A note from Asha: by now you must know that I believe in the blend of soul + business, and health is an important piece in this puzzle of success.  What we put in our bodies affects our health, our mind, and our ability to leave a legacy & a business we are proud of. I am sharing health related guest bloggers because without your health, we cannot all get to celebrate your genius … I invite you to read these easy to follow, simple tips from my friend Elise..

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{This is a Feel Good and Be Wealthy Post}

Our diet and lifestyle can be one of the first things that we throw out the window when life gets hectic and our to-do lists take over the grocery list.

We all know that we “should” eat well to keep ourselves healthy and happy but do you know how much foregoing breakfast for lattes is actually affecting your productivity and mental stamina?

How often we forget that FOOD IS FUEL, for both our bodies and our mind.  I know the excuses well and I’ll be the first to admit that I have used my fair share of them.

I’m here to remind you that taking the time (and not very much of it) to fuel yourself properly can make you a lean, mean, productivity machine.

 1) Do not skip breakfast!

 When we eat in the morning we are literally “breaking the fast” from our (hopefully 7-8 hours of sleep). If you’re waiting until mid-morning to eat, you are already running on empty because you probably haven’t eaten in at least 12-14 hours.

Your blood sugar levels will be very low, affecting your decision-making ability and you will probably start to feel “foggy” and notice a drop in your energy. Some people even start to feel irritable and angry. Hanger anyone?

 People who tend to skip breakfast usually end up reaching for something last minute, which leads them to make poorer choices. Eating a balanced breakfast with sufficient protein will give you sustainable energy throughout the day.

 As a bonus, there is even new research from the Virginia Commonwealth University that found people who ate high protein breakfasts were better able to maintain a healthier weight.  Need some breakfast inspiration?

 Two eggs with your choice of veggies and avocado is a staple for me. High quality protein powders (no fillers, artificial sugar or soy) can also be tossed in a smoothie for an easy protein providing breakfast on the go.

 I can personally attest that this has helped me avoid hanger and also has helped me maintain my “happy” weight effortlessly. If you are like me and have trouble stabilising your blood sugar (read hungry and hangry often) this will change your life.

 2) Don’t skimp on the fat!

 Good quality fats are essential for your brain. An estimated 8% of brain matter is composed of omega-3s. Omega-3 fatty acids have profound anti-aging effects on both our brain structure and function.[1] They have been shown to improve our learning ability and memory and they also protect against depression and other mood disorders. They have even been shown to fight age-related cognitive decline due to dementia and Alzheimer’s prevention. [2] ,[3] Our standard diet is deficient in Omega 3s so we need to make a conscious effort to consume them.

 So how can you add this wonderful brain food into your diet you ask? Try adding some wild salmon, to your lunchtime salad (fresh is best but tinned will do in a pinch).  Snack on a small handful of walnuts or try making an overnight chia pudding for breakfast.

Simply toss 1/4 cup chia seeds 1 cup light or full-fat coconut milk, depending on preference and 1/2 tablespoon honey or other sweetener in a glass or jar and pop into the fridge to thicken up overnight. In the morning top with walnuts, pepitas and your fruit of choice and enjoy a brain-fuelling breakfast to take on the go!

3) Swap out your coffee for green tea.

 Now I don’t want to be the bearer of bad news, but let me explain myself here.

Everyone has different tolerances to caffeine. If we are very run-down, fatigued, working long hours (so lots of us), caffeine can be more of a hindrance than a help.

 Sure you feel like an invincible energiser bunny after your am flat white, but are you feeling a little less than by the time 3pm rolls around? Drop off in energy? Sugar cravings or maybe the strong desire have another cup (or two or three).  Doesn’t sound very efficient, does it?

 These are warning signs from our adrenals and we really want to protect them as best as we can because the road to recovery from adrenal fatigue is going to really damage your productivity.  It is often hard to observe our tolerance to coffee when we drink it day in and day out.

 I’m not going to tell you to give up the good stuff for good, but I am going to encourage you to give it a miss for a day or two and just observe how you feel. Now if you’re a full-blown coffee addict this might just mean cutting back for a week and taking it slowly. I know we are all busy with world domination and life without caffeine can feel very daunting. Enter green tea:

 Not only will this help to ease you off the caffeine-high of coffee without the dreaded crash, but also green tea has been shown to help our brains reach their full potential.

Freshly brewed green tea enhances both memory and focus. It also contains catechines, which help you stay mentally relaxed, but focused. Green tea also contains antioxidants that can help improve the efficiency and effectiveness of signalling within the brain as well.

 So try swapping out that morning or afternoon coffee for a cup of green tea and reap the benefits. I personally find toning down my coffee consumption helps me to have significantly more energy in the morning and through out the day.

Hope this helps, and that after this, I know you will be way on your way to increasing your productivity, your vitality & your business will thank you for it!

 Elise Danielle

 

 

 

 

Elise is a Certified Holistic Nutritionist, Health Coach and Yoga Instructor with a twist. She empowers women to make genuine, healthy and sustainable choices with their diet and lifestyle BUT not by following a strict diet and exercise regime. Elise teaches people how to find their own version of glowing health; foods that nourish their bodies, tailored yoga and meditation practices, and rituals and habits that uplift them from the inside out. After her own battle between restrictive diets and binges, Elise is determined to show others that there is an easier way to live than having to battle and rely on self-control alone. She believes strongly that life is too short to obsess over what we are putting into our mouth, day in and day out.  

photo credit  Geoff Francis Photography

[1] . Conklin SM, Gianaros PJ, Brown SM, et al. Long-chain omega-3 fatty acid intake is associated positively with corticolimbic gray matter volume in healthy adults. Neurosci Lett. 2007 Jun 29;421(3):209-12.

[2] http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/07/080709161922.htm

[3] http://www.lef.org/magazine/2007/10/report_depression/Page-01