guys are just better at lots of the things I like to do.
Pfft, only if you accept that as fact.
A decent diet, sufficient rest, and plenty of fluids...
Agreed. Well, in theory. In practice, I usually manage to get no sleep before rides, and I can feel it.
I've found that if I can't pronounce the ingredients, then I probably don't want to eat it. It should be food, not a high school chemistry set.
That's not a bad way to go about things in general, on a bike or not. In fact, I vaguely recall being taught this in some kind of nutrition class in elementary school. "If you can't pronounce the ingredient, it's probably not good for you."