MJ Perrier

MJ Perrier, PhD, is a data scientist and writer at Precision Nutrition. She holds a PhD in Health and Exercise Psychology from Queen’s University and a master’s degree in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from McGill University. She’s also a Precision Nutrition Level 2 certified coach.

Dr. Perrier has published over 25 papers and book chapters in the field of health and exercise psychology on topics such as the application of behavior change theories.

She’s also been awarded over $400,000 in research grants and has taught multivariate statistics and lectured on qualitative research methods in graduate-level courses at McMaster University.

Articles by MJ Perrier, PhD, PN2

The Brain Diet:

A few weeks back, at a small research meeting in Toronto, Ontario, my good friend Dr. Alan Logan handed me a book I hadn’t heard of before. “What’s this, Alan...The Brain Diet? Doesn’t sound all that appetizing.” Amused, Dr Logan went on to tell me that I was seeing a sneak peek of his book discussing how nutrition can impact both brain and body health.

What it really takes to get bodybuilding-style lean

Here's a sample diet plan from Christian Thibaudeau, a top strength coach whose methods have heavily influenced our style of training around here (although we do differ from time to time) and who is a high level competitive bodybuilder in Canada. If you're trying to get super-lean, you've got to learn to progressively drop your calories. And Christian's plan illustrates that perfectly.

The long awaited Get Shredded Diet

Do you want to get shredded? Like, bodybuilder lean. And do you want to do it "the right way?" Well, if so, you've come to the right place. The Get Shredded Diet is here! Download it now. But I warn you - it's not for the feint of heart.

Body Optimization with Carter Schoffer

Carter Schoffer is a strength and conditioning coach living in London, Ontario, and the former Director of Sports Nutrition and Performance for Precision Nutrition. And today we talk body transformation with a guy responsible for thousands of them.

From platform to stage with Christian Thibaudeau

For years now, there has been a divide in the weight training world. On the one side are those who lift for strength and power: the athletes, the powerlifters, the Olympic lifters. And on the other side are those who lift for looks: the bodybuilders. When one of the best strength coaches in the world crosses that divide, and trades the Olympic platform for the bodybuilding stage, people take notice. And that’s precisely what Christian Thibaudeau has done.

Off-Season Training for Athletes with Eric Cressey

A few months ago when the PN team sat down to put together this library of training programs to integrate with the Precision Nutrition system, we really wanted to make sure that we had something spectacular for our athletes, many of whom compete at the elite level of their sport. So when it finally came time to put together the program to cover off-season training for athletes, we turned to the guy who does it best: Eric Cressey.

Under the bar with Dave Tate

Dave's own history with Precision Nutrition started earlier this year when, after a serious shoulder injury and worries about his cardiovascular health prompted him to change courses, he called JB and asked for help transforming his body and regaining his health. That transformation has been nothing short of amazing.

Chocolate & Tea– Antioxidant benefits

Can chocolate, the ultimate “guilty pleasure” actually be good for us? Is all this media attention on chocolate and its benefits justified? Or is this simply a case of chocoholic justification? Depends on the chocolate. Click here to find out more.

Assessing vs guessing: PN measurements

Often, we beat ourselves up because we think we’re not making progress (in all areas of our lives). Yet, the truth is, in almost every case, we're making tons of progress. We just haven’t tracked it, and so we don’t realize it. PN now has the tool to track and measure your progress.

World’s greatest homemade protein bars?

A few weeks back I popped over to Phil's house for a visit. Hungry, as usual, I pulled open his fridge in search of nourishment. Expecting to find standard PN fare - lean meat, a ton of fruits and veggies, etc. - I gasped in suprise as my eyes beheld a bake pan containing some sort of cake-like dessert.

The Playground Workout:

Today, my gym was closed but I really wanted to exercise. So I improvised and created The Playground Workout. Find yourself with no gym? Use this article for motivation and come up with something creative of your own.

Whey sensitivity and intolerance:

While this might surprise you, there are many folks who suffer allergies or intolerance to traditional protein supplements. Heck, you might be one of them and not even know it! To read more about your protein powder and whether or not it's time for a change, click this link.

PN success interview – Tic & Tie

Do you know many 50 year old men that love box squats, spinach salads, and hang around 10 percent body fat? I don’t. So you’re going to meet one today. A guy that dropped his body fat to single digits - at the age of 50.

Free Gourmet Nutrition Desserts e-book

Introducing Gourmet Nutrition Desserts, a 44 page dessert cookbook complete with delicious "Precision Nutrition approved" dessert recipes, beautiful photography, and hints on how to eat the foods you love without the gaining the fat you hate.

The compliance solution:

This 4-part video series contains a synopsis of Dr Berardi's Nutrition Compliance Solution Seminar. This video series covers our main strategies - highly effective ones, at that - for helping clients improve their compliance.

Fructose – The sweet nectar of body fat?

As a result of fructose becoming such a media hot topic (and the result of this being lots of sound bites with little sensible information), we here at Precision Nutrition decided to set the record straight. So here's our take on this hotly contested carbohydrate.

10% bodyfat or bust…

Dropping body fat isn't really all that difficult. Especially if you're already pretty overfat. Some extra exercise. Less sugary drinks. A bit more protein and healthy fats. You know the drill. However, dropping your body fat to 10% or less is something else entirely. Learn how one Precision Nutrition member did just that.

Nutrigenomics:

Nutrigenomics: The study of how genes and nutrients interact. Until recently, I knew this field of science was an exciting area that would someday change the future of nutrition, medicine, and more. However, in my mind all this crazy gene-nutrient stuff was for the future. Boy was I wrong.

Soy: The latest research

If one natural food source were to earn the title of "controversial food of the year" it'd likely be soy. So we turned to the research. We interviewed a host of soy experts on both sides of the fence. And from our research, we wrote this article. Hopefully it helps you sort through the big soy protein controversy, leaving you with some practical strategies for soy consumption.

Top 5 foods you can’t live without

There are certain foods that each of us here at Precision Nutrition can't live without. These are our dietary staples. They're the foods that help us stay on track. They're the foods that keep the health quotient of our meals high and the fat on our body low. Check out our top foods here.

The 3 supplements I recommend

Nowadays, a good portion of my face-time with clients and athletes is spent discussing nutritional supplements – which ones work, which don’t. Which ones are safe, which ones may be dangerous. Which ones are clean and which may contain banned substances. Yet my supplement approach is really simple…and I want to share it with you today.

Body type nutrition:

Your body type can dictate how you should train and how you should eat. Click here to figure out your type - and how to match your exercise and nutrition program to your body type. This is one of the surest ways to fast track your results.

What you should know about tea

Nowadays, pretty much everyone has accepted that tea (especially the green kind) offers some tremendous health benefits. However, not everyone knows the other important stuff. Click here to learn what you don't know about tea.

Incorporating flax into your diet

Lately the media has been spending a lot of time talking about "healthy, omega 3 fats." And it's about time. Most people are woefully deficient. However, with media saturation, the finer points are often lost. Click here to read more about one great food source of the healthy, omega 3 fats.