How to Start the Ray Peat Diet: Core Principles for Optimal Performance

How to Start the Ray Peat Diet: Core Principles for Optimal Performance

Apr 25, 2026
by Beata Havlickova

You might have heard about the ‘Ray Peat diet’ on social media and be interested in trying it. I’d describe it more as a lifestyle than a diet, because it has been life-changing for my health—especially when it comes to nutrition. However, Ray Peat also placed a strong emphasis on personal development, stress management, and holistic practices, and I believe these all go hand in hand with overall health.

Peat didn’t view nutrition as something separate from the mind—he saw the person as a whole, where metabolism, mental state, and lifestyle are deeply interconnected.

One of my favorite quotes from him:

Let’s take a look at his background:

Ray Peat (1936-2022) was an independent biologist and researcher who became known for his unique views on metabolism, hormones, and overall health. He earned his PhD in biology from the University of Oregon and spent decades studying how nutrition, stress, and lifestyle affect the human body.

What makes Peat different is that he didn’t just follow mainstream ideas—he questioned them. He focused a lot on metabolism, thyroid function, and how the body produces energy, and he always looked at health as something interconnected rather than isolated pieces.

His philosophy on life always inspires me, but more on this later. Most importantly, he has helped hundreds, if not thousands, of people with their health. His life was filled with passion and purpose. 

Ray Peat was big on metabolism before it became one of the most mainstream ideas on social media. Most of his ideas were centered around metabolism. In his own words:

“Keeping the metabolic rate up is the main thing, and there are lots of ways to do it.” — Raymond Peat, PhD

A little deep dive into metabolism

Metabolism is basically how your body creates and uses energy. When food is eaten (think carbs, proteins, and fats), it is broken into smaller parts, and then it releases energy.

Your body then uses that energy to build and repair cells, muscles, hormones, and tissues.

Peat focused on and always recommended practices for how to keep your metabolism high. A high metabolism means: more energy, good thyroid function (the thyroid isn’t just a small gland; it’s the body’s master regulator), the ability to eat more without gaining weight, and also being able to think more clearly and critically.

Let's get started: The Basics

The first thing to start with in the Ray Peat lifestyle is to avoid:

1) Avoid PUFAs

Peat was very critical of PUFAs long before they became one of the favorite topics among influencers. PUFAs are polyunsaturated fats that are easily oxidized, increasing inflammation and stress in cells, and lowering your metabolic rate over time (remember, for optimal health you want to maintain a high metabolic rate). They interfere with thyroid function and hormone signaling, and the body stores them in fat tissue. It can take roughly four to six years to significantly replace most of the stored PUFAs with other types of fats after you stop consuming them.

This was probably one of the main reasons why I stopped eating in restaurants, since they mostly cook with PUFAs (think seed oils)! I am avoiding PUFAs at all costs.

    Main sources of PUFAs include sunflower oil, canola oil, almond oil, grapeseed oil, corn oil, margarine, peanut oil, safflower oil, vegetable oil, fish oil, walnut oil, cottonseed oil, soybean oil, sesame oil, and flaxseed oil.

    2) Replace muscle meat with meat cuts

    Muscle meats such as chicken breast, ground turkey, or steak are high in tryptophan and cysteine, which have inflammatory, thyroid-suppressing, and anti-metabolic effects, especially in large quantities.

    To avoid this inflammatory effect and stress on your body, replace the meats with cuts such as oxtail, lamb neck, brisket, and shank. These cuts are high in gelatin and in an amino acid called glycine. Glyphosate exposure may disrupt glycine’s normal role in the body, so consuming large amounts of glycine-rich foods is highly beneficial....

    Glycine also protects your liver and supports your mitochondria, which is key for a healthy metabolism.

    Of course, I can’t let you leave without sharing my broth recipe :)

    @wholisticbeata

    I want to stress how much the source of your meat matters. Ray often pointed out that grass-fed animals tend to be healthier—and happier—which naturally leads to better-quality meat, with lower stress levels and less cortisol .

