How I Hacked My Diet to Build a Business

According to the Washington Post, around 30% of young adults bite their fingernails. I must admit I am a bit surprised by the relatively low number, but until a few months ago I was part of this unfortunate segment of society. My parents told me to quit for years and I somehow managed to continue gnawing while wearing braces. For some strange reason, as my business started to take off and I needed to meet clients and influential businessmen, I just quit. I wanted to build a successful business and every single detail had to be just right.

My shift in diet was much the same way. Even though my mother had a doctorate in food sciences and raised me on a relatively healthy diet of Indian food, I was still full of misconceptions and found myself less alert and focused as I would have liked to be. When earnings were mediocre and I had available time to educate myself about food health, I hacked my diet. Here is what it looks like and why I made it this way.

Living, Breathing, and Eating my Business

The transition to a healthier diet will frequently be a gradual progression for anybody. Although you might recognize the need to make one momentous alteration, your nutrition knowledge will forever be shifting to be more inclusive of certain foods and to exclude others. There is no perfect diet and you will most likely be changing continuously, but there are a few basic principles that I abide by in order to be happier, improve my mood, maintain a fit physique, and enhance my productivity.

Breakfast

Although I never need to wake up early, my sleep cycle routinely ends at 7:30 am. As any business professional or student might know, waking up early and eating breakfast can be disastrous for energy levels and productivity at other parts of the day. As 10:00 am rolls around most people are grasping for another cup of coffee and even an early lunch. Eating the right types of food can make a big difference, though. Avoid high sugar or carbohydrate foods such as cereal, donuts, or bagels

After immediately exercising my brain with work tasks, I move over to the kitchen and proceed to make the following:

• 1 scrambled egg
• 2 chopped mushrooms
• 8 ounces of mixed berries
• 1 orange
• 1 cup of water

As an internet marketing business owner, I am wary of organic branded products with dubious claims of healthier quality. Nonetheless, I do feel very strongly about eating organic, free ranged, farm fresh, anti-biotic free eggs. It will cost a bit extra ($3.00 for a dozen), but avoiding anti-biotics and added hormones will be well worth the expenditure. This is an excellent source of Omega 3 fatty acids, which is essential for improving your immediate and long-term brain function. Although the negative effects of good cholesterol from eggs has been overblown, it is best to provide balance by eating only one egg a day. The mushrooms increase the mass and the other items are more than enough to fill you up.

I start breakfast by sautéing two chopped mushrooms in extra virgin olive oil for a few minutes before adding the beaten egg. I prefer to use a metal pan to avoid any carcinogens that can be released with Teflon, but this is up to you. Thoroughly washed berries are a great way to get natural carbohydrates and sugars as well as a number of antioxidants that your body needs. Try to buy varied types of berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and blackberries, in order to get color variation. These all have different antioxidants and vitamins and minerals that you need to remain healthy. Additionally, I eat a citrus orange to get additional vitamin C and fiber (as I try to stay clear of taking supplements). Even though you may be tempted to drink a glass of orange juice or milk, I stay away from dairy in its entirety and avoid juices unless they are freshly squeezed (in which case I would just eat the fruit anyway). The water is important as you will most likely be somewhat dehydrated after sleeping.

Lunch

Obviously my lunch will have a little more variation than breakfast, but there are a few staples. Typically, try to have a small salad that is comprised of green leafy vegetables, a small portion of brown rice, and a cooked vegetable dish:

• 4 – 5 ounces of green leafy vegetables (consists of kale, spinach, arugula, chard, and many others)
• Brown wild rice
• Sautéed vegetables

As you can see, my measurements are lackluster at best. I rarely measure the things that I eat as I don’t mind eating a lot if it is natural food. The salad of green leafy vegetables usually just has black pepper, salt, and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil for flavor. Two cups of brown wild rice lasts for an entire two weeks. The sautéed vegetables usually has garlic and onions. Often this can be broccoli in a Chinese style or green beans with turmeric, mustard, and cumin seeds. There are many options, but try to vary the vegetables and colors if possible.

