How to Support Focus and Improve Your Energy Using Nutrition

What do you do when coffee, soda, energy drinks or any of your favorite things no longer give you the stimulation and boost you need? 

You go to the doctor and explain your brain fog and exhaustion, but they just shrug their shoulders and recommend some pharmaceuticals…but that doesn’t help.

Well, if you’re thinking, “There MUST be a solution. There HAS TO BE a way to feel better. This can’t be all there is”…you’re right!

You don’t have to struggle your way through each day, month and year! That’s no way to live, and there IS hope! A lack of energy and the inability to focus has become an epidemic in our culture, and it doesn’t have to stay that way. 

In this 3-part series, I’m going to cover my top 3 ways you can support your body to improve your focus and energy. (Part 2 and Part 3 will be in posted in the upcoming weeks.)

First, Let’s Talk about Nutrition. It’s the Foundation!

It’s crucial that you’re putting the right fuel into your body. 

You wouldn’t put dish soap into your gas tank, right? So, let’s not put processed, chemical-laden, additive-rich, artificially-colored pseudo “foods” into your body. 

Unfortunately, many people are confused about good nutrition…and for good reason, because the government has been pushing all the wrong things for decades. 

The relationship between the US Government and the food industry is anything but kosher. Every 5 years, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services releases updated guidelines regarding what you should be eating to be healthy. These guidelines are supposed to help you, but they do quite the opposite. 

With the collaboration of big money, food-industry lobbyists, and government, it’s a recipe for disaster. As it’s been recommended for years, eating large amounts of processed carbohydrates will wreak havoc on your body. And yet, they continue to tell you to keep them as the main component of your diet!

Look at this image of the REAL Food Pyramid versus the Standard American Diet Pyramid.

Healthy, pastured meat needs to be at the foundation, followed by properly sourced fats and proteins, then vegetables, nuts and seeds, and a small amount of fruit.

This is how it SHOULD be!

3 Critical Macronutrients You Need

Let’s talk about macronutrients for a moment.

A macronutrient is a nutrient that’s required in large quantities for optimal growth and development. These feed the cells of your body to help them function. From mitochondria and microorganisms, to your bones, muscles and organs, macronutrients supply the fundamental nourishment you need for good health.

The 3 critical macronutrients you need are listed below, but I want you to keep something in mind…they should all come from pure and natural sources!

This means that animal products should be from those who lived in an environment natural to them and ate foods they were designed to eat. Basically, I’m talking about happy animals out in pasture, grazing on green grasses, foraging, etc. 

Healthy protein does NOT come from factory farms or Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) where they’re fed an unnatural diet of soy and corn products, live in filthy, unhealthy, and inhumane conditions, or are pumped full of antibiotics and hormones to keep them alive until they reach optimum weight.

1. Fats

Healthy fats are one of the most overlooked, yet most important nutrients. The anti-fat propaganda of the last 60+ years has poisoned many against these super foods. 

Yes, you read that right.

FAT IS A SUPER FOOD!

Old school nutrition based on faulty research teaches that the only healthy fats are olive oil, avocados, and olives, and anything besides these 3, you should eat low fat.

This is completely untrue because eating low fat actually makes you fat!

The right form of fat is SO good for you! In fact, here’s some of its benefits:

• It’s among the greatest building blocks for cell membranes
• Supports the integrity of brain cells
• Creates sex hormones
• Provides one of the best sources of energy for the heart, mind and body
• Imperative for the proper management of the body’s inflammatory process
• Required for the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins: A, D, E, and K
• Starves cancer cells

So, here are some of the healthy fats you want to consume every day:

• Saturated fats from healthy sources (Ghee, Tallow, Lard, etc.)
• Grass-fed butter
• Raw or cultured dairy products
• Cold pressed, organic coconut oil
• Cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil
• Soaked nuts and seeds

2. Proteins

Healthy proteins are best found in their most natural state. Additionally, the fattiest parts of the animal are the most healthy! So, don’t be afraid of the fat.

Here are the recommended sources:

• Grass-fed beef
• Organic, pastured poultry
• Organic, grass-fed lamb
• Pastured eggs
• Low-toxicity, wild-caught seafood
• Wild game

3. Carbohydrates

I’m sorry, but you’re not going to find large amounts of sugary snacks, bread, and pasta on the healthy carbohydrates list! They rob your body of the nutrients and nutrition needed to thrive and destabilize your insulin, which leads to a cascade of hunger, fatigue, and disease. 

Real, healthy carbohydrates include:

• Organic, fresh vegetables
• Raw fruits
• Minimal properly prepared, soaked and sprouted grains

Now, your body can either utilize carbohydrates or fats for energy. 

Think of yourself building a fire. To get it started, you need kindling because those small pieces of wood catch fire easily. And if you add paper to mix, the fire lights easily. However, both the kindling and the paper burn hot, fast and go out quickly.

This is the kind of energy that carbohydrates give you. It’s good for a moment, but it doesn’t last long. 

However, fat is like adding a big log to the fire because it burns slow and hot for hours.

So, have you’ve been following the Standard American Diet…and are ready to feel better?

I strongly encourage you to start improving your nutrition to a real whole foods diet because it will give your body the nutrients to achieve better health from the inside it. 

To help, here’s a couple of resources that I’ve created:

• Read my 3-part series on how you can successfully transition to whole foods diet. Click here for Part 1, click here for Part 2, and click here for Part 3.
• Sign up for my FREE 3-Day Meal Plan. This sample plan will get you started on how to think about cooking and nutrition differently.
• Purchase my 30-Day Meal Plan. This longer term solution will get you started on the right foot. It includes grain-free, dairy-free and sugar-free recipes for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Plus, it includes an organized shopping list and detailed preparation instructions, and the recipes are kid-tested and husband-approved!

(To continue with the next steps on how you can support your body to improve your focus and energy, check back in the upcoming weeks for Part 2 and Part 3.)

What are some of your biggest challenges with following a real foods diet? List them in the comments, and I’ll see if I can help. 🙂

 

 

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