Before You Feast... Read This

G'day Legend,

I’m just returning from Dallas with the W at HYROX.
Massive appreciation to Eric, who soldiered through a nasty rib injury so we could punch our ticket to Stockholm for Worlds. And thank you to every single one of you who came up, said hi at the race, or slid into the DMs with encouragement. This community is truly something else.

Now… with a win comes celebration, and I couldn't think of a better way than hosting a Friends-(Thanks)giving.
And with this time of year being all about gratitude… and stuffing your face… the question becomes:

Does nutrition still play a role?
Short answer: yes — but not in the restrictive way.

I’m not here to police your plate. You know how to make informed choices. Instead, I want to give you a few performance-based frameworks so you can actually feel better before, during, and after the feast — without guilt, rules, or stress.

In this week’s newsletter (4 min read):
🍗 How to fuel before the feast so you avoid cravings, crashes, and overeating
 🧠 The simple order-of-eating strategy that boosts mood & digestion
 🔄 The Day-After Reset Plan to feel sharp again without restriction or punishment 💧 The hydration trick that prevents the food-coma and next-day fatigue

If you’ve got a friend who’s saying they’re not going to eat that pumpkin pie because it’ll mess with their goals, send them THIS link (they’ll thank you for it).

The Feast Fueling Framework

Thanksgiving is one day out of 365 — an outlier, not a threat to your goals.
Even if you went hard the entire weekend, it’s still only 2-3 days a year. The physiology supports this:

Feasting boosts serotonin, increases digestive enzyme release, and replenishes glycogen — all things that actually improve recovery.

Where people go wrong is order and timing, not the food itself.

Here’s a simple performance-first framework:

1. Don’t skip breakfast.
Skipping meals increases hunger hormones by up to 28% and leads to overeating the foods that make you feel worse. Have a protein-forward breakfast (eggs + fruit, Greek yogurt bowl, etc.).

2. Protein & color first at the feast.
This slows digestion, stabilizes glucose, and reduces the “post-meal crash.”
(Think turkey + veg before stuffing + desserts.)

3. Intentional indulgence > mindless grazing.
Choose the three foods you are excited for, eat them with full presence, and skip the random snacks that don’t matter.

4. Alcohol framing: hydrating sips.
Drink water before your first drink, then 1:1 the rest of the night. This alone reduces next-day inflammation.

This is the same framework I give athletes — not to limit them, but to keep them feeling good during high-calorie social events.

The Day-After Reset Plan

Most people wake up feeling off not because they ate “bad foods,” but because their hydration, fiber, and glucose regulation were compromised.

Here’s the performance-based reset:

1. Optional: a gentle 14–16hr fast

This isn’t punishment — it gives your GI system a chance to process yesterday’s load and upregulates autophagy.
If fasting stresses you out or makes you tired? Skip it.

2. Front-load hydration

Goal: 1 litre within the first 90 minutes of waking.
Add sodium or electrolytes (especially if alcohol was involved).

3. High-fiber, high-color first meal

Think: vegetable-loaded eggs, a broth with greens, or a lentil/veg stew.
This supports the gut microbiome and clears glucose faster.

4. A 20-minute Zone 2 walk

Not a workout.
Just movement that increases blood flow, clears lactate, and improves GI motility.
This hack alone will make you feel 2–3X better.

5. Leftovers? Yes — but choose light to heavy

Veg + turkey before creamy casseroles + pies.

Hydration, Glucose, and One Legendary Action

This is the one thing I want every reader to lock in this week:

The Legendary Action: How to beat the food coma 

Two litres of water + electrolytes before your feast begins.
This single action stabilizes mood, digestion, and glucose better than anything else you do that day.

Happy Thanksgiving and happy feasting Legends!

RECIPE: Air fryer Jerk Chicken

If you need an easy recipe before the big-time cooking coming up (or if you need something a little lighter after the weekend), this air fryer jerk chicken is perfect. The flavor to skills ratio is off the charts.

Nutrition Breakdown:
cals: 357 • fat: 21g • protein: 28g• carbs: 14g

November Referral Challenge Winner!!!

Drumroll please……..

Our November referral reward challenge winner is Jeremy Steckler!

Congrats Legend — details will be in your inbox on getting you that $100 BPN or AG1 Prizepack!

Thanks to everyone who referred this month — we’re going to be doing monthly challenges with fresh prizes, along with the ongoing referral rewards, so keep those referrals coming.

Quick Notes

Eric Hinman and I smashed our goal of qualifying for HYROX World’s in Stockholm (even though I got a 2-minute penalty😅). If you want to see how I trained, we have a new YouTube out. WATCH IT HERE.

🦃 Happy (American) Thanksgiving legends — I’m grateful for each and every one of you.

#EatGoodFeelGood

— DC