I get many questions about my diet; my standard reflexive response is "why do you care"?
Don't get me wrong, I think diet is really important. It's one of the few things we actually have some control over. I just don't discuss it often for several reasons.
First off, it is highly individualized and dependent on so many factors. That means my diet may not work for you. Also since we are different people, you will not achieve the same results as my by doing the same thing.
Next, I post a lot of stuff about handstands and "movement" because I have a lot of experience training both myself and countless others in those topics. Diet I only have experience working with myself so I feel it would be a bit selfish and inconsiderate to hand out advice based only on that.
While I don't follow any specialized diet, I have gone through some experiences to gain some perspective on the matter. I went through a phase where I loved to eat everything in sight(moving to the USA after USSR collapse). I had a phase where I was very conscious of my fluff and ignorantly and stupidly restricted my intake. I went through "squats and milk" bulking program and followed some bodybuilding style diets of eating every couple hours. I very briefly attempted vegetarianism. I did paleo for a while(my grandma swore I was losing my hair from lack of bread in my diet), and lots of other experimenting.
Here are some basic tenets of diet I follow now:
-I think it's important not to be too specialized for survival's sake. I think the reason humanity has spread out all over the world is adaptability. Rather than one universal diet, we have learned to live off many different ones. With that being said, I do believe genetic lineage is a factor in what foods work well for someone.
-I normally don't care too much about being super lean.
-Meat: yes. I love organ meats and all the weird stuff too. Please don't try to slide into my DMs telling me I should switch to veganism.
-I enjoy cooking and think it's a really important skill. I use only iron and steel cookware if I can help it.
-As much as I can I try to avoid pre-packaged foods.
-I try to shop at the farmer's market and eat local if I can.
-If I had to pick a couple favorite foods, I really enjoy shakshuka and плов.
-I don't drink alcohol, except for the occasional black beer(for the flavor and minerals).
-I don't drink milk, but I do eat cheese, yogurt, and especially kefir.
-Lots of butter. Massive staple in my diet. Butter from Ireland or New Zealand is best.
-Coffee/tea is a yes, though I do try to go on a caffeine purge/cleanse every few months to reset my tolerance.
-I don't count macros or calories, but I do have a general idea. I try to eat protein every meal and generally keep a reasonable balance between the macros. First meal of the day is generally lower carb and last meal is generally higher carb.
-Most days I do intermittent fasting; my first meal is usually late afternoon and after a training session if I can help it. I avoided fasting for a long time but now I do believe in the benefits and building the discipline to not eat constantly.
-I eat a big dinner fairly late. It's a habit that stuck with me from when I coached gymnastics. I normally wouldn't get home from work until 21:00 or later and be super hungry after hours of coaching.
-I love my desserts, though I do like the idea of "earning it".
-I don't do spicy food well and it actually gives me the hickups. I do enjoy horseradish though(the Slavic/European/Jewish version of Chili).
-I love my spices and enjoy powerful flavors.
-I used to go to Costco just to get a free meal from the samples they were handing out.
-I read the labels and ingredients before I buy any food.
-I have no issue with bread or gluten, but generally avoid wheat products when in the USA. My skin ends up breaking out after eating them, but only in the US, so I stick to bricks of black rye/spelt bread or gluten free varieties here.
-If I travel I always try some local food.
-Most of my regular diet plans go to shit when I travel. If I can manage, I try to stay somewhere with a kitchen as hotels tend to wear down my sanity a bit faster.
-I do take supplements, but food is definitely the priority. The issue with the supplements is I've never scientifically tested on myself any as a single variable so I just hope that some of them do something sometimes.
That's all I have for now. I definitely don’t have the answers and am always learning more.
Remember diet is not a universal principle. Figure out what works or doesn't for you, continue adapting, don't worry if you get off your diet once in a while, and enjoy your food.