Articles and newsletters from Prof Grant Schofield. Metabolic health, behaviour change, and the science of living well.https://profgrantschofield.com/https://profgrantschofield.com/i-walked-away-from-my-professorship-heres-why/https://profgrantschofield.com/i-walked-away-from-my-professorship-heres-why/I Walked Away From My Professorship. Here’s Why. A year ago, I was fifteen kilometres into an off-road half marathon in Rotorua when a medical support runner came sprinting up the trail toward me. He looked at me with genuine concern. “Don’t stress, I’m here. Is it a broken ankle?” From the way I was moving, gingerly clambering down aThu, 26 Mar 2026 21:32:42 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/choose-your-hard-part-3-staying-human-in-the-age-of-ai-we-are-living-through/https://profgrantschofield.com/choose-your-hard-part-3-staying-human-in-the-age-of-ai-we-are-living-through/Choose your hard (Part 3): Staying Human in the Age of AI We are living through a massive, uncontrolled experiment in human biology. We have taken a nervous system evolved for scarcity, movement, and silence, and dropped it into an environment of personalised algorithms which keep us scrolling and stop us thinking. By thinking, I mean being able to reflectTue, 24 Feb 2026 21:23:26 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/the-great-bifurcation-its-already-here-and-what-to-do-about-it/https://profgrantschofield.com/the-great-bifurcation-its-already-here-and-what-to-do-about-it/When was the moment you realise AI is better than you at your own job? Maybe you watched AI write a block of code faster than you can think. Maybe you saw a strategy drafted in seconds that would have taken you a week to sweat over. Maybe you saw 6 months of accurate literature reviews, writing and synthesis doneThu, 12 Feb 2026 03:19:40 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/choose-your-hard-part-2-the-practical-guide-to-getting-shit-done-on-the-tail/https://profgrantschofield.com/choose-your-hard-part-2-the-practical-guide-to-getting-shit-done-on-the-tail/Choose Your Hard (Part 2): The Practical Guide to Getting Shit Done (on the tail of my previous article “Choose Your Hard: A Philosophical Guide to Getting Shit Done”) Being healthy is hard. Being unhealthy is hard. Discipline is hard. Regret is hard. You can pay with discipline now, or you can pay later with regret, chronic disease, and theThu, 12 Feb 2026 02:44:25 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/choose-your-hard-a-philosophical-guide-to-getting-shit-done/https://profgrantschofield.com/choose-your-hard-a-philosophical-guide-to-getting-shit-done/Being healthy is hard. Being unhealthy is hard. Discipline is hard. Regret is hard. Most people fail at health changes not because they lack commitment, but because they lean on willpower alone. Biology doesn’t back that approach. Willpower is overrated; it collapses under stress. The real skill is setting up your environment and systems to bypass willpower entirely. That’s the secret sauceWed, 11 Feb 2026 03:18:20 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/is-failing-to-prescribe-lifestyle-medicine-malpractice-modern-medicine-is-extra/https://profgrantschofield.com/is-failing-to-prescribe-lifestyle-medicine-malpractice-modern-medicine-is-extra/Is Failing to Prescribe Lifestyle Medicine Malpractice? Modern medicine is extraordinary. We can administer all sorts of drugs and procedures. We can reattach a severed finger. We can open up your skull and remove a brain tumor. We can scan and detect complex pathologies deep inside the body. And so much more. Yet every day, we make a quiet ethicalWed, 04 Feb 2026 00:44:52 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/we-have-entered-a-new-era-of-obesity-medicine-the-short-term-results-of-glp-1-a/https://profgrantschofield.com/we-have-entered-a-new-era-of-obesity-medicine-the-short-term-results-of-glp-1-a/We have entered a new era of obesity medicine. The short-term results of GLP-1 agonists (like Ozempic/Wegovy) are undeniable. But we are ignoring a massive, looming question: What happens when you stop? The data is clear: Without an exit strategy, we are setting patients up for a “rebound” that leaves them metabolically and functionally worse off than when they started.Mon, 02 Feb 2026 00:30:59 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/serena-williams-in-a-super-bowl-ad-for-ros-glp-1-programme-yes-really-the-co/https://profgrantschofield.com/serena-williams-in-a-super-bowl-ad-for-ros-glp-1-programme-yes-really-the-co/Serena Williams in a Super Bowl ad for Ro's GLP-1 programme. Yes, really. The company's line is brutally honest and hard to argue with: "The GLP-1 market is highly underserved and it's shaping up to be the largest consumer health market of our lifetimes. The majority of people glued to the Super Bowl will actually be eligible for our product."Fri, 30 Jan 2026 01:43:07 