Keep It Simple: My Nutrition Philosophy for Shift Workers

R.E. Hengsterman
Oct 28
3 min read

Updated: 1 day ago

I wrote the book on The Shift Worker’s Paradox. It touches on nutrition—but I’ll be honest, it’s not my primary wheelhouse. There are people who speak on this topic with insane conviction, and they do it loudly. The nutrition space, especially online, often sounds like a shouting match in absolutes—this is good, that is bad, eat this, never that.

I’m not here to add more noise. I’m here to share what’s worked for me.

I subscribe to the KISS principle—Keep It Simple, Stupid—mostly as a reminder to myself. As a writer, I’ve gone down more than a few endless rabbit holes chasing what’s “optimal.” But the longer I study and live it, the more I realize that real nutrition isn’t built on absolutes. It’s built on principles.

My Fundamental Principles

1. Energy balance matters. Calories still count. The total energy you take in—especially from nutrient-dense foods—shapes almost everything downstream.

2. Quality matters. Not all calories are equal. 250 calories of pumpkin seeds isn’t the same as 250 calories of gummy bears. One fuels you; one fills you. Hollow foods make it easy to overeat without nourishment.

3. As I get older, protein becomes my most important macronutrient. Carbs and fats can flex a little, but protein keeps everything working. I aim for >1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight daily.

At roughly 100 kilograms, that’s a lot of protein—enough to make eating feel like a full-time job some days. I don’t always hit the mark, but I try. Protein becomes increasingly important as we age, supporting muscle maintenance, recovery, and metabolic health.

4. Micronutrients and toxins matter—just less than you think. Most of us aren’t undernourished. The better questions to ask are:

Do you have muscle mass?
How’s your metabolic health?
What’s your energy balance?

Those three answers tell you nearly everything about how your nutrition aligns with your physiology.

The Simple Truth

For most of us—including me—the honest answer is that we probably need to eat a little less. Restrict something: sugar, processed foods, or simply the hours we eat. Time-restricted eating and calorie awareness solve more of the problem than most “biohacks” ever will.

Real nutrition science is hard. Real nutrition, beyond social media, takes humility, consistency, and a willingness to do less—but do it better. Calories matter. Protein matters. Micronutrients matter. But the loudest voices online rarely mention that context and discipline matter most.

What I Actually Use

At night, I keep my nutrition simple and repeatable. I rely on two staples:

Top Fox Pumpkin Seeds – a whole-food source of protein, zinc, and magnesium.
True Nutrition Custom Protein Blend – my personal formula for balance, recovery, and convenience.

Base Ingredients

75% PumpkinPlus™ Protein (non-GMO)
20% Marine Collagen
5% Egg White Protein

Flavor

Vanilla Bean (regular)

Boosts

1× Maca Powder Boost
1× Mushroom Blend Boost
1× Health Boost
1× Branched Chain Amino Acids Boost

Each pound yields roughly 14 servings, with the following per serving:

Calories: 130
Fat: 1.5g
Carbohydrates: 2g
Protein: 26g
Iron: 45% DV
Vitamin C: 30% DV
Zinc: 45% DV

It’s not complicated, and that’s the point.

On Protein and Digestion

Protein can be rough on the stomach, and digestion varies wildly from person to person. What works for one body might wreak havoc on another.

I’ve tried just about every powder and supplement out there, and I can say without hesitation that this blend has the best flavor and the best digestibility for me. It’s smooth, not chalky, and it doesn’t leave that bloated or heavy feeling that some proteins do.

I personally avoid milk-based proteins—not because of some grand philosophy, but because I’d rather skip the unwanted GI effects. For me, plant-forward and collagen-based proteins simply work better.

Nutrition is personal. Your gut will tell you what’s working long before any influencer does.

The Takeaway

Nutrition doesn’t need to be a belief system. It’s not a religion, a brand, or a performance of certainty. It’s the daily act of fueling your body with awareness and common sense.

For shift workers—people already fighting biology’s clock—the best strategy isn’t perfection. It’s consistency.