Nutrition is a confusing and convoluted topic and there is information out there today that will support or refute any diet practice. I believe in experimenting with what works best for you as an individual and only taking the information seriously from people who are themselves healthy and enjoy vitality well into their later years!
I have been asked many times about how I eat and if I follow a diet. I generally don't give advice or programming on diet but I figured that the best way to still give some value would be to share my diet habits.
Use this article for context or for ideas for how you can maximize your health and lifestyle, this isn't designed to be advice or recommendations. The main thing I have learned over my life when it comes to diet is that you need to do what's right and realistic for you!
Before I get into specifics I will outline a few traits and habits I have noticed about myself in relation to diet and eating habits.
The first is that I don't require a lot of variety in my eating. I am the most consistent when I have a small rotation of 3-4 meals that I rotate depending on how I feel that day. This allows me to keep my shopping list and prep short and efficient. With this, I also don't need to think much about what to eat.
The second is that I don't do well with heavy carbs. For a long time when my diet was much heavier and ate more pasta, bread, and other grains, I often got headaches and felt sluggish. I still eat some of these foods from time to time, but if I overdo it I sometimes feel hungover the next day.
The third is that I feel my best when I fast most days throughout the week and I also find that it saves me a lot of time not having to prepare food or worry about eating throughout my day. I have actually had this habit before I even knew about the health and hormone benefits strictly out of convenience and in an effort to feel my best. Over time this has made me very metabolically flexible. I don't have intense energy crashes or food cravings if I go 12, 18 or even 24+ hours without a meal and I use fasting to reset my body if I haven't been eating well for a period of time. This is super convenient for me as I can wait for better foods rather than buying fast food due to hunger and also when I am on the road and travelling.
The fourth is that I don't do leftovers, meal prep or anything like that. I don't buy any containers for leftover food but instead, just eat a full large meal. This consistency and also the lack of need for containers and kitchen equipment works well for me as I am often moving around or changing where I live throughout the year. I also don't have to use a microwave which can harm your body.
The fifth is that I prioritize balance, flexibility and sustainability over strict rules and consistency. The ironic but natural result is that this approach allows me to be more consistently long-term as I am not putting pressure on myself with a lot of unsustainable rules and diets. I tend to eat out 1-2 times per week and when I do I generally eat whatever I want as long as I am still getting good nutrients from the food.
The final one is that I don't eat a lot of vegetables. I have been doing this for the past 8-10 months and have noticed a lot of benefits in my skin, digestion and energy levels. I tend to only eat vegetables if I eat out. A lot of vegetables do have good nutrients, but they are often much less bioavailable compared to animal products or fruits. There are also compounds in plants that can disrupt the digestive system or prevent the absorption of nutrients such as glycosides and phytic acid!
The main guidelines of my current diet that I follow are:
- Limit seed oils as much as possible
- Prioritize the most nutrient-dense foods with the most bioavailable vitamins and minerals
- Avoid processed foods, and sugars
- Eat as much as I want and feel that I need
- Buy organic produce and grass-fed or high-quality meats
These habits and guidelines have resulted in me feeling great, improved skin health, very little stiffness, soreness or pain and a massive reduction in food cravings for junk and processed foods. It has made me very in tune with what my body needs and causes me to crave nutrients that give my body exactly what it needs.
Supplements
I don't take many traditional supplements but prefer to get my nutrients through my food. I do take a few though which are below along with the reasoning why I take it.
Collagen
The building blocks for connective tissue, where most people get injured or have pain. I tend to eat a lot of the connective tissues from my meats but I want to ensure I always have enough in my diet. I always ensure it's animal based.
Magnesium
It's very difficult nowadays to get enough magnesium. I used to get restless legs often as a kid so I take it for that and also to relieve soreness and help with sleep.
Caffeine
I regularly drink coffee but will cycle off of it for weeks at a time
Cordyceps
I take this in the form of mushroom tea. It gives a nice boost in energy and focus as well as in cardiovascular output!
Bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
I take a teaspoon with water a few times per week. One added bonus is that if you add it to your water bottle it will keep your water bottles fresh without having to clean them. This reduces acidity in the body as well as increases oxygen absorption leading to improved cardiovascular performance.
Desiccated liver
I will take this in pill form. Liver is one of, if not the most nutrient-dense food you can eat. Everyone should take it if they don't eat much liver in their diet. I will take a supplement on days that I don't eat liver.
The following are the core meals that I have been eating over the past 6 months or so as well as some snacks I use to supplement my meals.
I only drink water and unhomogenized, cold-pressed or raw milk.
Staple Meals
Steak and eggs
I grill up mushrooms and onions and add eggs to go with good cuts of beef. I generally add cheese, avocado and salt!
Chicken thighs
I usually pan fry with butter and add salt and dipping sauce
Liver with mushrooms and onions
Pan sear cut up beef or chicken liver with onions and mushrooms and at some salt and soy sauce for flavour
Snacks
Fruit
Any kind of fruit that is in season. I generally eat anywhere from 5 to 8 servings of fruit daily and don't restrict myself at all
Nuts
My favourites are pistachios, walnuts, pecans and cashews
Loaded greek yogurt
I fill half a bowl with sugar-free greek yogurt and add collagen powder, unsweetened peanut or cashew butter, a banana, granola (grain and vegetable oil free) and organic honey. It's amazing!
Fried plantain
Probably my favourite dessert, I will fry it in butter and add salt!
If you have any questions feel free to join the discussion in the Alliance Discord Community! Hope to see you there
Thanks for reading
Matt