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/the-holy-grail-of-human-health-and-performance-isnt-just-about-speed-or-strengt/https://profgrantschofield.com/the-holy-grail-of-human-health-and-performance-isnt-just-about-speed-or-strengt/The Holy Grail of human health and performance isn’t just about speed or strength. It’s about being a fat-burning machine. It’s about Metabolic Flexibility. In my view, this is a defining characteristic of what makes us human. Think of your metabolism like a hybrid car with two fuel tanks: ⛽ The Gas Tank (Glycogen/Sugar): Small, limited, burns hot and fast.Wed, 28 Jan 2026 03:09:38 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/good-hard-when-you-must-go-easy-when-you-can-thats-a-principle-ive-lived-by/https://profgrantschofield.com/good-hard-when-you-must-go-easy-when-you-can-thats-a-principle-ive-lived-by/Good hard when you must, go easy when you can. That's a principle I've lived by for years, and it ties straight into two solid scientific ideas. First, the general adaptation principle: Actual growth and adaptation happen in the recovery phase after stress, not during the stress itself. Second, hormesis – the biological term for antifragility. A bit of stressThu, 22 Jan 2026 22:38:05 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/how-to-be-the-best-version-of-you-and-why-most-new-years-resolutions-fail-mos/https://profgrantschofield.com/how-to-be-the-best-version-of-you-and-why-most-new-years-resolutions-fail-mos/How to Be the Best Version of You – and Why Most New Year's Resolutions Fail Most New Year's resolutions fail for one simple reason: the person you are wouldn't do the things you're choosing to do. You set a goal to eat strict for four weeks, hit the gym five days a week, or cut out all treats. ItSun, 18 Jan 2026 23:17:10 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/a-turning-point-in-nutrition-usa-dietary-guidelines/https://profgrantschofield.com/a-turning-point-in-nutrition-usa-dietary-guidelines/For years I’ve been banging on about real food, ditching the ultra-processed junk, and rethinking our fear of fats.  I’ve written dozens of scientific papers on this, and written several best selling books (the What the fat? series). I’ve co-founded a company (PREKURE). All of these with the goal of closing the gap between what science knows and what healthThu, 15 Jan 2026 02:38:02 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/glp-1-weight-loss-drugs-friend-or-foe-the-real-question-is-whether-these-drug/https://profgrantschofield.com/glp-1-weight-loss-drugs-friend-or-foe-the-real-question-is-whether-these-drug/GLP-1 weight loss drugs – friend or foe? The real question is whether these drugs leave you better or worse off long term (say, over 5 years). The best answer comes from looking at all the trials on weight loss using GLP-1s versus solid behavioural approaches. A major new systematic review just out in the BMJ sums up 37 studiesWed, 14 Jan 2026 20:47:15 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/new-years-and-back-to-work-philosophy-post-pretty-much-true-for-me-on-everything/https://profgrantschofield.com/new-years-and-back-to-work-philosophy-post-pretty-much-true-for-me-on-everything/New years and back to work philosophy post Pretty much true for me on everything, except I could probably not read a book in a single sitting – I’m just too slow, and I lost my beautiful Border collie Bluey a couple of months back (#14} Real Luxuries in Life 1. Living 10 minutes from work 2. Living 5 minutesTue, 13 Jan 2026 00:53:54 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/well-i-never-nothing-changes-for-decades-and-then-all-of-a-sudden-it-does/https://profgrantschofield.com/well-i-never-nothing-changes-for-decades-and-then-all-of-a-sudden-it-does/Well, I never… Nothing changes for decades, and then all of a sudden it does. Now it's time for New Zealand and Australia to get on board with the new US dietary guidelines. The ADA and Diabetes NZ have been vocally opposed to the actual evidence for a very long time. Here's the specific advice for chronic disease in theMon, 12 Jan 2026 23:18:30 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/big-news-are-the-new-real-food-us-dietary-guidelines-these-are-a-huge-change/https://profgrantschofield.com/big-news-are-the-new-real-food-us-dietary-guidelines-these-are-a-huge-change/Big news are the new “real food” US dietary guidelines. These are a huge change in the right direction from the debacle, that has been the low fat ultra processed food oriented guidelines of the last 50 years. Finally we are heading in a more sensible direction, one we have writing researching and advocating for most of the last twoThu, 08 Jan 2026 01:50:29 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/our-paper-is-out-today-real-world-multi-practice-pre-diabetes-and-t2d-care-in/https://profgrantschofield.com/our-paper-is-out-today-real-world-multi-practice-pre-diabetes-and-t2d-care-in/Our paper is out today: real-world, multi-practice pre-diabetes