Fuel Under Pressure with Special Guest Diana Nguyen

Send us Fan MailYou can’t out-therapy a body that’s running on fumes. We’re joined by nutrition expert and performance dietitian Diana Nguyen, who’s spent years supporting special operations, first responders, and other “extremophiles” who perform under extreme stress, odd hours, and unpredictable conditions. We talk about why tactical nutrition is not the same as classic sports nutrition, and how small, repeatable routines can keep you steady when the day turns sideways.Diana breaks down the simplest starting point that actually holds up under pressure: three meals a day, three food groups at each meal, about every three to four hours (3,3,3 rule). From there, we dig into why stress makes you crave sugar and “whatever” food, how blood sugar swings affect mood and anxiety, and how pairing carbs with protein, fat, and fiber can change the way you feel on the drive home. We also connect the gut-brain axis to performance and mental health, including why gut function matters for serotonin, sleep, and resilience.Then we zoom out to allostatic load, annual lab work, and common nutrient gaps like magnesium and vitamin D, plus omega-3s and other micronutrients that can support stress response. Finally, we get practical about supplements and nootropics: magnesium glycinate, L-theanine, ashwagandha, rhodiola, holy basil, caffeine strategy, and why third-party testing matters. If you’re wondering where to start or how to find a qualified performance dietitian without getting pulled into influencer noise, we cover that too.Subscribe for more conversations on performance under pressure, share this with a teammate who never gets a meal break, and leave a review to help the right people find it. What’s the hardest part of fueling your day right now?Check out Allo Performance: https://www.alloperformance.com/ Institute of Functional Medicine (FM): https://www.ifm.org/ Integrative & Functional Nutrition Medicine (IFNM): https://www.ifnacademy.com/Follow Diana- https://www.instagram.com/dianasportsrd/ Follow Us- https://www.instagram.com/underpressurepodcast47/