America is facing a health crisis, and the dozens of fad diets and new pills aren’t helping.
People wake up and choose carbs: a bagel, a donut, a sugar-loaded latte. They feel like they need these things in order to wake up properly (or even just to motivate themselves to walk out the door in the morning).
By lunch hour they are starving, so they eat more carbs, more fat, more sweetened coffee or even a soda. And in the afternoon they crash, as productivity plummets between 3 pm and the end of the work day.
Continue this pattern for weeks, months and years, and what is the outcome? The answer is all around us: diabetes and heart disease from all the excess calories, mental health struggles that are worsened by caffeine, and a host of other ailments that no one in the medical profession is willing to attribute to any one cause–but they will certainly offer sufferers a prescription for some pill to “make it better”.
But how do we break the cycle of poor nutrition? Our brains and microbiomes are trained to expect all those carbohydrates, all that sugar, all that caffeine every morning and noon. We feel like if we deny ourselves we will suffer needlessly in the interest of some nebulous definition of “better health,” and–perhaps more importantly–our performance at work will suffer.
Fuel Your Brain For Better Focus
If your mind is jumping to the ketogenic diet or other carb-restricted nutritional plans, you aren’t alone. These fad diets are very popular and have helped a lot of people. But becoming fat-fueled is a long and difficult process that is best accomplished when you have a few days of down time to get past the worst of the cravings and brain fog.
Instead of jumping right to a low-carb diet, consider some less radical changes to your breakfast and lunch routine.
Eating good fats and proteins, supplemented with low-sugar complex carbohydrates, will go a long way toward reversing your health concerns, and will also keep your mind properly engaged. Click here to learn more great breakfast and lunch ideas.
Avoiding Chronic Disease: Simple, yet Difficult for Many
Many diseases that are becoming more common by the day are completely preventable. Even a small reduction in consumption of sugar and simple carbs leads to a marked difference in health outcomes in coming years.
Any change that you make to your habits now will bear fruit in the coming years. Stop relying on those sugar rushes to fuel your day, and switch to high quality fats and protein, and you will be surprised how well your mind and body respond.
And don’t discount complex carbohydrates; whole grains, legumes and vegetables like sweet potatoes provide a longer burn, preventing that blood sugar crash and also providing much-needed fiber to feed your beneficial gut bacteria.
Inflammation is that hidden enemy that is both shortening your life and stealing your vitality. Fight it by fueling your body with real foods, rather than processed calorie bombs that do little to help you besides feed your addiction to sugar and the dopamine rush that comes with it.
Improve Your Performance with The Right Fuel
Many of us are held hostage by our metabolism.
We feel that if we withhold sugar from our bodies, they will punish us with lethargy, brain fog and difficulty functioning.
Just remember that every time we give in to the demands of our bodies for sugar, its hold on us becomes more complete.
It is entirely possible for your body to run well without added sugars, so don’t wait; change your diet and change your future health today.
Dr. Partha Nandi is a gastroenterologist, Emmy-winning television host, and bestselling author, known for creating and hosting the medical lifestyle show “Ask Dr. Nandi,” which reaches over 95 million homes in 90 countries. He serves as the Chief Health Editor at ABC Detroit and holds the position of President and Chief Medical Officer at Pinnacle GI Partners, a leading gastroenterology practice near Detroit, Michigan. Dr. Nandi’s latest New York Times bestselling book, “Heal Your Gut, Save Your Brain,” was published by Mayo Clinic Press.