January, 2017 | Article
Your Brain on Food: 3 Nutrition Tips for Cognitive Efficiency & How to Implement Them into the Workplace
There’s nothing better than those days when you’re on your game – you’re articulate, you’re organized, you’re efficient, you’re ON. On the flip side, those foggy lethargic days are the worst! For many of us, those off days are never ideal but often just not an option. How you function cognitively is complex. Anything from a bad night’s sleep to missing a workout can affect you, but what you feed your brain is the big variable long term. The two big things that are important for long term support of the brain: feed it right and create the right environment for success.
Workplace food culture is a HUGE factor in this environmental piece. The good news is that wellness in the workplace initiatives are alive and well – and the relationship between food, fitness and performance is clear. People who eat well and exercise regularly are more productive and efficient, are sick less frequently, and the workplace takes on a fun, happy community feel.
On the flip side, a lot of nutrition and fitness related initiatives tend to focus heavily on what’s measurable: things like calories, steps, body weight/BMI, body fat percentage and blood work. Measurable goals are great because it’s easy to track progress, but they are often in the context of an 8-week challenge, or tied to a date. In and of itself, this isn’t a bad thing. But because these types of initiatives are short term in nature, the positive outcomes don’t always leave an impact once the challenge is over or the goal reached.
Why is that? Humans are creatures of habit – we like to eat at the same places, order the same things, buy the same groceries and cook the same meals week after week after week. You have to implement foods that pack a big bang for your buck – but in a way that will stick! These three big-impact nutrition tips will take your brain power to the next level in a way that will last.
1. Get the Sugar out of Your Morning
And when I say sugar, I really mean concentrated carbs, including whole grain breads and oatmeal. This is all about keeping blood sugar levels stable. All carbs metabolize into sugar during the digestive process. When you start your day with sugar, you immediately set yourself up for a roller coaster of energy surges, followed by crashes, followed by massive sugar cravings. It’s even worse if you’re the 'skip breakfast type' and go straight for the carbs at lunch. In the short term, those energy crashes put you in the hunger zone. But years on this roller coaster will have you struggling to wake up in the morning, and not being alive until you’ve had 3 cups of coffee (or more!). Instead, look to a breakfast of a protein and a fat to keep your blood sugar stable and your cognitive clarity high. Think eggs or a smoothie with berries, unsweetened almond milk, cinnamon and a good quality protein powder.
In the Workplace: Mornings are a great place to start for most people because it’s usually the same 5 days of the week. Challenge them to kick the sugar out of their coffees (for most people, it only takes 3 days before to acclimate) or bring a couple of blenders in for communal use.
2. Feed Your Second Brain
“The Gut-Brain Connection” is a hot topic among wellness gurus these days – and for good reason! This is a complex connection, but simply put what you feed your stomach impacts your behaviors and your moods. The digestive tract is home to trillions of bacteria – in fact we have roughly 10 times more bacterial DNA in our body than we do our own! Kind of gross, but really telling. If the balance of good to bad bacteria is off, you can experience intense sugar cravings, digestive distress like gas and constipation, and increased fat storage – especially around the middle. On top of that, brain fog, mood swings, increased stress levels, anxiety and even depression have been linked to this bacteria ratio. So, how do you feed the good guys? They love fiber, especially vegetable fiber. The bad guys love sugar and starches. If you’ve got a whole heap of symptoms, consider a probiotic supplement.
Take it on: Consider what you offer at meetings or events. Is it mostly sugary or carb-heavy fare like sandwiches, pastries, cakes and chips? What veggie loaded options are available and how are people incentivized to choose them?
3. Fuel Up On Fats
Fats have been getting a bad rap for the past 3 decades, but thankfully for all of us that time seems to be coming to a close because seriously – who doesn’t love fats? They’re rich, decadent and they just make things taste better! The brain itself is about 60% fat, but it’s very particular about which fat it wants. And the brain LOVES fat. Think things like avocado, salmon, olive oil, walnuts, eggs, and coconut oil. Fats also provide a slow-releasing, sustained source of energy for the brain. Which fats doesn’t the brain like? Trans-fats. These fats lead to inflammation and have been linked to nearly every chronic degenerative disease including dementia and Alzheimer’s.
Take it on: Consider where you bring foods in that contain trans fats: fried foods and pastries are some of the biggest culprits.
This time of year is ideal for taking on a big change in the office environment, both to support the individuals you work with to reach their personal health goals and to take cognition and efficiency to the next level through nutrition. Because who doesn’t want every day to be on their game every day?