A few years ago, trading nearly killed me.

If I wasn’t sleeping, I was working. My diet was a steady stream of black coffee and energy drinks. My only view was a row of computer monitors.

Eventually, it caught up to me. I ended up in the hospital and nearly had a heart attack… all before I turned 30.

The Pillars of Optimal Health

See, I wasn’t living the traveling trader lifestyle. I wasn’t hopping from one tropical paradise to the other with nothing but my laptop and a change of clothes.

I wasn’t enjoying the financial freedom trading brings, and the remote work lifestyle it provides.

After my hospital stay, I had a completely different appreciation for life. It was one of the best things to ever happen to me.

I began to prioritize my physical and mental health and the changes have been transformational.

When I coach other traders, they’re surprised to learn we’re going to spend at least three days on the three pillars of optimal health.

They are:

1. Diet/Nutrition

2. Sleep

3. Exercise

In this essay, I want to focus on the first “pillar.”

And if you find this kind of content interesting, please let us know. It’s a departure from our usual beat – bringing you actionable insights you can use in the markets. But I wouldn’t share this information with you if I didn’t think it would be genuinely helpful.

Following this advice will help you perform and feel better – in every area of your life.

One of the reasons people struggle with their diet and getting proper nutrition is there’s just so much information out there.

There are keto diets, vegan diets, high-protein diets, and everything in between. Just like with trading, there’s so much information out there it can be overwhelming to even start.

But there’s a way to simplify eating well and getting the nutrients your body needs. This advice applies to everyone, regardless of your personal eating preferences and dietary restrictions.

Run Like a High-Performance Vehicle

I call it the “whole food method.” It basically means avoiding processed foods and sticking to foods that have as few ingredients as possible.

My general rule is that if it comes in a package, then the food has likely been processed.

Processed foods lack the nutrients you’ll find from whole foods. Processed foods are full of calories. But they’re lacking in the vitamins, minerals, amino acids, fats, and proteins essential to our health.

Whole foods on the other hand, are less calorically dense. In other words, they contain fewer calories than a processed equivalent. And they’re loaded with valuable nutrients.

Your body should run like a high-performance vehicle. You wouldn’t fill up a Ferrari with cheap, low-grade gasoline. You shouldn’t fill up your body with the human equivalent, either.

I personally stick to a few staple ingredients. There’s not much variety in my day-to-day diet. If I’m traveling, however, then I’m willing to be a little bit more flexible. But I’ll still avoid processed foods as much as possible.

A typical day of eating for me consists of foods like eggs, avocados, berries, Greek yogurt, raw honey, free-range chicken, and grass-fed beef.

The foods I avoid like the plague are things like cereals, granola, bread made with processed ingredients, and refined sugar.

Now look, I know those foods are delicious. There’s nothing like eating a slice of fresh New York-style pizza. If you prefer a different style of pizza, that’s okay. I won’t argue with you!

And speaking from firsthand experience, I know how difficult it is to give those foods up.

Invest in Your Health

But I can’t even compare how I feel today with how I was feeling over five years ago. My energy is through the roof. It doesn’t dip or plateau throughout the day.

I’ve stopped feeling sore. My random aches and pains have completely gone away. My physical health is better than it’s ever been.

And no, I don’t count calories. I don’t even keep track of what I eat all that closely. The most important thing is ensuring my pantry and fridge are stocked with those whole foods.

Please understand, I’m not saying you have to eat exactly like me. If you don’t eat beef, don’t eat it! If you prefer salmon, or if you’re entirely vegetarian, that’s great.

The important thing is that you at least try to cut out processed foods.

It can be done. I know it means making certain sacrifices. And it might mean more time cooking your own meals. But I also promise you the results will be more than worthwhile.

It might even change your life, like it did mine.

Happy trading (and eating),

Imre Gams