and T2D care in primary care in NZ using whole-food carbohydrate-reduction, health coaching, and community support. Great work, team! What a combination of health coaching and behaviour change focus does when combined with power of carb restriction in diabetes and pre-diabetes = reversal Adds to the evidence this is the standard ofWed, 17 Dec 2025 22:52:14 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/ive-always-been-a-bit-jealous-of-builders-you-finish-your-days-work-and-there/https://profgrantschofield.com/ive-always-been-a-bit-jealous-of-builders-you-finish-your-days-work-and-there/I’ve always been a bit jealous of builders. You finish your day’s work and there’s something solid to show for it. At the end of the week, the month, the year, you can drive around town and point: “I built that. And that one too.” For a lot of us now it’s different. The quiet question in the back ofFri, 05 Dec 2025 00:48:44 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/630-am-sunday-tairua-beach-12-young-blokes-2-young-women-1-older-bloke-me/https://profgrantschofield.com/630-am-sunday-tairua-beach-12-young-blokes-2-young-women-1-older-bloke-me/6:30 AM. Sunday, Tairua Beach: 12 young blokes, 2 young women, 1 older bloke (me) and one not-quite-as-old woman (Louise) stood on the sand staring out at the surf. We were about to swim 1.9 km through the break, ride 90 km (Tairua to Pauanui and back, then out to Hikuai (and back), and finish with two laps of townMon, 01 Dec 2025 02:56:04 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/what-a-night-congratulations-all-265-graduates-and-everyone-and-a-heartfelt-tha/https://profgrantschofield.com/what-a-night-congratulations-all-265-graduates-and-everyone-and-a-heartfelt-tha/WHAT A NIGHT! Congratulations all 265 graduates and everyone and a heartfelt thank you to the whānau, friends, and supporters who helped make last Thursday such a special evening. We’re genuinely privileged to be part of a passionate community of like-minded professionals who are out there changing lives through prevention-led coaching. Thank you for being part of the mission, PreventionWed, 26 Nov 2025 01:15:24 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/nz-herald-creatine-craze/https://profgrantschofield.com/nz-herald-creatine-craze/Creatine, once the go-to supplement for bodybuilders and elite athletes has quietly gone mainstream. Once a gym-bro secret, it’s now one of the most studied and surprisingly effective compounds for everyone interested in better performance, better sleep, and better brain health. So, what’s hype and what’s actually happening inside your body?Tue, 11 Nov 2025 21:17:45 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/i-need-your-help-we-eat-too-much-ultra-processed-food-upf-its-high-in-sugar/https://profgrantschofield.com/i-need-your-help-we-eat-too-much-ultra-processed-food-upf-its-high-in-sugar/I need your help. We eat too much ultra-processed food (UPF). It's high in sugar and fat, which is a bad combination. It’s formulated to be highly palatable (read addictive). It's cheap and it's everywhere. Our health is worse for eating this way. The question for you to help me with is – how we get a suitable balance ofMon, 03 Nov 2025 02:08:24 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/read-this-before-you-lose-the-next-20-years/https://profgrantschofield.com/read-this-before-you-lose-the-next-20-years/Hi there,   “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago…the second best time is now”   We’ve all heard about the magical power of compounding interest. Well this is compounding health.   Choosing to do hard things early in life is like investing in Apple stock in 1995 when it was $0.24 per share. Just aThu, 30 Oct 2025 02:57:19 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/message-from-professor-obvious-exercise-is-good-for-your-health-but-a-more-co/https://profgrantschofield.com/message-from-professor-obvious-exercise-is-good-for-your-health-but-a-more-co/Message from Professor Obvious – exercise is good for your health. But a more complex question is the relative health value of harder vs easier exercise. Or more scientifically, is 1 min of vigorous exercise really worth much more than easier stuff like walking (moderate) and even lighter things like gardening and cleaning (light)? Conventional wisdom – double the vigorousMon, 13 Oct 2025 00:18:00 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/i-compared-the-whittakers-72-v-the-92-dark-chocolate-you-might-be-surprised/https://profgrantschofield.com/i-compared-the-whittakers-72-v-the-92-dark-chocolate-you-might-be-surprised/I compared the Whittakers 72% v the 92% dark chocolate. You might be surprised: Protein 11 v 13 g | Fat 34 v 47g | Carbs 51 v 14 g | Sugar 32 v 6 g (per 100g 72% v 92%) Analysis: way way more carbs and sugar in the 72%, probably why it tastes so good… But here’s theFri, 10 Oct 2025 01:29:29 