The extra virgin olive oil is full of Omega 3 fatty acids to increase focus and long-term brain focus in contrast to corn or soy oil, which are high in Omega 6s that can lead to inflammation of the brain and decreased productivity. Although I do not need brown rice, it is a wholesome source of fiber and slowly breaks down to provide a steady stream of carbohydrates in the body (as opposed to a surge caused by most other carbohydrates and sugars).

In addition to the vital nutrients, eating the green leafy vegetables helps to encourage the growth of beneficial bacteria in your stomach. Considering the close connection between the stomach’s nervous system (the only other organ that has its own) and the human brain, it is incredibly important to maintain a balance if you want to get any work done. The broccoli will increase production of glutathione, which removes free radicals and toxins from your body.

Snacks

Throughout the course of my day, I often eat snacks to help tide me over until the next meal or provide some instant energy after my exercise routine. Snacking on additional food is not bad so long as you keep it under control and do not eat the wrong things. Rarely do I pay attention to the amount I am eating and often I will just have a handful of all of these just to vary my nutrient intake for the day.

• Raw hulled sunflower seeds
• Raw almonds
• Raw pecans
• Dry roasted pumpkin seeds in shell
• Dry roasted cashews
• Dark chocolate above 85% cocoa solid (preferably organic with as few ingredients as possible)
• Dried apricots
• Dried fruit mix consisting of dried pineapple, blueberries, cranberries, raisins, cherries, raw almonds, and raw pecans (very small amount, if any)
• Baby carrots
• Whole green olives

Nuts of all kinds are extremely valuable sources of natural fats and a number of vitamins and minerals. They are full of lecithin, which is one of the three components of cell membranes. In addition, they are a great source of protein that can be transformed into neurotransmitters and boost muscle production. Some are eaten raw, while dry roasting others can lead to better absorption into the body.

Similar to nuts, seeds are full of nutrients vital for performing your best. Zinc is necessary in order to detoxify the body and can be found in pumpkin seeds. Baby carrots are full of vitamin A while green olives are a good source of natural fats. Dark chocolate can provide antioxidants and magnesium that is required to remove free radicals from the body. The dried fruit is a good source of antioxidants as well, but one must eat with moderation due to the higher than normal sugar ratio (despite no sugar added).

Dinner

The last meal of the day is an important source of protein for me with relatively few carbohydrates that are not derived from plants. Although it can vary, a staple of mine tends to be the Omega 3 rich fresh Atlantic salmon.

• 0.5 – 0.75 lb. baked Atlantic salmon
• 4 – 5 ounces of green leafy vegetables (consists of kale, spinach, arugula, chard, and many others)
• Sautéed vegetables

For dinner, I try to get a serving of lean protein from either fish or poultry and ocassionally red meat. The benefits of salmon are countless and it is one of the quickest meals to make. Some days I will opt for cheaper and higher volume chicken breast that is cut and sautéed with bell peppers of varying colors and mushrooms.

As with lunch, I try to incorporate green leafy vegetables into my dinner with the same combination, salt, pepper, and olive oil. The sautéed vegetables usually consist of asparagus or zucchini, which are both grown with the least number of pesticides and chemicals.

Hacked Diet and a Hacked Business

Yesterday, I viewed a short video clip on YouTube from Anthony Robin where he explained the difference between success and failure while playing golf. His instructor taught him that a millimeter difference in his swing could be the difference between getting the ball on the green versus in the water. The change in trajectory at the earliest stage could lead to immense differences in the result.

If you are trying to be the best at something, improving every part of life will make the difference. The 30 – 45 extra minutes you spend in a day cooking healthy and wholesome meals will make your body healthier (thus keeping you out of the hospital more often), will make you happier, and will make you far more energetic and productive. As my own business continues growing, there are as many things I can do in other areas of my life as there are at work that will improve my efficiency and overall success.