Food Is a Drug: The Three Nutritional Principles That Keep Me Grounded

Let me start with this: I don’t believe in diets.

I believe in education.

I believe in conscious eating.

And I believe you should understand what you are putting into your body and why.

I’ve struggled with very severe drugs in my life. Drugs that nearly killed me. So maybe I’m more extreme than most when I say this, but I mean it with my whole heart:

Food is a drug.

Sugar is a drug.

Caffeine is a drug.

Highly processed carbs can absolutely behave like a drug.VOnce you adopt that mindset, something powerful happens. You begin weighing opportunity costs.

You stop asking, “Does this taste good?” and start asking, “What is this going to do to my energy, my clarity, my sleep, my life?”

Now listen. I am far from perfect.

This past January, I had a lot going on. Stress, transition, life. And I found myself buying snacks at grocery stores. Mindlessly. Comfortably.

Looking back, it was the nutritional equivalent of driving to your dealer and picking something up because you needed a hit.

Maybe that sounds intense. But if you’re honest with yourself, you know the feeling.

The good news? Awareness creates change.

So here are the three nutritional principles I return to over and over again.

Not perfection.

Not obsession.

Just principles.

Principle 1: Anchor Your Day With Protein

For me, protein is the foundation. Every single morning I hydrate first. Water, salt, lemon. Electrolytes. Wake the system up. Then without thinking, I put 30 grams of protein into my body through a shake. Creatine. Greens. Routine.

There is power in not having to negotiate with yourself.

By lunch, I aim for another 50 grams.

Snack? Usually protein-based.

Dinner? Another 50.

Before I know it, I’m sitting around 160 to 200 grams without obsessing. And science backs the importance of quality protein:

“If you’re going to eat what people would call a ‘full meal,’ ideally you include some high-quality protein.”

Protein stabilizes energy. It supports muscle. It keeps you full.

But more than anything, it builds momentum.

Fitness coach Dan Go puts it simply: “Wake up early, go for a walk, eat high protein, deep work.”

Notice the pattern there. Structure creates performance. From my own work and writing, one truth keeps showing up: “The work you do daily becomes the person you become.”

Protein is one of my daily pieces of work. Not flashy. Not sexy. But foundational.

Principle 2: Eat Within a Window. Your Body Loves Consistency.

I personally follow a loose intermittent fasting structure, typically eating between 12 PM and 8 PM.

And I am very strict about that 8 PM cutoff. Why?

Because sleep matters. Recovery matters. Tomorrow matters.

Your body craves rhythm. Predictability. Stability.

Research-driven voices echo this idea. Andrew Huberman has described how his first meal often comes in the early afternoon and centers on protein and vegetables, reflecting a structured approach to fasting and nutrition.

We don’t optimize life in massive moments. We optimize it in repeated hours.

Now let me be clear. I break this rule sometimes.

Date night with my wife?

Friends in town?

Life happening?

I’m in.

But if I hit the window six out of seven days, I’m winning.

Perfection is fragile.

Consistency is powerful.

Dan Go teaches a similar philosophy:

“Transform routines into rituals and integrate healthy habits into your core identity.”

When eating becomes a ritual instead of a reaction, everything changes.

Principle 3: Eliminate Liquid Calories

This one is simple and wildly effective. No liquid calories.

Sodas. Sugary coffees. Juice bombs. Sneaky drinks that carry hundreds of calories without touching your hunger.

They add up fast. And most of the time, they give you nothing.

If I drink calories, it is almost always inside a protein shake with a purpose. Otherwise? Water. Electrolytes. That’s it.

Because again, awareness changes behavior.

When you stop drinking your calories, you automatically create space for real food.

Education Over Dieting

Let me bring this home. I don’t follow these perfectly. Some weeks are cleaner than others.

But I return to them because they keep me grounded.

High protein.

Timed eating.

No liquid calories. Simple principles scale.

And here’s something I want you to remember:

Your body is always communicating with you.

Energy levels.

Mood.

Sleep quality.

Focus.

Listen to it. You don’t need the perfect diet. You need understanding. You need consciousness. You need ownership.

Because at the end of the day, you get one body and one life.

Fuel it like it matters.

If you take nothing else from this, take this:

Don’t chase diets.

Chase awareness.

Build rituals.

Do the daily work.

Your future self is built by what you repeatedly put on your plate.