Elite performance trainer who works with the Navy SEALs says his go-to breakfast is olive oil and almond butter for focus and energy

• Andrew Herr is a human performance expert and has worked with professional athletes and Navy SEALs.
• He said the experiences helped him optimize his own routine for better focus and energy.
• Her favorite breakfast is olive oil and almond butter — but there’s no one-size-fits-all solution for best results.

Imagine your ideal breakfast: but instead of waking up to a bowl of cereal, a plate of eggs and bacon, or even a stack of waffles, it’s a slimy sludge of olive oil, butter almond and water.

It’s the perfect way to start the day – at least if you’re Andrew Herr, an elite performance trainer who’s worked with Navy SEALs and professional athletes, and was honored as a “Mad Scientist” by the American army.

He is also CEO and founder of Fount, a start-up whose philosophy is to use lifestyle experimentation to optimize performance, for clients ranging from military operators to high-level corporate executives.

Herr uses the same process of experimenting with exercise, diet, sleep, and other habits in her own life, with unconventional but effective results.

“I’ve found that eating a mixture of almond butter, olive oil, and water is the absolutely perfect breakfast for me every morning,” he told Insider. “It’s so much better than anything I could eat, I take it with me when I travel because I feel so good and full of energy. People find it kind of weird for obvious reasons.”

However, that doesn’t mean you should try it at home. Herr said finding the optimal routine is unique for each individual, but finding certain patterns can unlock what your body and mind need to perform at their best.

There is no one size fits all for optimal performance

Herr found his distinctive breakfast suit while trying to find a way to fuel up for a 24-hour Spartan race. He said the mixture of olive oil, almond butter and water was so good at giving him enough calories, energy and focus that he added it to his morning routine. The ratio implies enough water to make the substance drinkable, but with the texture of a pudding.

But he said part of the experimental process is trying and dropping strategies that don’t pay off.

“There is no failed experiment,” he said. “Often the interventions that failed are the ones that provide the most valuable data. Didn’t this change help? Great, you don’t need to make this change.”

For example, Herr said he doesn’t do well on low-carb diets and also reacts badly to omega-3 supplements, which he says happens in a small percentage of people. . As a result, while these tweaks can be beneficial to many, it’s not part of her ideal routine.

When working with clients, he tailors each recommended experience to the person’s unique needs and goals, although there are common patterns for finding what works.

For example, a client who complains of a lack of energy in the afternoon often misses breakfast, Herr said, and that can prevent a dip in energy. Or, if the energy dip occurs after lunch, it may be related to what they eat then, he said.

“You start to see patterns that you can recognize very quickly,” he said.

Another example: Herr helped develop a routine that prevents jet lag for the vast majority of people.

Balance what’s good for your body with what works for your goals

It’s a misconception that optimizing performance means doing things that are unpleasant — feeling good is an important part of the process, along with good planning, according to Herr.

“You have to lean into hedonism a bit. But ideally, that’s the hedonism of tomorrow,” he said.

There are exceptions to such a regimented approach – Herr said no one is a robot, including him, and it’s about balancing what matters to your own goals and priorities.

“If someone wants to take me to a three-star Michelin restaurant, I’ll gladly accept that invitation, and I’ll eat outside of the program and feel a little worse tomorrow, and it’ll definitely be worth it,” he said. he declared.