Forget the detox tea. Here is the short list of habits that survive contact with real life, travel and birthdays.
Nutrition advice collapses under complexity. Every diet that works shares the same skeleton: enough protein, enough fibre, mostly whole foods, and a calorie range that matches your goal. Everything else is decoration.
Rule one: build every meal around protein. Aim for a palm-sized portion four times a day. If you only fix one thing this month, fix this one — it drives recovery, satiety and body composition more than any other lever.
Rule two: eat vegetables you actually like. Fibre is the cheapest performance supplement on the shelf, and the best vegetable is the one you will eat twice this week.
Rule three: put carbohydrates where they earn their place. Around training is the highest-value window, and it is also the moment most people under-eat.
Rule four: drink water before you decide you are hungry. Dehydration masquerades as fatigue and as appetite, and it quietly costs you two good reps per set.
Rule five: plan the restaurant meal, do not improvise it. Decide in advance that you will order a protein, a starch and a vegetable. That single decision removes ninety percent of the stress.
Track nothing for a fortnight and simply follow the five rules. If progress stalls, then — and only then — start weighing food.
Marcus Cole
Head Strength Coach