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/me-and-bluey-i-buried-my-mate-yesterday-im-hurting-a-lot-missing-him-he-was/https://profgrantschofield.com/me-and-bluey-i-buried-my-mate-yesterday-im-hurting-a-lot-missing-him-he-was/Me and Bluey I buried my mate yesterday. I’m hurting a lot, missing him. He was always there. There for 15 years. Always. While we had him for a smaller part of our life, we were his whole life. He was my constant partner in everything from running, walking, swimming, surfing, surf life saving, and manhunt in the sand dunes.Thu, 02 Oct 2025 21:17:25 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/winter-is-over-but-its-raining-grey-dark-early-and-its-windier-than-ever/https://profgrantschofield.com/winter-is-over-but-its-raining-grey-dark-early-and-its-windier-than-ever/Winter is over? But it's raining, grey, dark early, and it's windier than ever. What’s one day of bad weather… I’ll look at the forecast. FORECAST: Expect rain every day this week. High wind warnings for Auckland Area. Mon:🌧️Tue: ⛈️Wed: ⛈️Thurs:🌧️. …… An outlook with very little fun? I tell myself it’s silly to let the weather affect my moodWed, 24 Sep 2025 21:55:06 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/why-eating-well-is-so-damn-hard/https://profgrantschofield.com/why-eating-well-is-so-damn-hard/Hi there,   6 books, 18,000 citations and a lifetime of thinking. You would think I’d have the ‘nutrition thing’ figured out. Yet, I still struggle to control my weight without excessive exercise.   Because knowing ≠ doing.   If knowledge alone changed behaviour, no one would smoke. I, like you, am grappling to reconcile the science and practice ofThu, 11 Sep 2025 02:30:12 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/whats-the-hardest-thing-youll-do-this-year/https://profgrantschofield.com/whats-the-hardest-thing-youll-do-this-year/Hi there,   Have you ever done something so HARD it defined your entire year?   Ran a marathon. Started a business. Ended one. Quit drinking. Faced something you’d been avoiding for years.   Enter MISOGI: The ancient Japanese Shinto ritual of purification through extreme challenge.   Traditionally, it’s about cleansing the body and spirit under icy waterfalls.   ButMon, 28 Jul 2025 02:19:02 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/why-behaviour-change-is-the-holy-grail-of-health/https://profgrantschofield.com/why-behaviour-change-is-the-holy-grail-of-health/Hi there,   “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”   You might recognise that line from Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities. Dickens was describing the late 18th century and the French Revolution – but his words ring just as true today. It is the best of times. We live better than theTue, 03 Jun 2025 02:26:27 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/20-of-health-drives-80-of-results/https://profgrantschofield.com/20-of-health-drives-80-of-results/Hi friend,   Most people are focusing on the wrong things when it comes to health. They stress over expensive supplements, ice baths and ‘biohacking’ (while skipping the fundamentals).   And while I like my ice bath routine, it’s not a key driver to my overall health.   The truth is, the real big wins get overlooked in the pursuitTue, 25 Mar 2025 01:42:12 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/3-health-myths-that-just-wont-die/https://profgrantschofield.com/3-health-myths-that-just-wont-die/Hi friend,   Some myths about health just won’t die… Myth #1: Fat is evil   Fat has been scapegoated by Big Food, It’s an easy target with an unfortunate name.   Big Food spent hundreds of millions marketing the Health Star Rating, demonising fat, and pushing low-fat, high-sugar products… like cereal.   We got off on the wrong footTue, 11 Mar 2025 01:36:00 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/a-falling-out-of-love-letter-to-the-university-we-need-to-talk/https://profgrantschofield.com/a-falling-out-of-love-letter-to-the-university-we-need-to-talk/By Prof Grant Schofield What does an academic actually do and do they have any useful function in society today?Wed, 16 Oct 2024 23:26:20 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/what-we-really-need-to-do-about-mental-health/https://profgrantschofield.com/what-we-really-need-to-do-about-mental-health/I sat down with Will Fleming and the Let’s Get Pre-sifik team to produce Episode 6 of their Season 1.Tue, 15 Oct 2024 23:16:59 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/why-i-started-taking-vitamin-d3/https://profgrantschofield.com/why-i-started-taking-vitamin-d3/What the science suggests about Vitamin D3, and why I chose to supplement.Mon, 14 Oct 2024 23:09:05 GMThttps://profgrantschofield.com/lost-in-the-scroll-are-our-minds-becoming-non-places/https://profgrantschofield.com/lost-in-the-scroll-are-our-minds-becoming-non-places/What if our minds have become non-places—engineered corridors of infinite scroll where attention drifts and meaning dissolves?Sun, 13 Oct 2024 22:33:58 GMT