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Entrepreneurs are ever in quest of ways of reducing the number of choices they make, partly to avoid wasting brain space for the “big stuff.” Some thought leaders pare down their wardrobe to a regular look (à la Steve Jobs), for instance, while others optimize (and never necessarily healthfully) by eating the identical thing each day.
A novel tackle this efficiency principle got here in the shape of a Bay Area company that marketed a product called Soylent in 2013. Bored with wasting money and energy on food, certainly one of its founders, Rob Rhinehart, invented a “super sludge” intended to produce the body’s essential nutrients — a mix of maltodextrin, amino acids, fiber, olive oil and other ingredients. In response to a journalist from Wired, that original formula looked like pancake mix and tasted like chalk.
After reading that article, I could grasp why the concept may very well be thought to be potentially dystopian (its name inspiration, in spite of everything, a 1973 movie by which humans are forced to devour reprocessed human corpses), but Soylent remains to be going strong. The corporate, now based in Los Angeles, continues to grow and innovate (now offering tastier options like chocolate and strawberry). Its success supports the notion that busy professionals will spring for convenience in relation to their appetites.
I’m an enormous proponent of simplifying as many tasks as possible. And while no stranger to the occasional lunch-replacement smoothie, I’m not sold on outsourcing meals entirely. Luckily, for food-loving entrepreneurs, there are creative advantages to pondering more about and diversifying what and the way we eat.
Related: 7 Suggestions for Startup Food Entrepreneurs
Ingredients for creativity
As something of a counterpoint to Rhinehart-esque food practicality, a 2021 literature review written by a team of researchers and academicians offered evidence to suggest that individuals with a view of food as simply fuel miss out on the creative advantages of eating more mindfully. Engaging multiple senses during a meal (taste, smell, tactile qualities, etc.), they wrote, can boost creative pondering in various ways, and offered the experience of wine for instance: Those that enjoy it take into consideration taste, smell, color and mouthfeel, and might provide you with descriptive metaphors for every. Creative wheels start turning. It follows that engaging with food by listening to analogous qualities (and any metaphorical associations) may likewise boost inventiveness.
The authors also made a case for eating foods that end in real enjoyment. Creativity is enhanced, they suggest, when people feel completely satisfied, including being relaxed or moderately excited. So, to borrow a phrase from writer Marie Kondo, consider foods that spark joy if you eat them. Possibly it is your partner’s famous lasagna (which gets even higher the following day as leftovers), a burrito from a favourite food truck or an enormous, colourful salad.
Eating something delicious and taking the time to understand it could prime the brain for exploration. Higher yet, certain foods can actually boost the brain’s power.
Related: Your Poor Eating Habits Are Hurting Business
Nutrition that sharpens the mind
The primary rule of thumb for selecting meals that give rise to sharp pondering is to take into consideration them beforehand: to make selections before you are ravenous. Various studies make plain that humans are much better at resisting salt, calories and fat in the long run than in the current.
Glucose, a variety of sugar, is the fundamental energy source for the body’s cells, and it’s value keeping in mind that brain cells use probably the most energy. But in relation to glucose, not all foods are created equal: Some release theirs quickly, resulting in a sudden spike in energy (and an equally fast plummet). Members of this “easy carbohydrates” family include pizza, pasta, bread and sugary drinks. Others, termed “slow carb foods,” release glucose progressively, amongst them starchy vegetables (sweet potato, squashes, beets), whole grains, beans and legumes.
Other foods are linked with memory and cognition. Research published in a 2014 edition of the Journal of Psychiatric Research revealed that the amino acid tyrosine (the precursor of the “feel good” hormone, dopamine) enhances cognitive performance, particularly in short-term stressful or cognitively challenges. So, load up on seaweed, bananas and almonds. Other research has found that the plant-based omega-3 fat, alpha-linolenic acid, which is abundant in walnuts and flaxseed, likewise improves memory and cognition, as do the antioxidants in berries. Foods high in choline and folate, like eggs, are linked to improved cognitive performance and memory. A 2014 study published within the British Journal for Health Psychiatry found that young adults who ate more fruit and veggies reported boosted well-being, more intense feelings of curiosity and greater creativity.
The bad news is that, in the true world, we do not all the time have time to arrange balanced meals, but it surely’s actually a cinch to complement whatever you are eating with nutrient-packed options. If I actually have pizza for lunch, for instance, I’ll add a handful of almonds for a snack. If there is a bagel for breakfast, some olive oil seaweed chips might be added later within the morning. The goal is balance. I also automate snack selection by programming delivery orders ahead of time. That way, when my stomach rumbles, I reach for brain-boosting dried fruits fairly than a bag of M&Ms.
Related: Fueling Your Body is Key to Fueling Your Business
As CEO of Jotform, and the writer of a book on automation, I understand the inclination to optimize as many tasks as possible. If I would like to carve out time for essential creative work (aka “the massive stuff”) and reserve more hours to spend with my family, something has to hit the chopping block. But I also consider within the tangible and intangible advantages of being thoughtful about what I eat — I might fairly invest time in identifying and automating busywork than skipping a lunch with colleagues or friends. Should you are what you eat, in spite of everything, then would not it simply be clever to make that food high-quality, enjoyable and inventive?