Frequently Asked Questions About Taylor Nutrition for Performance & Longevity
22 answers covering everything from basics to advanced usage.
// Basics
What does 'performance' mean in this nutrition framework?
Performance means far more than sport. It includes focusing through a long lecture, surviving a work shift, getting through a gym session without feeling faint, and recovering well enough to repeat it. Because the brain is 2% of body weight but uses 20% of the body's energy at rest, under-fueling impairs concentration before almost anything else. Nutrition for performance is relevant to everyone.
What is the 80/20 rule in nutrition?
The 80/20 rule means 80% of your intake should come from whole, nourishing, balanced foods and 20% can be treats or ultra-processed foods. Applied consistently, this supports health and longevity without requiring perfection. It reflects the core principle that overall pattern matters more than any single meal — you don't need to cut out every food you enjoy.
What is the Energy Crash Cycle?
The Energy Crash Cycle is the predictable pattern of skipping breakfast, relying on caffeine, arriving at the next meal starving, then choosing the quickest, saltiest, sweetest option available — followed by an energy crash that restarts the loop. It's a physiological response to being underfueled, not a lack of discipline. The fix is prep systems that make eating earlier and more regularly easier.
What does 'you are what you eat' actually mean?
It's technically accurate, not just a metaphor. Every cell in your body is comprised of the food you eat, and cell renewal is constant. This requires a steady supply of macronutrients — particularly protein for amino acids and fats for the lipid cell membrane. Chronic under-fueling of these building blocks compromises the raw material your body uses to rebuild itself.
// How To
How do I build a Performance Plate at every meal?
Check for five components: carbohydrates (preferably whole grains, vegetables, fruits, pulses), protein (spread across the day), colour (fruit and veg for fibre and vitamins), a source of fat (prioritising unsaturated), and fluid. Treat it as a mental checklist, not a rigid rule. A meal hitting all five sustains energy and satiety longer. It doesn't need to look perfect or be photogenic.
How do I calibrate carbohydrates to my activity level?
WHO targets 45–75% of daily energy from carbohydrates. Adjust based on activity: sedentary people need less; those training, doing active jobs, or caring for young children need more. Prioritise type — whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and pulses over refined carbs like a big bowl of white pasta. Always pair carbs with protein, fat, or fiber to blunt the blood sugar response.
How much fiber should I aim for and how do I get there?
Target 25 g of naturally occurring dietary fiber daily, plus at least five (ideally seven) portions of fruit and vegetables. Simple upgrades: swap one white bread meal for whole grain, add frozen vegetables to pasta, have berries with breakfast. Fiber feeds your gut microbiome, supports regular bowel habits, boosts satiety, and the foods carrying it also deliver vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds.
How should I eat before and after a workout?
Before: a snack with easily digestible carbs is enough for most people — no pre-workout supplement needed. Within an hour of training, choose easily digestible options like banana and yogurt; with more time, a fuller meal two hours before works. After: the anabolic window isn't a 10-minute emergency — total daily intake matters most. A meal or snack within 30–60 minutes of hard training is a good habit.
How do I decide whether a supplement is worth taking?
Apply the Clear Gap Criteria — a supplement is appropriate only if: (1) you have low intake or dislike the food containing that nutrient, (2) you have a diagnosed deficiency or poor absorption, or (3) a specific performance demand from training exists. Then check the evidence tier. If no gap exists and foundations are solid, no supplement will meaningfully help.
// Troubleshooting
Why do I keep craving junk food in the afternoon despite good intentions?
Because you're likely underfueled, not weak-willed. When you skip meals and then reach for the quickest, saltiest, sweetest, or fattiest food available, that's a predictable physiological response to being underfueled. The solution isn't being stricter after slipping up — it's building systems that make eating earlier and more regularly easier, starting with a protein-containing breakfast.
I've plateaued on strength gains — what should I check first?
Audit your foundations before buying supplements. First check your Performance Plate and daily protein: are you reaching ~1.6 g/kg body weight spread across the day? If not, fix food first. If foundations are solid, creatine at 5 g/day is the strongest evidence-based addition for strength and high-intensity performance, with a cognitive bonus. Expensive celebrity 'performance stacks' don't outperform these basics.
I eat mostly vegetables — why do I feel weak and tired?
