Garbage in garbage out: The effects of what you eat on performance and productivity

We all have days of highs and lows but often we do not know what lies in between. Try to remember a day when you were most productive, a day that ended with you satisfied with the work you accomplished. Now, try to remember what you had for breakfast or lunch.

How about days when you started work so full of energy, engaged, and motivated only to crash in the middle of the day with an overwhelming feeling of sluggishness. What were your meals?

During my undergraduate days, every wednesday after midday, we could always tell those who went to the student dinning room.

Of course, other emotional and psychological factors could be responsible, but in this case, consider days when these were not a problem. For an optimized day, an ideal situation will be to have every possible factor on your side to help you achieve your goals. Nutrition should be among the most important on the list. A proper diagnostic of your nutrition and performance patterns could show some correlation.

“You are what you eat!” or “A healthy body is a healthy mind” are quotes almost everyone has come across. This is not superstition as there is a science to prove it. If we are what we eat, then it is also possible that our output reflects what we eat. In short, what we eat can affect how productive we can be. Unfortunately, we often give less attention to this despite having the intuition at least from experience that some foods make us sluggish. A poor decision at breakfast and even more likely at lunch can ruin an entire day.

“A diet that is bad for your overall health can’t be good for your performance.” Kobe Bryant

Some scientific background

So how does this work? Each time we eat, the body tries to convert the foods into glucose that is used for energy by the brain and other body cells. This enables us to stay alert and energized. The issue here is that all foods are not converted in the same way. Some are converted faster than others while others need a lot of energy to digest.

For those that are converted faster like bread, soda, desserts, they cause spikes in glucose levels in the body, causing short periods of high energy that may be followed by a crash when the glucose levels get low. When Glucose levels are low, focusing becomes very difficult and willpower diminishes significantly. Also, the ability to make decisions weakens. The reason why you shouldn’t make important decisions when hungry.

Eating bulky meals full of carbohydrates, or fats could put a lot of strain on the digestive system requiring a lot of energy for digestion that can cause competition for oxygen with the brain leaving the body exhausted and slow to act. And yes, you got it. Fast foods fall in this category.

The amount of carbohydrates in food and its impact on blood sugar levels is measured by a metric known as the glycemic load. Foods with low glycemic load will ensure a slower and steady release of glucose to the body and vice versa. Research also shows that foods with low glycemic loads may also improve cognitive function in adults. Generally, whole foods that are not processed contain fibers and vitamins digest slowly and ensure a more steady release of glucose to the body.

Some foods have additional desirable benefits

Generally, diet when combined with exercise can have additive effects on nerve plasticity and cognitive function by affecting several brain hormones. Specifically, In another study, When compared to young adults who ate fewer fruits and vegetables, those who ate more reported better average eudaemonic well-being, more intense sensations of interest, and greater creativity. Fruits and vegetables contain vital nutrients that foster the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in the experience of curiosity, motivation, and engagement. They also provide antioxidants that minimize bodily inflammation, improve memory, and enhance mood.

As previously mentioned, people often notice the effects of these foods but do not pay enough attention. One of the reasons being that people often decide what to eat when hungry which is a moment of low willpower that can often lead to poor food choices. It is easy to go for anything available which often is not the best. Unhealthy lunch options are also cheaper and faster than healthy options, making them even more appealing in the middle of a hectic workday.

"Proper nutrition is the key to unlock your body’s potential." Brain Holifield

Actions to take:

1.?????The first is to make your eating decisions before you get hungry. Chose your breakfast or lunch meals ahead of eating time.

2.?????Spikes and drops in blood sugar are both bad for productivity and bad for the brain. Smaller, more frequent meals maintain your glucose at a more consistent level than relying on a midday feast. You should consider eating smaller snacks all through rather than a lunch feast.

3.?????Having a packet of healthy snacks like almonds, mixed nuts, apples, oranges, carrots around work station can help manage periodic cravings or stabilize glucose levels all through. These have a low glycemic load. If you wish to know the glycemic loads for some common foods please check here.

4.?????Stay hydrated. Water helps maintain a healthy flow of nutrients and wastes in the body. This will ensure that the body performs at its best. This is however the most challenging for me but to resolve this, I use apps that remind me to take a glass of water every top of the hour.

5.?????During work periods, avoid high glycemic load foods like baked potato, French fries, refined foods, sugar-sweetened beverages, candy bars, white flour products like pasta. Please for more information check the link provided in 3.

More on drinks

Beverages

In addition to their ability to rapidly increase glucose levels, sugar beverages and dietary sodas are reported to have undesirable effects on the level of important brain hormones and brain waves which can lead to stroke and dementia. Sodium benzoate found in beverages has also been linked to impaired memory. These effects are even more emphasized in pregnant women, exposing babies to obesity and lower cognitive function.

Note: There may be other situations where spikes in energy can be beneficial for example for short intense physical activity like a race. For a steady and productive day, it seems not to be the most efficient approach.

Coffee

A recent study published in Nature shows that higher consumption of coffee and caffeinated products have an impact on brain functional connectivity at rest with implications in emotionality, alertness, and readiness to act. Though it emphasizes that the effects of chronic coffee consumption are unknown, it can be safe to assume that like everything else, it should be consumed in moderation.

Well for alcohol, without any studies we know the effects of alcohol on the brain. You should avoid it if you really want to stay alert and productive.

Conclusion

If you want to stay engaged, motivated, productive, and creative when working, you have at least a base to eliminate foods that will prevent you from achieving that and some guide on the healthy choices to make.

NB. This article does not replace a doctor’s advice or a proper nutritional plan to optimize performance, it is meant solely for educational purposes. Considering that there are often environmental and biological differences among people, if you want to come up with something that suits your personal needs, please consult a doctor for something specific to you.