year-old daughter and a wife.

Before we started working together, she was really struggling to prioritize herself, and she wanted to lose 10 to 15 pounds to get her energy levels back up.

Taking care of her family, daughter, and others led to her putting herself last for years.

Until she said, enough was enough.

She wanted to be a positive role model of health and knew that she needed to lead by example.

So we got to work.

Our strategy: We focused first on systemizing her workouts and nutrition.

Since she hadn’t been working on consistently lifting weights or tracking her meals, we started there.

• 3 days of weight lifting (we later increased this to 4 days as she got stronger and leaner)
• 5 days of tracking her meals with 80% accuracy while hitting at least ½ of her body weight in ounces for water intake each day
• She focused on her sleep and aimed to hit 7.5 hours of quality sleep per night since she had trouble sleeping before we worked together
• Increase her lean protein intake using strategic plant protein snacks

Here’s her experience:

“Over the past few months, I’ve had several wins. On the numbers side, I have lost 10 pounds and several inches off my body.

However, the non-scale victories have far surpassed any tactical numbers.

My energy levels have increased, and my overall mood is better - just ask my kiddo, and I’m actually sleeping well again.

In prioritizing myself, my family has really stepped up to pick up the slack… who knew Gabriel could indirectly improve family dynamics, too?!

One of the best things about working with Gabriel has been the sustainability of our implemented changes.

Simple, measurable changes that will continue to compound over time.

I finally feel like I'm able to show up in life as the person I’ve been too tired to be in the past.

Without sounding cliche, the experience thus far has been truly life-changing.”

 ​Apply here to get lean​, strong, and healthy using plants. Deadline to apply each month is the 20th. Create your best health and body using a fitness system that's handcrafted for you.

One Quote To Finish Your Week Strong

"There is no such thing as a problem without a solution, only problems for which we do not yet have enough information to know what the solution is. When you have enough information, it is easy to solve a problem."

- Jose Silva

It's our anniversary in a few weeks.

Still trying to figure out what to do for my wife.

If you have any good ideas, shoot me a message.

Happy to share any feedback or advice.

See you next week,