I walked into my family room at home to discover my
14-year-old son snacking on a popular salty and processed food.
“You know, they say you are what you eat,” I
commented sarcastically.
He replied, “Call me Mr. Cheetos then.”
It is ongoing struggle to convince my sons to eat
well. The toddler has to dine on what we
put in front of him. It’s the tween and
the teen my wife and I always seem to battle.
Well, I have some new ammunition.
Earlier this month I had the opportunity to hear a
presentation from Helicase CEO Andrew Herr on how diet impacts performance on
the job, in school and in athletic competition.
This guy has some serious credentials.
He consults with the US military on food and nutrition to optimize
performance.
Here are my notes from Andrew’s presentation:
 |
| Andrew Herr, Helicase |
--Low blood sugar influences judgment, aggressive
and poor decision-making. That’s because
the body turns off certain brain functions related to focus and
self-control. In fact, low blood sugar
and high stress have similar impact on the brain.
--The focus should be on eating smaller meals more
frequently. Eat protein (rather than
carbs) to maintain blood sugar. Foods
that promote immune system strength include fish, nuts, avocado and olive
oil. Best fruits and vegetables are
those with dark colored, edible skin, including apples, grapes, strawberries,
beans, peppers and broccoli.
--It’s true!
Dark chocolate helps reduce stress levels.
--In terms of sleep, think of it as a performance
tool, rather than something you have to do.
To improve sleep quality, block out blue light at night.
--And finally, meditation is an undervalued tool
that has the same positive impact on the brain and physical health as
exercise.
