Nutrition is one of those subjects where everyone seems to have the answer.

Carnivore.
Vegan.
Keto.
Low fat.
High fat.
High carb.
Low carb.

Everyone claims to have discovered the secret.

The reality is much simpler than that.

Before going any further, I should say something upfront. I’m not a nutritionist. This isn’t medical advice. It’s simply the approach that has worked for me after well over two decades of training, experimenting and paying attention to how my body responds.

Speaking as someone who, when I first started training, genuinely believed an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet was the secret to building muscle, I can confidently say I’ve learned a lot since then.

At the time, more food simply meant more muscle.

How little I knew.

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned since then is that people respond differently to different foods.

A good example is Greek yogurt. I can eat large amounts of it without any problem at all. At one point I suggested my wife increase how much she ate because of the protein content.

It didn’t agree with her at all.

Same food. Very different response.

That’s why blindly copying someone else’s diet rarely works long term.

What does work is understanding a few simple principles.

Prioritise Protein in Your Diet

If there is one rule that makes the biggest difference to strength, recovery and body composition, it’s this.

Prioritise protein.

Protein supports muscle growth, recovery from training and overall health. If you train regularly, getting enough protein becomes even more important.

A simple guideline that works well for active people is around 2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight per day.

For me, most of that protein comes from simple whole-food sources such as:

Eggs
Venison
Beef
Chicken

I don’t personally follow a vegan or vegetarian diet because it doesn’t feel right for me, but the same principle still applies. Whatever your dietary preference, protein should be a priority.

Use Carbohydrates as Fuel

Carbohydrates often get demonised in modern diet culture.

In my experience, that’s nonsense.

Carbs are fuel.

Think of them like fuel in an aircraft. Too little and performance drops. Too much and you end up carrying unnecessary weight.

If I’m training hard, running a lot, or pushing intense sessions, I increase my carbohydrate intake because my body needs that energy.

On rest days, when the demand is lower, I reduce them.

It’s actually pretty simple.

My main carbohydrate sources include:

Oats
Sourdough bread
Sweet and white potatoes
Rice

These foods provide reliable energy and are easy to digest.

A Simple Pre-Workout Carb Hack I learnt from Bodybuilders

When I need very fast-digesting carbohydrates before training, I often use ground rice.

You can usually find it very cheaply in large bags in the Asian food section of most supermarkets.

Mix ground rice with boiling water, add cacao powder, a little honey and a pinch of salt. The salt removes the bitterness from the cacao.

The result is a fast-digesting, high-carbohydrate meal that allows me to run within 20–45 minutes.

For comparison, oats usually take me 90 minutes or more to digest before I can comfortably run or train hard.

When you’re balancing work, training and family life, small tricks like this can make a big difference.

Choose High Quality Healthy Fats

Fat is another area where quality matters more than quantity.

On training days I usually keep fats relatively moderate, typically around 50–60 grams, which allows me to increase carbohydrates to fuel harder workouts.

On rest days I increase fats slightly and reduce carbohydrates because I simply don’t need the same level of fuel.

Regardless of how much fat you eat, focus on high-quality sources, such as:

Olive oil
Avocados
Eggs
Nuts and nut butters
Fatty fish
Grass-fed butter (not margarine, not ever)

These provide essential fatty acids and support overall health.

Focus on Minimally Processed Whole Foods

Probably the simplest rule of all is this.

Get the majority of your food from minimally processed whole foods.

The less humans have interfered with it, the better.

If you can buy food locally, especially meat from a quality butcher or farm source rather than the cheapest option in a supermarket, even better.

In my view, upgrading the quality of the food you eat at home is one of the best investments you can make in your health.

Before spending money on more restaurants, more alcohol or more short-term luxuries, improve the quality of the food you eat every day.

Adjust Your Diet Based on Your Training

One of the biggest mistakes people make is assuming there is one perfect diet that works for everyone.

Some people perform better on higher-fat diets. Others thrive on higher-carbohydrate approaches.

For me, my training volume and muscle mass mean Iv found that I perform far better on a higher-carbohydrate, moderate-fat diet.

But the only way to know what works for you is to experiment.

Adjust your carbohydrates, fats and overall calorie intake based on your training load and your goals.

There’s no magic in either approach. Carbohydrates and fats are simply two different forms of fuel. The key is using the right one for the work you’re asking your body to perform.

When training increases, fuel it. When activity drops, adjust accordingly.

Nutrition shouldn’t be complicated.

The Supplements I Take

Supplements should never replace good nutrition, but a few can be genuinely useful.

The ones I consider non-negotiable are:

Creatine monohydrate – 5 grams every day, year-round. Creatine is one of the most researched supplements available and consistently supports strength, power and performance.

High-quality fish oil – Many people don’t consume enough omega-3 fatty acids. I prefer liquid fish oil rather than capsules because achieving an effective dose often requires many pills.

Most people expect fish oil to taste terrible, but good-quality oil is surprisingly mild. I usually mix mine with a vitamin C effervescent drink, although my five-year-old son will happily take it straight from the spoon.

Vitamin D3 with K2 – particularly important during the darker months in the UK when sunlight exposure is low.

Before bed I also take:

Magnesium glycinate – a highly absorbable form that supports relaxation and sleep.

Zinc

Other supplements I use, but are more relaxed about include:

Ashwagandha
Turmeric with black pepper (which has been shown to help reduce inflammation)
Beta-alanine for endurance performance
Ubiquinol

None of these replace a good diet, but they can support recovery and overall health.

Keep Nutrition Simple

Nutrition doesn’t need to be complicated.

Prioritise protein.
Use carbohydrates to fuel your training.
Choose high-quality fats.
Eat mostly whole foods.

Then experiment and adjust based on how your body responds.