5 WAYS TO USE FOOD TO IMPROVE YOUR WELLBEING AND PRODUCTIVITY
Food is supposed to give us energy, nourishment and increase our productivity, NOT make us sleepy, irritable, and depressed.
We have outsourced our ability to decide what is best for us to others. We take advice from doctors, family members, and bloggers instead of listening to what our bodies tell us. Anyone else asks their significant other what's THEY think WE are in the mood for at the restaurant?
We CAN decide for ourselves on the best course of action, especially when choosing ways to help us feel great! You don't need to worry about finding a study to confirm what feels right for you or what makes you feel good and vibrant!
Food can be the perfect tool to get us into a specific frame of mind.
Here is how:
Think about the characteristics of the food you are about to eat. What color is it? What emotions come up before you are to indulge? Eggs, made sunny side up, for example, are bright orange in the middle and shine like the sun and provide radiant energy like the sun does! The whites are soft and soothing, like the clouds. If the food looks "blah" and you concentrate on that, you will most likely feel "blah" afterward. Everything is interrelated, and you project your energy to the food and vice versa.
Are you excited about what you are eating? If not, I suggest you find something else, stop punishing yourself! :) After eating, assess how you are feeling. How is your digestion? Do you feel energized? You can spruce up anything with a few simple ingredients on hand, such as herbs and spices, and even with just thoughts, ever hear of the secret ingredient some chefs swear by - yes, it's cheesy, but "love" really is felt in some dishes.
Here are some tools I use to change my state of being:
If I want to concentrate for hours, I will choose grounding foods or something that takes longer to digest and wouldn't cause a spike in blood sugar. Examples would be mashed or roasted sweet potato with garlic and olive oil, a turkey burger, or even an avocado toast with an egg on top. I recommend Ezekiel bread. And remember to take L-theanine with your coffee or tea.
If I want to feel light and full of energy, I choose a big zesty salad with lots of different vegetables and protein. Use a fun, fresh dressing such as pesto or a carrot-ginger dressing. You could also have hummus and veggies.
Suppose I want to wake up and feel ready for a workout - I usually fast in the morning and find that doing easy stretches or breathing exercises with light movement gives me enough energy to get started. But there are times I would indulge in a piece of dark chocolate or have a teaspoon of Brain Octane oil (pure Caprylic Acid - MC8) and some nut butter. Right now, I'm really into tahini. You could also have a piece of banana bread, an actual banana, or any other fruit.
If I want to get rid of the bloat, because it's challenging to be your best when you feel off, I take digestive bitters and add spices to anything I eat. Other tricks include chewing your food well, not drinking fluids while eating, and waiting at least two hours to eat fruit after a large meal.
If I want to feel creative, I will eat something orange (the color of our second chakra, which, when balanced, ignites our creativity), like an orange, pumpkin-spiced chai latte, or even just some roasted squash or yams with toasted walnuts.
Be aware of how the food you eat makes you feel. If I eat something that makes me bloated or anxious, my focus is off as I'm trying to alleviate the feeling of discomfort. Did you know that blood sugar fluctuations can mimic anxiety? If you ever feel your significant other, a child, or a co-worker is a little more annoying than usual, watch those sugar spikes. Similar things happen if my food makes me want to take a nap instead of making that critical phone call or finishing the presentation I'm working on. If you have a hunch that something makes you feel off, explore it, don't ignore it!
If you are sensitive to too many raw vegetables or eating a meal late at night interferes with your sleep, only you will know. So trust your gut, have fun and experiment! If you need help, you know where to find me.
I used to have a homemade salad with grilled chicken for lunch for years, but I was ready for a nap after eating it. All the ingredients were fresh, and I had it with olive oil and vinegar. Even though it sounds like a perfect lunch option on paper, it didn't work for me.