Fueling the Temple — What I Eat in a Day

I want to be upfront: I'm not a registered dietitian. I'm not going to hand you a meal plan and tell you it's the only way. What I'm going to share is how I think about food and what that looks like in practice — because the framework matters more than the specific meals.

"Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies." — 1 Corinthians 6:19-20

That verse changed how I approach eating. It's not about looking good at the beach. It's not about restriction or punishment. It's stewardship. I was given this body as an instrument of purpose — I owe it the fuel to function at its best.

The Framework: Protein Anchors Everything

I build every meal around protein first. This isn't a trend — it's biology. Protein is the primary driver of muscle repair, immune function, and satiety. For active adults, the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) recommends 0.7 to 1.0 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight per day to support muscle retention and growth. At my bodyweight, that puts me around 180-200g daily.

Most people eating a standard American pattern get half that. The result is slower recovery, more muscle loss as they age, and feeling hungry all the time because protein is the most satiating macronutrient by a wide margin.

I hit that number through whole food sources first: eggs, chicken, ground beef, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, canned fish. I use protein shakes as a backup when I'm short — not as a substitute for real food.

What Whole Foods Actually Do

Beyond protein, I eat mostly whole foods — not because I'm following some strict protocol, but because processed food actively works against performance. A 2019 study published in Cell Metabolism by the NIH found that participants eating an ultra-processed diet consumed an average of 500 more calories per day than those eating whole foods — even when both groups had unrestricted access to food. The processed food group ate faster and felt less satisfied. The researchers concluded that ultra-processed foods disrupt the body's natural satiety signaling.

Real food is self-regulating in a way that engineered food is not. When I eat whole foods, I stop when I'm full. When I eat processed food, that signal breaks down. It's not a willpower issue — it's a product design issue. Those foods are engineered to override your stop mechanism.

What a Typical Day Looks Like for Me

Morning: Three to four whole eggs with vegetables, sometimes with a cup of Greek yogurt on the side. I keep breakfast simple and high in protein — usually 40-50g before I start the day. Coffee with nothing added. Water first.

Lunch: A large salad or grain bowl with a protein source — chicken, ground beef, tuna, whatever's easy. I try to get vegetables in here because I know dinner tends to be more protein-and-starch focused. This is also where I get a lot of fiber, which supports gut health and keeps energy stable in the afternoon.

Pre-training: If I'm training within two hours of a meal, I don't do anything special. If I'm training fasted or it's been a while since eating, I'll have something simple — a banana and a protein shake, or a small serving of rice with chicken. The goal is available fuel without a full stomach.

Dinner: This is usually my biggest meal. A protein source, a carbohydrate (rice, potatoes, or whatever's on the table), and a vegetable. I eat with my family and I don't turn dinner into a calculation. I know roughly what I've eaten during the day and I eat until I'm satisfied.

On Hydration

I drink a lot of water. The NIH general recommendation is about 3.7 liters (125 oz) for men per day from all sources — more if you're training hard or in a hot climate. In Miami, that number goes up.

Dehydration affects performance significantly. Even mild dehydration — as little as 2% of body weight — reduces strength, endurance, and cognitive function according to research published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. I keep a water bottle with me constantly. It's the cheapest performance supplement there is.

What I Don't Do

I don't count every calorie. I don't follow a named protocol. I don't eat the same thing every day. I don't have "cheat meals" — that framing turns food into a moral issue and sets you up for guilt cycles that go nowhere useful.

I also don't restrict entire food groups or make food complicated. The goal is sustainable, not perfect. Eating well 90% of the time will produce better long-term results than eating perfectly for three weeks and burning out.

The Real Point

Stewardship isn't perfection. It's intention. Ask yourself before you eat: is this serving the purpose God put me here for, or am I just filling a gap out of habit or boredom?

That question — asked honestly — will upgrade your eating more than any protocol ever could.