Diet

General nutrition rule for normal life rather than trail conditions: emphasize minimally processed whole foods. Examples given include fruits, vegetables, clean meats, eggs, fish, and salads after returning from processed trail food.

In a coursed meal, have soup early in the meal; described as helping partly fill the stomach so less of the main course is needed to feel satisfied.

In a coursed meal, eat salad after the main course; described as refreshing the palate after a heavy, rich main course and preparing for dessert if desired.

Use a cold, mildly tart palate cleanser between rich courses to break up the meal and reset the palate.

Stop eating junk food; discussed as leading to loss of interest in it and greater enjoyment of whole foods over time.

Favor tremendous dietary variety rather than adhering rigidly to one supposedly optimal diet.

Choose non-pungent onion varieties such as Maui onions to reduce irritation from sulfur compounds.

Add salt to bitter foods or drinks to reduce perceived bitterness; examples given include grapefruit, coffee, and beer.

Try beer at room temperature; described as changing the taste, making bubbles smaller and the beer seem a bit sweeter.

Eat beans, lentils, and other legumes regularly so the gut can adapt and tolerate them with less discomfort over time; also discussed as foods he eats a lot of.

Limit added sugars to roughly 10% of total calories; on a typical 2,000-calorie diet this was described as about 40 to 50 grams per day maximum.

Use extra virgin olive oil as a go-to fat source, and within a Mediterranean-style keto approach also favor nuts, avocado, and some extra virgin coconut oil.

Do not drop saturated fat to zero; include some daily based on training and calorie needs. Examples given were red meat, eggs, or about 1 to 2 tablespoons of butter.

Eats roasted raw cacao beans for their polyphenol content; notes they are bitter and high in fiber. Do not overconsume them, and choose a clean source to reduce heavy metal exposure risk.

Notes that Coke syrup was sold in pharmacies for nausea and vomiting, particularly in pregnant women, because it can calm and settle the GI tract.

Eat 1 grapefruit or drink 6 to 8 ounces of grapefruit juice in the morning or late morning to extend the duration of endogenous cortisol by inhibiting its breakdown. He personally started consuming 1 pink grapefruit late morning before his first meal.

Can significantly boost cortisol. If experimenting, use only a small amount and be cautious not to spike cortisol too much, especially later in the day. Avoid entirely if pregnant, breastfeeding, or hypertensive/high blood pressure.

After a hard late-day resistance training workout, eat a recovery meal with quality protein plus starchy carbohydrates, and possibly some fruit, to help bring cortisol down and replenish glycogen stores.

Prepare food yourself; making foods like pancakes or bagels is discussed as a meaningful, satisfying, and educational activity even if the result is not as good as store-bought.

For people with severe peanut allergy, avoid peanuts; discussed as a pathological exception where avoidance is appropriate, distinct from the general recommendation to expose children to peanuts.

Use a single almond as a mindfulness exercise: eat it slowly while paying close attention to breathing, focus, and the sensory experience to become present.

Lower carbohydrate intake somewhat to help train the body to tap into fat stores and improve metabolic efficiency.

At low exercise intensities or during daily living, rely more on fats/lipids rather than carbohydrates as the preferred fuel source.

To lose body fat, create a caloric deficit by eating less, moving more, or combining both; abdominal fat loss is not spot-reduced but comes from overall fat loss.

If using a bulk/cut approach, favor small cycles rather than aggressive phases: gain about 5 pounds and then lose about 5 pounds.

Prefer eating around maintenance calories with a small surplus of a couple hundred extra calories instead of doing huge bulks.

Morning coffee as part of the routine after completing initial controlled tasks.

Consume a protein shake after the morning fitness block.

Prefer obtaining magnesium and other nutrients through whole foods rather than supplements; nutrients are described as being better absorbed through diet than supplementation.

Consume magnesium-rich foods such as seeds, nuts, fish—especially salmon—and green leafy vegetables such as spinach to support overall health and hearing.