If you're serious about your health and fitness, you'll appreciate that getting your diet right is one of the major areas that you need to focus on. But where do you start?

Breakfast

What do gay men eat for breakfast?

We recently did a survey on the breakfast habits of gay men around the world — one of the clear results is the high proportion of men who start their day by eating breakfast cereal (48%).

What’s wrong with cereal?

Quick and easy to eat, and often quite tasty, it’s not difficult to understand why breakfast cereal is such a popular choice.

The problem with breakfast cereal is that is even if you opt for something that is low in sugar and high in fibre, you’re subjecting your body to a big intake of gluten.

The paleo diet

There’s obviously quite a bit of debate and conflicting research among nutritionists, but most guys who are super-serious about their diet and fitness, tend to lean towards the “paleo” approach which advocates limiting the intake of gluten in favour of a high protein and vegetable diet.

Eat like a caveman

In simplistic terms, you’re trying to replicate the diet of your genetic ancestors — the thinking is that when a “caveman” started the day, they either snacked on some of the left-overs from the night before — lean wild meat — or they grabbed some nearby nuts and berries until they were able to hunt for some more meat or fish.

What’s wrong with gluten?

As it’s a relatively new introduction to the human diet, in evolutionary terms, there is quite a bit of evidence suggesting that gluten can be difficult for the body to digest and process and may result in gluten sensitivity.

Symptoms of gluten sensitivity include bloating, abdominal discomfort, pain or diarrhoea, or it may present with a variety of extra-intestinal symptoms including headaches and migraines, lethargy and tiredness, attention-deficit disorder and hyperactivity, schizophrenia, muscular disturbances as well as bone and joint pain.

What should you eat for breakfast?

If you’ve got time — fry up some eggs or a small steak with some spinach on the side.

If you’re in a rush — grab a handful of nuts and some berries and stop for something more substantial when you get to work.

It’s time to look beyond breakfast cereal.

Three things to remember this week

Try and start your day with a handful of blueberries — Full of Vitamin C and a proven Anti-oxidant. Buy organic.

Give your body regular fuel during the day. Too busy to stop for lunch? Don’t just skip a meal — pack some emergency snacks like nuts or a Bounce Protein Ball (almond) to keep you going and performing at your best.

Quality sleep is essential. Avoid coffee after 17:00. Taking Zinc and Magnesium supplements before bed will help you achieve a deep sleep.