By Dr James Morehen | Performance Nutritionist
Every January, the same cycle begins: extreme diets, detoxes, rapid weight-loss challenges and strict rules that promise quick results. Yet the evidence is clear, crash diets don’t work, and in many cases they drive worse outcomes for your health, performance and skin.
I have seen this too with poor underlying behaviours regarding nutrition and training. What I mean here is, the amount of people who get “motivated” to train hard and eat well in January only to find out once their emotional feeling of motivation drops, their poor discipline reappears.
Instead of restriction, the real solution is routine. A structured, balanced eating pattern supports metabolic stability, hormone balance, and the nutrients your skin relies on to repair and renew. When routine improves, the body becomes more predictable, more efficient, and ultimately healthier. The body loves consistency and the best athletes in the world are consistent with their behaviours with nutrition and training.
1. Why Crash Diets Fail (Physiologically, Not Emotionally)
Severe calorie restriction triggers predictable biological responses:
-
Cortisol increases, which directly worsens skin inflammation and slows repair.
-
Metabolic rate reduces, making fat loss harder over time.
-
Hunger hormones rebound, increasing cravings and overeating later.
-
Protein turnover falls, reducing collagen production and skin elasticity.
The result? Short-term weight loss, long-term regain, and often a decline in skin quality due to stress, dehydration and nutrient insufficiency.
Routine beats extremes every time because the body thrives on consistency, not chaos.
2. Protein Intake: The Simplest Nutrition Upgrade
A foundational step for anyone, whether their goal is performance, body composition or skin health, is increasing protein intake.
Protein supports:
-
Satiety — reducing overeating and stabilising appetite.
-
Blood glucose control — lowering the glycaemic impact of meals.
-
Muscle protein synthesis — supporting training adaptation.
-
Skin structure — collagen is made from amino acids; insufficient protein slows regeneration.
A practical target for most adults is 1.6–2.2 g/kg/day, spread across meals. Even without intentional dieting, increasing protein leads to improved body composition, better energy levels and more stable eating patterns — the complete opposite of a crash-diet outcome.
In professional sport, I will aim for a minimum of 2g/k/day for my athletes.
3. Scheduling Intake Around Activity
Your body’s energy needs aren’t static. Matching food intake to daily activity improves recovery, reduces cravings and creates a routine that feels sustainable.
On higher-activity days:
On lower-activity days:
-
Reduce carbohydrate load slightly.
-
Increase vegetables, fibre and lean proteins.
-
Maintain meal timing to keep routine stable.
This flexible structure is far more effective and far more skin-supportive than the rigid approach promoted at New Year.
4. Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs): Why They Disrupt More Than Bodyweight
UPFs are engineered for hyper-palatability, rapid digestion and low satiety. Frequent intake leads to:
All three have known associations with poorer skin outcomes, including breakouts, dullness and impaired barrier function.
Replacing even a portion of UPFs with whole-food equivalents lean proteins, fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and higher-fibre carbohydrates — improves metabolic stability within days and skin quality within weeks.
5. Routine is the Real Driver of Change (Including Skin Health)
A balanced eating routine stabilises:
-
Hormones
-
Blood glucose
-
Inflammatory markers
-
Sleep
-
Hydration
These are the same variables that drive clearer, calmer and healthier-looking skin. Crash diets disrupt all of them.
The goal for January is simple: consistency, not intensity. Build a routine that includes regular protein, whole foods, appropriate calories and structured meal timing. Your energy, training quality, long-term weight management and your skin will all reflect that stability.
Follow James on Instagram here.
Start your skincare resolution here.
Key References
-
Dulloo et al. Adaptive thermogenesis and resistance to fat loss. Am J Clin Nutr (2015).
-
Leidy et al. Increased protein intake improves satiety and diet quality. J Nutr (2015).
-
Hall et al. Ultra-processed diets cause excess calorie intake and weight gain. Cell Metabolism (2019).
-
D’Aniello et al. Nutrient intake and skin health: mechanistic links. Nutrients (2020).
-
Fardet A. UPFs, inflammation and metabolic disruption. Food Funct (2018).
