Food, Supplements, & Recovery
Food, Supplements, & Recovery
Simplicity & consistency always win
Happy Friday all,
There is nothing more universal than our need to eat food. We have to feed our gut, brain, and muscles to keep the train moving.
We have created incredible technology & advancements in society, yet still seem to be confused when it comes to food intelligence. That’s the inspiration for this post
Food
Extreme diets don’t work. If you only eat meat, you will miss out on fiber and important nutrients. If you only eat plants, you will miss out on protein and vital amino acids.
Fish, eggs, and meat should be at the base of our food pyramid. Protein is king and we need quite a bit of it.
Carbs are important for most people, but individual needs vary. And you should avoid ultra processed carbs and sugars entirely. Fruits like avocados, blueberries, and kiwis are good carb sources. Vegetables like leafy greens, broccoli, and carrots are good choices. White rice, corn, and potatoes are totally fine.
Healthy fat is important. Your protein will likely have some good fat. So will avocados, cheese, & milk. The #1 thing we can do for healthy fat consumption is to get rid of all vegetable & seed oils in favor of olive oil, coconut oil, and butter (in moderation).
Gut friendly foods like yogurt, sauerkraut, and kimchi are useful.
Seeds & nuts are overrated. Eating endless cups of vegetables is overrated. Keto is overrated. Intermittent fasting is overrated.
Lastly, don’t eat a ton of food near bed time, because it reduces your deep sleep dramatically which is vital for physical recovery. I personally sleep better on a full stomach, so I usually try to have a good size dinner 2 hours before bed.
Supplements
Most vitamins and supplements are junk. They are not magic & and they won’t offset the big health categories (food, sleep, and training).
Some can help with performance and body composition.
My favorite supplements are caffeine, creatine, and whey protein. Caffeine seems to be a net positive, but be mindful of how much / when you are consuming. Creatine is the biggest “no brainer” supplement for everyone; and 3-5 grams of micronized creatine monohydrate a day is a good idea (not just for athletes, for everyone). Whey protein comes in handy on days where you may not have enough protein from your diet.
I also like Athletic Greens, which acts like a daily vitamin in powder form. I’ve found some mushroom supplementation can be beneficial. Lions Mane (for brain), Cordyceps (for energy), and Reishi (for immunity and general health).
Occasionally I consume a nighttime cocktail (inspired by Andrew Huberman). For me its Chamomile tea mixed with ~250mg of Theanine & Magnesium Threonate.
Honorable mention supplement: Fish oil.
Recovery
The older (and hopefully wiser) I get, I realize recovery comes down to 1 thing:
Sleep.
I used to think recovery was about stretching, foam rolling, and deep relaxation. I’m sure these help, but they pale in comparison to the kingdom of sleep.
Sleep is king and the easiest way to get your body ready for action the next day. If you have a way to track sleep, pay attention to your length of Deep Sleep & REM sleep, which are primarily responsible for your body & brain’s recovery.
Until next time friends, keep growing!