Food for Thought
- Kate Novian
- Apr 12, 2016
- 2 min read
Have you ever noticed that the "balanced breakfast" at the end of a cereal commercial would still be balanced without the sugary product that is being advertised? Plus, it's a ton of food! My version of breakfast is either an egg muffin with veggies cooked into it or a bagel with garden veggie cream cheese. That's about all I can stomach in the morning on a regular basis. My husband's response to breakfast would be doughnuts if given the freedom (and lack of consequences) to do so. But just like what we put in our bodies first thing in the morning has an impact on our energy level and health during the day, the things we put in our minds first thing in the morning can have a strong impact, too.
Here's a challenge: Take a day when the demands are low, and having a lack of excitement doesn't really matter (laundry day, for example). Eat a heavy breakfast with sugary, fattening foods, and write down how you feel every couple of hours. Then, the next time that same kind of day, eat something healthy and light. Record how you feel again. Then, compare the two. This is kind of a silly challenge, because we can predict what will happen. The heavy, sugary breakfast will make you feel full and sated at first, but within 2 hours or so, you're going to feel lethargic, and hungry again. You're blood sugar will go through the roof and a bit later in the morning it will crash. The light, healthy food may not give you that "Wow I'm stuffed" feeling, but the energy will sustain you longer.
Take that challenge and apply it to your daily consumption of information. If you start your day looking at Facebook or Instagram, chances are you're mind will react like it did for the heavy, sugary food. The immediate feeling is one of connection and interest, but it quickly leaves you feeling like what you think, say, or do, is compared to others. I encourage you to start your day with the breakfast of champions: A positive word and a positive outlook. Find a source of happy, funny, lighthearted, or peaceful things to contemplate in the morning, and your good mood will last all morning long.
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