Can Healthy Foods Make You Less Productive?

All of us have at least two things in common (besides paying taxes): we all need to eat and we all want to be more productive. These two concepts might seem to be unrelated as most productivity boosting strategies hinge on modern technology that helps people to stay organized, communicate faster and have information at their fingertips.

It turns out, however, that what you eat affects how productive you are – perhaps even to a greater extent that the latest technology gadgets. Unfortunately the Standard American Diet (also known as SAD, pun intended) does not support you in being productive during the day. What is the SAD diet? The SAD diet consists primarily processed foods that are low on fiber and nutrients such as breads, muffins, bagels, artificially flavored cereals, and “meals out of a box.”


While some of these foods claim to be fortified with vitamins and minerals, the SAD diet is high in carbohydrates, which leads to grogginess and cravings for more SAD foods.  To make matters worse, most people eat a very large (SAD) dinner, go to bed on a full stomach and might even gain few extra, and very stubborn, pounds. This process can result in even more fatigue, frustration and cravings for SAD foods. Not a good way to live, right?

I have always been conscientious of my diet and I tried to eat “healthy”. Yet, I did not have the energy levels that I desired. After some research, I realized that even foods that were supposed to be “healthy,” were actually making me more tired. For example, I used to eat fruits and oatmeal for breakfast, whole wheat sandwiches for lunch and some type of protein (meat, fish, tofu) with rice, potatoes or pasta for dinner.

Overall, this seemed to be a healthy diet, but I was always hungry between meals. It is tough to focus when you are hungry. It is even tougher to concentrate when there are vending machines nearby, filled with lots of delicious SAD foods.

If you want to stay focused throughout the day, you need to consistently provide nutrients for your brain. Your brain needs to stay active and its preferred fuel source is glucose, which is the breakdown product of carbohydrates ^(1-3). So why is it that the SAD diet, which rich in carbohydrates, makes you tired and hungry? It turns out that eating a lot of carbohydrates by themselves (e.g a bagel) leads to significant fluctuations in your blood sugar levels.

When your sugar levels are high, you are jittery – if you have kids, you know exactly what a sugar high looks like after a birthday party where the menu is pizza, ice-cream and cake. High blood sugar levels send a signal to your body to produce insulin which gets the extra glucose out of your bloodstream to store it in your liver. After insulin removes the extra glucose, your blood sugar level can become too low, which leads to drowsiness, headaches and cravings, also known as the “mid-afternoon low.”

If you want to keep your energy and focus in a peak state during the day, you need to eat a diet that keeps your blood glucose level fairly constant. This can be achieved by “complexing”, or eating mixed meals. A mixed meal, which includes a balanced combination of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, will maintain your blood glucose levels for longer than eating carbohydrates by themselves.

Unless you are on a special diet, however, it is not necessary to precisely calculate the amounts of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates for each meal.  Simply try to include some amount from each nutrient in every meal, including your snacks.

As a former graduate student, I know it is tough to set aside time and money for sophisticated diets . Therefore, I narrowed the most important concepts for you that are easy to implement and very cost-effective. Preparing healthy meals does not need to be expensive or time-consuming.

Here are my top tips to help you maintain a heathy  weight and increase your performance – I know tip #7 will be your favorite

Tip #1 Increase fiber by eating foods close to nature

A nutritionist told me that she calls fiber her “secret weapon” to help her clients lose weight. Foods that are high in fiber include fruits and vegetables, and unprocessed grains such as quinoa and brown rice. Foods that are high in fiber help you to stay satiated for longer, helping you curb cravings maintain a healthy weight. As an added bonus, foods that are high in fiber increase your alertness and help you focus on your work (See references 1-3 below)

Make sure that besides your main meal, the snacks you eat are also high in fiber. As my elementary school teacher used to tell me, “The best snacks come in their own wrappers” (e.g. fruits, vegetables, nuts).  Combine them with a little bit of protein and you will be all set to do great work for the next few hours.

Tip #2 Combine healthy sources of fats, protein and carbohydrates at all your meals

Before I discovered the concept of complexing, I thought that grabbing a whole wheat bagel and an orange juice for breakfast was a healthy choice. While whole wheat products contain fiber and orange juice has a lot of vitamin C,  this combination is way too high in carbohydrates, with very little protein and no healthy sources of fats. (Sorry, cream cheese is just empty calories even if you choose the light kind). No wonder I felt hungry just 2 hours later!

Healthy protein sources are lean meats, fish, chicken, beans and lentils. The best carbohydrate choices are fruits, vegetables and complex carbohydrates that are high in fiber such as whole grain breads and pasta, sweet potato, and brown rice.

Now you need to choose your fats. This is a tricky one.  Wait a minute, isn’t fat bad? Actually, your body needs healthy sources of fats to function well. Healthy sources of fats include nuts, olive oil, avocado and eggs and will help you to stay satiated for longer. If your breakfast is a yogurt, sprinkle some nuts on top and eat a fruit with it. If your lunch or dinner is a salad, use olive oil as a dressing or include some nuts or avocado.