Eating only vegetables eliminates two entire macronutrient categories — protein and fat — making the diet nutritionally insufficient. Protein supplies amino acids for tissue repair, hormones, and immunity; fats build cell membranes and support satiety. Rebuild balanced meals using the Performance Plate: keep the vegetables for colour and fiber, but add protein sources and unsaturated fats to fuel energy and recovery.
My sleep is bad and I have brain fog — can nutrition help?
Yes, several levers apply. Cut caffeine off by late afternoon since it masks exhaustion and wrecks sleep. Creatine (5 g/day) has emerging evidence for cognitive performance, particularly useful for brain fog or poor sleep. Magnesium (spray absorbs quickly before bed) supports sleep and muscle function, and many people are low due to soil depletion. But fix under-fueling and hydration first.
// Comparisons
How does this framework compare to following trending diets online?
Trending diets chase perfection and novelty — cutting out every enjoyable food or switching plans weekly — which rarely lasts. This framework prioritises overall pattern over single-meal perfection and applies the 80/20 rule so it's sustainable. It's evidence-graded rather than driven by a promoter's physique, price, or popularity. Boring consistency with the basics beats a perfect plan that collapses after one week.
How is the Evidence-Graded Supplement Hierarchy different from generic supplement advice?
Generic advice sells stacks based on hype, price, or influencer physiques. This hierarchy classifies supplements by quality of human evidence into strong (creatine, vitamin D, omega-3, strategic caffeine, protein) and moderate tiers (magnesium, iron if deficient, melatonin, ashwagandha), then only recommends any if a Clear Gap exists. It explicitly refuses to treat supplements as a foundation — a $50 stack can't fix skipped meals and 5 hours' sleep.
How does this compare to expensive longevity protocols and biohacking?
Unlike dramatic biohacks, costly tests, or extreme protocols, this framework builds longevity through boring consistency with the basics. Healthy dietary patterns are associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and some cancers — and no supplement guarantees living to 100. Longevity is shaped by nutrition alongside movement, sleep, social connection, and avoiding smoking and excess alcohol, not exotic interventions.
// Advanced
Why does breakfast blood sugar matter more than other meals?
Because your breakfast blood sugar response sets the tone for stability the rest of the day. A carbohydrate-heavy breakfast without protein causes a spike that tends to repeat across subsequent meals, driving cravings and crashes. Including a good protein source at breakfast blunts this response, stabilising energy and focus. This is why 'add protein to breakfast' is often the highest-leverage first change.
What are the age-specific priorities for healthy ageing?
Apply the same Performance Plate foundations, then add two priorities. First, bone density — increase calcium-rich foods and consider vitamin D supplementation. Second, inflammation — if arthritis or joint pain is present, prioritise antioxidants (all the colours of the rainbow in fruit and veg) and omega-3 fats (EPA/DHA). Adequate protein spread across the day also matters more with age to preserve muscle.
How do I identify and minimise trans fats in my diet?
Keep trans fats below 1% of total energy (WHO). They're increasingly hard to avoid because they hide in ultra-processed foods. Check labels, or use a scanning app like Yuka when the label is unclear. Simultaneously keep saturated fat below 10% of total energy by replacing butter, fatty meat, and full-fat dairy with unsaturated sources like nuts, seeds, oily fish, and olive oil.
What is the 7-Day Performance and Longevity Challenge?
It's a practical implementation tool: choose one specific, doable habit to practise for seven consecutive days, then add more progressively. Options include adding protein to breakfast, carrying a water bottle, eating an extra fruit or veg portion, cooking with pulses, planning pre-workout snacks, stocking non-perishable healthy snacks, or swapping one processed snack. Start with one; once embedded, layer another. Boring consistency compounds.
Should I really pair carbs with protein or fat every time?
Yes, whenever practical — it's a key rule. Pairing carbohydrates with protein, fat, or fiber blunts the blood sugar response, reducing the spike-and-crash pattern that drives fatigue and cravings. A plain bowl of white pasta spikes blood sugar; the same pasta with protein, olive oil, and vegetables produces a steadier response. This single habit improves energy stability across the whole day.
Does caffeine actually improve exercise performance?
Yes — strategic caffeine can improve endurance performance by around 2–4%, and it sits in the strong evidence tier. But use it as a tool, not a lifestyle mask. If you're relying on caffeine to compensate for under-eating, dehydration, or poor sleep, you're papering over the root cause and building dependence. Time it well and cut off by late afternoon to protect sleep.