How to Eat (and Feel) Healthy: An Interview with “DudeFood” Author Dan Churchill

On His Daily Routine

My days are super inconsistent; one day I could be jumping on a plane to do work in L.A., another I could be filming content or working in restaurants around the city learning from different chefs about another culture of cooking. The mainstays in my schedule are an early morning gym session (resistance, cross-fit, running, swimming) followed by a second breakfast. By 8 a.m., I am sitting on an espresso and have jumped online to answer emailLunchtime can sometimes involve recipe testing or research. The afternoon is filled with filming and liaising with my business partner before hitting the Australian morning social media rush (sometimes on another espresso), then a second session at the gym.

On What It Means to Be Healthy

To me, [clean eating and exercise] are factors of how you become healthy, not maintain good health. To be healthy means you are happy. My number-one rule is that no matter what I eat, it has to be delicious. I am a whole-foods advocate in that I eat plenty of color and minimally processed food, but I do love pasta (particularly from scratch). I have a pretty serious sweet tooth, but an even stronger mental state. Chocolate, for example, does wonders in releasing serotonin: the happy hormone.

On the Biggest Diet Mistake Guys Can Make

People focus so much on eating super clean and exercising that they neglect the role that hormones play in reaching this goal. If you are super strict, you can cause serious stressand as a result your cortisol levels increase and in turn inhibit insulin production, which blocks the ability for fat oxidation. This essentially means you cant burn fat under stress.

On Getting Camera-Ready and His Glorious Hair

Are you ready for this? I jump in the shower and put a shirt on! (Hopefully I remember to iron it beforehand.) I am super casual about being in front of the camera. If I start to do things that I wouldn't normally do, it will take away from my being genuine.

It seriously surprises people when I tell them [I style my hair with] salt water and a towel. Because I am in the ocean so much back home [in Australia], it naturally cleanses it and gives it that waxy notion, I guess. All I do is get out of the shower, dry it with the towel, and move it to one side.

On Who Tests His Recipes

This has made me realize I am only everyones best friend because I feed them. Back home its [all my friends]. Here, I have taken gluten-free muffins to my publisher, Simon & Schuster, so the team can let me know their thoughts. The one who wins the most [free food] is the doorman of my apartment.

On How to Start Cooking If Youre a Rookie

The first thing everyone should master is a great spaghetti bolognese. There are no rules, so you can put a bit of yourself into it. It goes a long way, everyone loves it, and its an awesome way to learn some wicked cooking techniques but I swear mine is the best.

On Cooking for a Date (and What to Drink)

For starters, the Chicken and Herb Balls from DudeFood are epic to share and paired best with a Pinot Grigio. The Fish in the Bag is a super easy [entre]and it is so entertaining when [your date] tears open the paper at the table. Serve it with a Riesling. For dessert, you cannot miss with my recipe for Getting out of the Doghouse [dark chocolate ganache with a shortbread base, paired with raspberries]. Finish with a lovely pinot noir.

Get more of Dans wicked recipes and life tips by snagging your own copy of DudeFood.