Productivity and focus are two of the top traits that most individuals desire. There’s nothing worse than sitting down to knock out your never ending to do list and staring at the screen because you either cannot remember what you were going to do or you feel so foggy that your creativity is lacking. We’ve all been there.
So much of our day to day focus, concentration, and mental health can be remedied by simply taking care of your secret weapon.
Your secret weapon? The trillions of bacteria that reside in your gut.
A healthy gut microbiota can make you more productive and optimize your brain function and mood. Your gut actually regulates your energy levels and promotes a balanced mood. So, when you feel better, you do better. That is why your secret weapon is one of the most important things to pay attention to. Your gut microbes actually outnumber your human cells 10 to 1–so paying attention to them is critical!
When there are disruptions in your gut, your mood, focus and concentration it is a sure sign that something could be up in your gut. But the good news is, your gut can easily be shifted and changed by tending to the soil of your inner ecosystem. Our bodies are very capable of continuous change and with a few dietary modifications and lifestyle shifts you will be on your way to optimal brain performance in no time.
So how can you foster a healthy gut microbiota in order to ultimately boost your brain performance?
- Increase the diversity of foods on your plate: In todays culture of what should be excluded, the mindset shift of what to include is often a hard one. But the reality is your gut bacteria thrive with diversity. This means that the more diversity of plants (fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices) on your plate, the wider variety of bacteria you have in your gut. Specifically focusing on including prebiotic fiber (the type of fiber that feeds your gut bacteria) will boost your gut diversity and therefore your brain health. Prebiotic fiber is found in foods such as:
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- Garlic
- Carrots
- Onions
- Legumes
- Apples
- Artichokes
- Bitter greens
- Oats
- Cabbage
- Improve your stress reduction:Stress creates a vicious cycle. When you are stressed, your digestion is not optimized. When your digestion is not optimized, your gut struggles. And when your gut struggles it impacts your brain. Stress management does not have to include 20 minutes of deep meditation each day (unless that is your thing). Stress management could simply look like:
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- Getting outside for a walk
- Calling a friend
- Doing yoga
- Taking a bubble bath\Starting a gratitude journal
- Get sunshine daily: The simple act of getting in the sun daily (especially in the morning) can improve your gut function significantly. Your gut wants to operate just like the sun and the moon. It wants to be awake and active when it’s light outside and resting and digesting when it’s dark. By stepping outside in the morning, you can improve your overall gut function, hormonal balance and sleep quality. The benefits of sunshine daily have a compounding effect on your gut. Your mood improves, your outlook improves, your sleep improves, and therefore your gut improves.
When suffering with brain fog or with difficulty focusing it can be hard to determine what you can do to help. Focusing on these 3 simple strategies can help to empower you to feel energized and focused
To learn more about how to empower your employees to take control of their digestive health and therefore improve their brain power and mood, contact Dr. Finley for information about corporate partnerships.
