How to make better decisions and how your diet shapes your performance

Choosing what to eat

Choosing what to eat: this is probably one of the most important decisions you can make in your life. Everyone knows that diet has a huge impact not only on your physical health but also on your mental, overall well-being and even performance and motivation.

If you're like most people, you're eating three times a day— if each meal requires you to make a decision, that’s three important decisions every single day. And each one takes energy. Every decision we make throughout the day uses up some of that energy.. and, energy is limited - spend it wisely.

Now what is the solution of this problem? and how to avoid wasting time in making this decision and even improve your life and your health.

The life of a Decision

This is something I call “the life of a decision”. It means asking yourself: 'If I make this decision now, how long will it last, and what are the outcome of this decision?

Let me give you a practical example:

Take one hour to plan what you’ll eat for the next seven days.

For example:

• Breakfast: smoothie

• Lunch: pasta with fish

• Dinner: salad

You’ve made one decision instead of 21, right? Now imagine this: What if one decision could last an entire year—or even longer?

(That’s why some of the most successful people wear the same clothes every day—they eliminate unnecessary decisions. Another great strategy? Plan tomorrow today. Avoid waking up and wasting energy deciding what to do or eat).

When it comes to food it’s simpler than you think. You just have to decide to eat clean six days a week, and give yourself one day to enjoy anything you want. That single decision removes dozens of small daily choices.

Oh, and of course you will probably say that :

“it’s easy to say,—but hard to do, you have to know what clean actually means, and you also need to know how much to eat. And the problem is, during the week we often get cravings—and a lot of emotions come up too...and all of this things.." The hardest part is always the beginning, but once you build the habit of eating clean, your body actually starts to crave it.

And th think about this: if you don’t have the power to manage your basic emotions and stick to something healthy for just six days, how can you even think about starting something new, or doing anything meaningful in life?

So that was point number one: make a smart decision that lasts.

Now let’s talk about when to eat

Most people focus only what they eat—but when you eat is just as important, and it plays a critical role in how your body and brain function.

The timing of your meals directly affects your sleep quality. And your sleep, influences everything—from your mood to your ability to focus and make clear decisions.

That’s why successful people schedule their high-impact decisions early, because in the morning, your mind is fresh, your energy is high. As the day goes on, you experience something called decision fatigue—every choice you make uses up a bit of mental energy.

So, what’s the best time to eat?

It doesn’t need to be complicated. Eat during the most active part of your day, ideally within the daylight hours. This helps align your eating patterns.

Try to finish your last meal between 7:00 and 8:30 PM. In most cases, this works well. The most important an the takeaway of this article is: try to stop eating at least 2 to 3 hours before going to bed to allow your body to transition into rest and recovery mode.

For more on this, check out this episode of the Huberman Lab, which covers feeding, fasting, and the science behind it.