How the Food You Eat Affects Your Productivity

“5 Foods that Will Give You that Six Pack Abs”, “The Warrior Diet”, “the Best Foods to Reduce Your Fat”, “Top Must-Have 10 Kitchen Foods that will Keep You Healthy” – there is literally so much advice out there that has to do with the food we eat and how it affects our physiology. But on the topic of food, while being healthy is indeed an important thing, why is it that there isn’t enough topics out there about the effects of food on our wealth?

Yes, you read that right – our wealth. Imagine if you were even just 5% more productive at work than you are now. Imagine all the extra time you could have to spend on the things that actually matter most to you. If you are a busy bee and are trying to get as much done every single day, I am sure you would appreciate being able to do things more efficiently. So in a way, that does correlate with wealth.

Productive time = money. More productive time = more money.

According to the WHO, adequate nutrition can raise our productivity levels by 20% and more. I don’t know about you, but 20% is A LOT.

So let’s get down to it, how can we eat better to increase productivity?

It comes down to three things: the when, the how, and the who.

When are you eating? How often are you eating? Are you eating to curb hunger? Or are you eating to fuel your body?

Don’t skip breakfast – you will lose quite literally three to four hours of productivity. Not eating in the morning doesn’t give your brain any fuel until you top it up at lunch. Oh and one more thing: it is better to eat 5 or 6 small meals a day, keeping your body and brain constantly fueled, instead of waiting for hunger to set in.

How are your eating habits? What kind of foods are you eating? Are you eating too much? Are you eating junk food too often?

Don’t eat too much. When I said eat 5 or 6 small meals a day, I meant small meals. I have to admit that following this rule, I still tend to overeat a little sometimes. I didn’t even know until a week ago that half a sandwich is already considered one small meal. Also, don’t eat too much junk food either – they have been proven to really sap your focus and ability to concentrate.

Who are you eating with? Are you eating with overweight people? Are you eating with anorexic people? Are you under the influence of anyone who has an eating disorder?

I can say for a fact that it is hard to stick to a diet when all the people around you are eating junk food all the time (screw people with high metabolism). If you are trying to eat right, stay with the people who do so as well, or go eat lunch on your own. It will definitely help loads.