Cascadia Medical Weight Loss and Nutrition

06/07/2026

GLP-1s don't destroy muscle. Unsupported weight loss does.

If you're on Zepbound, Mounjaro, Wegovy, or Ozempic, protein is how you lose fat while protecting the muscle, strength, and metabolism you'll want for the next 40 years. But the usual advice (0.8 g/kg, count every calorie, grab a "protein" bar) misses almost everything that actually matters.

My new post breaks down what to actually aim for: how much protein you really need on a GLP-1, why women and older adults need even more, the best real-food sources, a simple day that hits 100+ grams, and whether timing or your kidneys are worth worrying about. Spoiler: not the way you've been told.

Real food, real numbers, no influencer hype. Full post in the first comment.

06/02/2026

05/22/2026

The single most impactful thing most people could do for their metabolic health right now is not a supplement, not a cleanse, not a new tracking app.

It is cooking their own food more nights per week than they don't.

That's it. That's the hot take.

Here's why I can say it that loudly.

A 2014 Johns Hopkins study found that people who cooked at home frequently consumed fewer calories, less sugar, and fewer carbohydrates — without trying to, without counting anything, without a plan. They just cooked. More recent research found that people who prepare most of their meals at home lose twice as much weight as those relying on convenience meals, even when calorie counts look similar on paper. Because the calories aren't the whole story.

Ultra-processed foods — the foundation of most restaurant, takeout, and ready-made eating — are now linked in multiple large-scale studies to systemic inflammation, gut microbiome disruption, insulin resistance, and meaningfully elevated risks of obesity, Type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. And the average restaurant meal clocks in around 1,200 calories, with portion sizes so distorted that eating out regularly actually warps your sense of what a normal serving looks like — at home too.

Your food environment is quietly working against you. The industry built it that way.

So here's what actually helps:

Cook something simple more nights than not. A protein, a vegetable, something whole grain. It doesn't have to be impressive. Batch cook on Sunday if weeknights are chaos. Keep ingredients you can throw together in 20 minutes.

Stop waiting until you have the perfect plan — the imperfect Tuesday dinner you made yourself will always beat the "healthy option" you ordered.

Your taste buds will recalibrate. Your portions will normalize. Your body will respond.

You don't have to do this perfectly. You just have to do it more.

— Kristen Novey, PA-C
Cascadia Medical Weight Loss and Nutrition
Obesity Medicine Association

01/10/2026

Doing Dry January? Here's What I'd Say To You If I Weren't Afraid Of Hurting Your Feelings

If you’re doing Dry January, there’s a good chance you’re aiming for one (or more) of the following outcomes: better sleep, easier weight loss, less inflammation, improved energy, a reset after the holidays, or simply proof that you could take a break from alcohol if you wanted to. All of that is reasonable — and often achievable.

But before we talk about what to do instead of drinking, there’s an honest conversation that rarely happens — one the medical community frankly owes you. It’s not flashy. It’s not comforting. And it’s definitely not popular. But it is grounded in actual medical evidence, not social media trends or cultural norms.

That conversation starts with this: alcohol is not a neutral substance. It’s not a health food. And it’s not something your body needs — even in small amounts. It is a toxin, full stop. And your body starts detoxing it out of your system the second it enters.

Already, you may be feeling personally attacked. But that’s not what this is. This isn’t about shame. It’s about honesty and clarity.

It’s about viewing Dry January less as a challenge and more as an opportunity: to understand what alcohol actually does to the body, and to decide—intentionally—what role, if any, it should play in your health moving forward.

What the Science Actually Says About Alcohol

In recent years, the World Health Organization (WHO) has taken a much clearer and firmer stance on alcohol and health. In a position statement published in 2023, the WHO stated that there is likely no safe level of alcohol consumption when it comes to overall health risk.

Key points:

- Alcohol (ethanol) is a known carcinogen – we know it causes cancer, including breast and colorectal cancer.It is classified in the same category as to***co and asbestos by the International Agency for Research on Cancer.
- The risk of cancer begins with the first drink.
- The harm comes from the ethanol itself — not just “excessive” or binge drinking.
- This does not mean that a single drink guarantees disease. But it does mean that alcohol, biologically speaking, is a net negative for health, even at low levels.

That’s an uncomfortable truth — and one the medical community has historically done a poor job communicating...

[read the rest on our blog; link in first comment]

12/14/2025

The #1 Thing You're Doing Wrong This Holiday Season (and How to Fix It)

Most people think holiday health success comes down to one thing: keeping the bad stuff out.

No sugar.
No carbs.
No indulgences.
No mistakes.

And that mindset is exactly why the holidays “get away” from so many people.

The Problem: Too Much Focus on Restriction, Not Enough Focus on Habits.
During the holidays, people often pour all their mental energy into resisting food — trying to say no over and over again. That works… until it doesn’t. Cravings build, decision fatigue sets in, and eventually something breaks.

When it does, people don’t just have the cookie. They have the cookie, the pie, the drinks — and then spiral into the “screw-it” mentality:

“I already messed up, so I might as well enjoy it and start over in January.”

This cycle isn’t a lack of willpower. It’s a flawed strategy.

Why This Backfires (Clinically Speaking)

Restriction increases psychological pressure and often worsens food preoccupation. At the same time, highly refined carbs and sugar — when eaten without a stabilizing base of protein, fiber, and fat — cause rapid blood sugar spikes followed by crashes. Those crashes drive hunger, cravings, and overeating.

So when people restrict all day and then “give in,” their biology is already primed to overconsume.

This isn’t a personal failure — it’s predictable physiology.

The Reframe That Actually Works
Here’s the truth that most people miss:

The sugar is going to happen — and that’s okay.

In fact, allowing some indulgence can be protective against turning restriction into an unsustainable lifestyle.

The real focus shouldn’t be on eliminating indulgences. It should be on doubling down on your healthy habits with unwavering conviction.

Your job during the holidays is not to be perfect.Your job is to protect the foundation.

Strong Foundations Absorb Indulgences

When you consistently prioritize:
- Protein at meals
- Fiber and vegetables
- Regular movement
- Sleep and hydration

Your body is far better equipped to handle occasional excess.

A small piece of cinnamon coffee cake after eggs, turkey sausage, and berries for breakfast is not metabolically equivalent to that same cake after frosted flakes and pancakes.

Doughnuts following your typical morning workout and protein-veggie shake land very differently than doughnuts layered on top of pizza and beer from the night before.

Indulgences don’t exist in isolation — they land on top of what you’ve already eaten and done...

[read the full post on our blog; link in first comment]