For two weeks, I have been talking about a mindset that allows us to take massive action in our lives. Today we are going to talk about the steps you can take to create the energy you need to fuel the mindset of massive action in your life.
What do you have control over?
When it comes to having the energy that helps you create a mindset for massive action, what is the one thing that you have total control over?
You have total control of what goes into your mouth.
If you are an adult living on your own or with a partner, you have complete control of what you are eating. Are you eating foods that are benefiting your energy levels or are you eating foods that drag your energy down?
When I feel good . . .
Last week I was facilitating a training class in North Carolina. The first day of class, I had eaten two bananas, an apple, and a small bowl of oatmeal with walnuts for breakfast. Throughout the day, I was drinking a lot of water, and snacking on fruit that I had smuggled out of the hotel during breaks. At lunch, I had a salad. I had not slept well the night before, but I was filled with energy during the day.
When I feel bad . . .
Compare that to day two, where I slept well, but struggled to stay energetic during my training class. Looking at my dining, the night before I met some former coworkers for barbecue pork, I skipped breakfast, and loaded up on more barbecue for lunch. By the middle of the afternoon, I was ready to lie down and take a nap.
What did I do to boost my energy?
I loaded up on coffee, grabbed a moon pie, and forced myself to work after consuming too much sugar, caffeine, and fat. By the end of the second day of training, I felt sick. I was groggy, unable to focus, and ready to pass out in bed.
Coming Out of A Rut
The third morning I felt like hell. I stuck to fruit for breakfast, a fat free smoothie for lunch, and as much water as I could handle through the travel day home. After grabbing dinner at a Mediterranean restaurant, I ate a healthy dinner and got a good night’s sleep. I didn’t feel great the next day, but I was starting to get back to normal.
What is happening to me?
This trip really highlighted for me how much changes in my diet have affected my energy levels throughout the day. When I eat poorly, I can feel it in my energy levels.
While I am not an expert in this topic, here is a general plan to what I have been eating that has helped me gain the energy I need to accomplish more during the day:
Breakfast
A cup of coffee and a spinach, banana, frozen blackberry, and ice smoothie.
Morning Snack
A Banana or Apple and a few almonds
Lunch
A banana, small cup of vegetable based soup, and a vegetarian sandwich.
Afternoon Snack
Apple, Banana, or Larabar
Dinner
Large Tropical Dinner Salad
Water
I will drink about 2-3 liters of fresh water a day in addition to any coffee, tea, or occasional sodas that I may drink
My goal throughout the day is to eat a large amount of fruits and vegetables while limiting the animal proteins and fats.
Another thing that my fiancée and I have been doing is eating on smaller plates. Due to a late night E-Bay Purchase, we have come to own some vintage salad plates that are 1/3 the size of a normal dinner plate. Eating off of them in the evening has really helped us cut down on our portion sizes and feel fuller with less food.
Whilethere are still a few trips out to dinner, I find myself gravitating towards healthier options than I have in the past.
What Eating Well Can Do For You
The most important lesson I have learned out of eating well is that it does affect my energy and I encourage to see if eating like a Men’s Health (or Women’s Health) magazine tells you to puts you on the track on improved energy.
If it does, then you are ready for the next step in increasing the energy you need to have the mindset for massive action.
Are you still with me? If so, make sure that you subscribe to the feed by e-mail or RSS and we can talk more the next step to boosting our energy tomorrow.
Until then, leave me a comment and let me know if you are what you eat.
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