Habits and Hustle
Episode 492: Sal Di Stefano: The Morning Meal That Reduces Anxiety & Why Fasting Backfires
10 Oct 2025
Listen to the full episode: https://youtu.be/6jLhl8Zaznw?si=jaBuMbIWQApYpeEv Why does starting your day with protein reduce anxiety for the rest of the day? In this Fitness Friday episode on the Habits and Hustle podcast, Sal Di Stefano joins me to break down the science of blood sugar control, why intermittent fasting is "a terrible way to lose weight," and the shocking truth about cardio versus strength training for fat loss. We also unpack the biggest mistake women make when tracking progress: obsessing over the scale instead of body composition. Sal explains why 40% of weight lost through cardio comes from muscle, shares a study where strength training alone beat cardio AND strength training combined for fat loss, and reveals why psychologists now prescribe high-protein breakfasts to anxious patients. Sal Di Stefano is a fitness expert with over 20 years of personal training experience and co-host of the Mind Pump podcast, one of the top-rated fitness shows in the world. What we discuss: How protein at breakfast controls blood sugar and reduces anxiety throughout the day The two-question filter for any fitness advice: "Will I do it?" and "Is it realistic?" Intermittent fasting's original purpose and why it fails for weight loss Cortisol addiction and the binge-restrict cycle fasting creates When cold plunges hurt more than help for overstressed people Cardio vs strength training: why 40% of cardio weight loss comes from muscle The study where strength training alone beat cardio for fat loss Ditching the scale: better metrics for tracking body transformation Thank you to our sponsor: Therasage: Head over to therasage.com and use code Be Bold for 15% off Air Doctor: Go to airdoctorpro.com and use promo code HUSTLE for up to $300 off and a 3-year warranty on air purifiers. Magic Mind: Head over to www.magicmind.com/jen and use code Jen at checkout. Momentous: Shop this link and use code Jen for 20% off Manna Vitality: Visit mannavitality.com and use code JENNIFER20 for 20% off your order Prolon: Get 30% off sitewide plus a $40 bonus gift when you subscribe to their 5-Day Program! Just visit https://prolonlife.com/JENNIFERCOHEN and use code JENNIFERCOHEN to claim your discount and your bonus gift. Find more from Sal: Instagram: @mindpumpdistefano Podcast: https://mindpumppodcast.com/ X: https://x.com/mindpumpsal Find more from Jen: Website: https://www.jennifercohen.com/ Instagram: @therealjencohen Books: https://www.jennifercohen.com/books Speaking: https://www.jennifercohen.com/speaking-engagements
Full Episode
Hi guys, it's Tony Robbins. You're listening to Habits & Hustle.
Crush it.
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Go to monavitality.com and use code Jennifer20 for a discount. That's monavitality.com. M-A-N-N-A vitality.com and use code Jennifer20. This is actually a piece of information that I abide by, but I want to know if I'm off base here. Is it better to have a protein and a fat in the morning versus a carb and a protein?
Yeah, there's not even a debate on that. If you eat protein in the morning, your blood sugar levels, your insulin sensitivity, your blood glucose for the rest of the day is better if you start off with protein. So let's say same calories, same macros, identical diet, except a carb meal is in the morning on one day. And then the other one is a protein meal. So you just switch out the meals.
Otherwise, everything else is identical. Blood sugar is going to be better controlled by starting off the day with protein. Now, someone might be like, well, why is that important? You know, who cares, right? Same calories, you'll gain the same fat or not. Here's why blood sugar is important. And I know there's a lot of debates like insulin sensitivity, mitochondrial health.
I don't need to go down and break down. This is where the science nerds in the health and fitness space lose people because they start to argue the minutiae and the mitochondrial health. And when the average person's like, whatever, they don't understand it.
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