    If you can, try to connect with a local farmer and ask how their animals are raised and fed. Most are more than happy to share their practices. In my experience, it’s always been a positive conversation.

    3) Macronutrient Partition

    As I believe that everyone has individual needs, macronutrient ratios will vary depending on your lifestyle, age, and stress levels. I’m a big believer in experimenting a bit—these guidelines are a good starting point.

    You might begin by trying a macronutrient split like this:

    Protein
    A moderate intake—about 100 g per day, making up roughly 10–35% of your total calories.

    Carbohydrates
    A moderate to higher intake—around 2–4 times your protein amount (about 200–400+ g daily), contributing roughly 45–65% of your calories.

    Fats
    A moderate to lower intake—using up the remaining calories, typically under 100 g per day, or about 10–20% of your total calorie intake.

    4) Foods to Prioritize

    This pyramid beautifully showcases the “Ray Peat lifestyle philosophy.” Let’s call it a lifestyle rather than a diet, as Ray Peat himself preferred to avoid the word diet. We have now gone through the macronutrients together, so you should be able to build your own plate with confidence.

    I have been following the Ray Peat lifestyle for almost two years now—though not 100% strictly. I would estimate about 85–90%. I still enjoy my sourdough, and I don’t intend to give it up. Eating for pleasure, as well as including foods tied to childhood or cultural tradition, can have a meaningful impact on health and wellbeing. Coming from Central Europe (Czechia), bread is a staple in my culture. I don’t eat it every day, but I still include it because it remains an important part of my heritage. Nothing beats a fresh, warm loaf of sourdough straight from the oven.

    The point I want to emphasize is that you don’t necessarily have to give up the foods you love in order to be healthy. Of course, Doritos and fresh sourdough are not comparable in nutritional value, but you likely understand the broader idea.

    5) Lower stress levels and level up your life

    Stress = a state where energy production is insufficient, so the body shifts into emergency metabolism (cortisol/adrenaline mode) to compensate.

    Stress can be understood as a state in which energy production is insufficient, causing the body to shift into an emergency metabolic mode (involving cortisol and adrenaline) as a compensatory response.

    As the eldest daughter, this is something I have experienced for much of my life—chronic responsibility, limited recovery time, emotional burden, and high expectations. However, I have learned how to work with it. It is a process, but it is possible.

    Ray Peat’s work helped me significantly in understanding stress from a biological perspective and in learning how to support the body rather than cope through harmful substitutes such as smoking, alcohol, or drugs. Instead, the focus shifts toward metabolic and nutritional support.

    Even if this helps only a few people, it would make me very happy.

    To keep it simple, many women are taught to fast or restrict food, but this can often lead to running on higher stress hormone levels over time.

    Ray Peat often suggested the opposite approach: supporting the body with regular, easily usable energy—especially from glucose and protein—to help lower stress hormones.

    In practice, this could look like something simple: tropical fruit with cheese, a glass of milk with honey, or homemade ice cream topped with fresh fruit.

    Especially in winter, I started using red light therapy and noticed improvements in how I felt—less puffiness, improved mood, and a more stable sense of energy.

    From my understanding of Ray Peat’s work, this could be related to supporting mitochondrial function and cellular energy production (ATP), which may reduce the physiological stress response in the body.

    ''Red light, along with thyroid and progesterone, are “the most important factors that protect against stress, shock, ionizing radiation, free radicals, lipid peroxidation''- Ray Peat

    Summary of the last section and practical steps that may help reduce stress hormones: eating a carbohydrate- and protein-rich snack every 2–3 hours, and incorporating red light therapy. I’m sharing this because it has worked for me and some of my clients, and you might consider exploring what works for you as well.

    This Ray Peat’s basic principles are great for anyone who would like to try out this lifestyle, and I will dive deeper into his philosophy on my Substack. Consider subscribing (it’s still free), and you’ll receive the information straight to your inbox :) Please note that this is not a substitute for medical advice, and if you need more personalized help, please don’t hesitate to contact me at beatahavlickova@seznam.cz

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