Tip #3: Eat every 3-4 hours

You do not want your body to starve. When you starve, you cannot concentrate and you are likely to perform poorly or distract yourself with social media, emailing and other time sinks. In addition, you will not lose weight the healthy way either, because when you starve your body breaks down muscle tissue in addition to fat.

To prevent being hungry (followed by possible binge-eating), bring some healthy snacks with you to work (nuts, fruits, yogurt) so you can get over the mid-morning or mid-afternoon low quickly.  If you work out in the afternoon or evening, be sure to have a healthy “mixed meal” about 2 hours before so you have energy to do your exercise.

Tip #4: Drink LOTS water, but not during meals

We have all heard that drinking water is important for staying hydrated and flushing out toxins. If you drink a lot of water it also helps you to stay satiated. However, studies have shown that drinking water prior to your meals will increase your feelings of fullness try to drink your water half an hour before or after your meals.

However, drinking water during meals is not recommended as water dilutes digestive juices and interferes with the digestion process. So, if you want to maintain a healthy weight and absorb your nutrients, drink water 20-30 minutes prior to each meal.

As a side note coffee, juices and sodas are not substitutes for water. In fact, they will make you thirstier, and can lead to weight gain (watch out for the caramel mocha lattes with the extra whipped cream, and the fruit shakes that are really high in sugar)

Tip #5: Eat a hearty breakfast and a lean dinner

I know, this is the complete opposite of the SAD diet, which consists of a small breakfast (if there is a breakfast at all), and a very rich dinner. However, eating a hearty breakfast has been shown to help people lose weight and reduced the risk of heart disease and diabetes.   The word breakfast literally comes from “break the fast”, so be sure to eat a breakfast that includes a good source of protein, as well as carbohydrates high in fiber and healthy fats.

Eggs, greek yogurt, turkey bacon and even dinner leftovers such as chicken or fish will give you protein. If you cannot eat in the morning, at least have a protein shake and some fruit. Be careful with protein shakes as they can have lots of sugar.

Choose a protein shake that is low in sugar and does not contain many processed ingredients. Also, do not rely on protein shakes as your primary fuel source. They are delicious and  if you drink too many you could put on a few extra pounds. Drink protein shakes sparingly, at most 1 or 2 a day, and mix in some fruits or vegetables (and even ground flax seeds) for extra nutrition and fiber.

Tip #6: Watch how caffeine intake affects your sleep quality and day-time performance

Controlling caffeine intake is a sensitive subject. Some people will give up dessert before they give up caffeine. For many people it is not possible to get out the front door without having some caffeine in their system, or if they do they go straight to the coffee shop. The good news for coffee drinkers is that caffeine does have some health benefits.

Studies show that low amounts of caffeine can increase alertness, while high levels of caffeine can actually reduce cognitive ability. The best way to decide how much caffeine is right for you is to watch how caffeine affects your own body so you can determine how it affects your alertness and sleep quality.

Most people who decide to control caffeine intake usually cut down on caffeine in the evening or late afternoon. Others cut down cold turkey as even the tiniest amounts can interfere with their sleep.  If you do decide to cut down on caffeine significantly, do it gradually (possibly with the help of a doctor), as withdrawal symptoms can lead to headaches, irritability and lack of concentration.

Tip #7 (my favorite): Indulge yourself with your favorite foods once in a while – or all the time

If your favorite food is kale, by all means indulge in a kale shake daily. Most people, however, crave foods that are low in nutrients, high in fat and sugar, and are incredibly delicious. My cravings happen to be for dark chocolate, which fortunately has a high concentration of antioxidants and cardiovascular benefits. 

Many diet program  allow you to have a “cheat day” once a week, or after you reached a certain goal. In fact, if you allow yourself to have a cheat day once in a while (in moderation, of course) you are more likely to follow through on your diet plan as there will be something to look forward to at the end of your week. Ice-cream is usually high on most people’s favorite’s list, particularly as the weather gets hot, and is a great choice on a “cheat day”

Interestingly, once I started eating healthier my chocolate cravings disappeared. I used to chocolate bars daily during my mid-afternoon low – and not surprisingly I crashed a few hours later and had chocolate cravings in the evenings.

Now that I eat mixed meals I can go for days without dessert and I don’t even think about it. So when I do have one of the scrumptious dark chocolate truffles it is really a guilt-free snack that I can enjoy to its fullest.

As you can see, eating healthier does not need to be expensive or even time-consuming. There is some planning involved in the beginning as you transition to a healthier diet and put together a revised shopping list, but on the long run healthier meals and snacks will help you to have more energy, stay focused and will save you time (and money). 
References:

1.   Benton,D., Owens,D.S., and Parker,P.Y. (1994) Blood glucose influences memory and attention in young adults. Neuropsychologia, 32, 595-607.

2.   Benton,D., Ruffin,M.P., Lassel,T., Nabb,S., Messaoudi,M., Vinoy,S., Desor,D., and Lang,V. (2003) The delivery rate of dietary carbohydrates affects cognitive performance in both rats and humans. Psychopharmacology (Berl), 166, 86-90.

3.   Owens,D.S. and Benton,D. (1994) The impact of raising blood glucose on reaction times. Neuropsychobiology, 30, 106-113.