I have a question for you. What do you typically eat at work during the day? Research done by the UCLA Health System reported that poor diet habits can lead to increased fatigue and irritability, as well as decreased energy, productivity, and job performance at work. We've all heard the old adage, "You are what you eat." Well, nowadays, what we eat has turned two-thirds of Americans into overweight and fatigued adults. A full one-third of Americans are even obese. Besides the obvious health ramifications of being overweight, such unhealthy eating can make one less productive at work. According to Harvard Business Review, "Food has a direct impact on our cognitive performance, which is why a poor decision at lunch can derail an entire afternoon." Fortunately, science now pretty much knows what foods are best for helping you be both healthier and more productive at work.
Moral: The truth is, if you want to be a high achiever, it helps to have good nutrition and sensible eating habits. We've all heard the adage, garbage in, garbage out. If you don't want your work life to resemble garbage, take excellent care of yourself. When you feel good, healthy, and energized, you tend to do your best work. Just having plenty of energy can make a world of difference in what you accomplish in your life. Therefore, your challenge is to slowly eliminate foods that don't serve your body well, and gradually replace them with meals and snacks—and even supplements—that are known to be good for you.
I must confess that I don't have a particularly great diet. I like ice cream and pizza as much as the next person. Therefore, I take a bunch of healthy supplements during the day. For example, I take about 4000 international units of vitamin d, an omega 3 supplement, a vitamin K supplement, and I even take things called Nootropics—which are supplements that supercharge and wake up your brain. The best-known nootropic is, of course, caffeine, but if caffeine is the only energy enhancer you take, you'll soon develop a tolerance for it, and it will be much less effective. Therefore, I suggest you learn about other energy enhancing supplements such as a product called Ginseng energy now or genius consciousness—both available at amazon. Better yet, you can get my book "the technology of joy" at Amazon, and In the book, I discuss over a dozen cutting edge nootropic energy supplements that are truly incredible. I give all the details and prices for such things in the technology of joy book—so if this is a subject you want to pursue, I definitely encourage you to read up on it.
But for right now, sit up straight in your chair, take a deep breath, and then let it out with a long, slow sigh.
Fantastic.
I understand that changing your diet is not easy. So for the next week, I want you to make one small, positive change in your diet. For example, instead of eating a candy bar or a cheeseburger, replace such things with a piece of fruit, a salad, some plain greek yogurt, some nuts, or even a hard-boiled egg. In addition, I encourage you to add a healthy supplement to your morning routine. This could be a new energy supplement, or perhaps a supplement of vitamin d, k, or omega 3.
As you slowly move your diet away from unhealthy meals and snacks and towards things you know are good for you, you'll feel and look better. Your mood will even brighten, and you'll get more done. Soon, you won't even be attracted to high-fat foods or sugary drinks. Instead, you'll be nurturing your body and mind to achieve and perform at their best.
In the next session, we'll talk about something that may be missing in your home life that can make you much less productive during your job.