New Year Nutrition: Why Routine Beats Restriction
By Dr James Morehen | Performance Nutritionist
Every January, the same cycle begins: extreme diets, detoxes, rapid weight-loss challenges and strict rules that promise quick results. Yet the evidence is clear, crash diets don’t work, and in many cases they drive worse outcomes for your health, performance and skin.
I have seen this too with poor underlying behaviours regarding nutrition and training. What I mean here is, the amount of people who get “motivated” to train hard and eat well in January only to find out once their emotional feeling of motivation drops, their poor discipline reappears.
Instead of restriction, the real solution is routine. A structured, balanced eating pattern supports metabolic stability, hormone balance, and the nutrients your skin relies on to repair and renew. When routine improves, the body becomes more predictable, more efficient, and ultimately healthier. The body loves consistency and the best athletes in the world are consistent with their behaviours with nutrition and training.
1. Why Crash Diets Fail (Physiologically, Not Emotionally)
Severe calorie restriction triggers predictable biological responses:
Cortisol increases, which directly worsens skin inflammation and slows repair.
Metabolic rate reduces, making fat loss harder over time.
Hunger hormones rebound, increasing cravings and overeating later.
Protein turnover falls, reducing collagen production and skin elasticity.
The result? Short-term weight loss, long-term regain, and often a decline in skin quality due to stress, dehydration and nutrient insufficiency.
Routine beats extremes every time because the body thrives on consistency, not chaos.
2. Protein Intake: The Simplest Nutrition Upgrade
A foundational step for anyone, whether their goal is performance, body composition or skin health, is increasing protein intake.
Protein supports:
Satiety — reducing overeating and stabilising appetite.
Blood glucose control — lowering the glycaemic impact of meals.
Muscle protein synthesis — supporting training adaptation.
Skin structure — collagen is made from amino acids; insufficient protein slows regeneration.
A practical target for most adults is 1.6–2.2 g/kg/day, spread across meals. Even without intentional dieting, increasing protein leads to improved body composition, better energy levels and more stable eating patterns — the complete opposite of a crash-diet outcome.
In professional sport, I will aim for a minimum of 2g/k/day for my athletes.
3. Scheduling Intake Around Activity
Your body’s energy needs aren’t static. Matching food intake to daily activity improves recovery, reduces cravings and creates a routine that feels sustainable.
On higher-activity days:
Prioritise carbohydrates around training to support performance.
Keep protein consistent.
Increase hydration and electrolytes to match sweat losses.
On lower-activity days:
Reduce carbohydrate load slightly.
Increase vegetables, fibre and lean proteins.
Maintain meal timing to keep routine stable.
This flexible structure is far more effective and far more skin-supportive than the rigid approach promoted at New Year.
4. Ultra-Processed Foods (UPFs): Why They Disrupt More Than Bodyweight
UPFs are engineered for hyper-palatability, rapid digestion and low satiety. Frequent intake leads to:
Blood glucose volatility
Lower dietary nutrient density
Increased systemic inflammation
All three have known associations with poorer skin outcomes, including breakouts, dullness and impaired barrier function.
Replacing even a portion of UPFs with whole-food equivalents lean proteins, fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and higher-fibre carbohydrates — improves metabolic stability within days and skin quality within weeks.
5. Routine is the Real Driver of Change (Including Skin Health)
A balanced eating routine stabilises:
Hormones
Blood glucose
Inflammatory markers
Sleep
Hydration
These are the same variables that drive clearer, calmer and healthier-looking skin. Crash diets disrupt all of them.
The goal for January is simple: consistency, not intensity. Build a routine that includes regular protein, whole foods, appropriate calories and structured meal timing. Your energy, training quality, long-term weight management and your skin will all reflect that stability.
Follow James on Instagram here.
Start your skincare resolution here.
Key References
Dulloo et al. Adaptive thermogenesis and resistance to fat loss. Am J Clin Nutr (2015).
Leidy et al. Increased protein intake improves satiety and diet quality. J Nutr (2015).
Hall et al. Ultra-processed diets cause excess calorie intake and weight gain. Cell Metabolism (2019).
D’Aniello et al. Nutrient intake and skin health: mechanistic links. Nutrients (2020).
Fardet A. UPFs, inflammation and metabolic disruption. Food Funct (2018).