The Power of Nourishing Your Energy: Simple Nutrition Strategies for Entrepreneurs

Have you ever hit that afternoon slump where all you can think about is napping instead of tackling your to-do list? I’ve been there! But what if I told you that the right nutrition could be the key to avoiding peaks anx crashes in your your energy and productivity throughout the day?”

Food is more than just ‘something that makes us feel full’, it’s more than just fuel to keep our bodies going. It’s the source of power and energy for our minds too. If you are running on empty with little to no food in your body? Your brain is going to struggle. If you’ve eaten but not eaten the best foods for sustainable and healthy energy levels? You’re going to crash.

I hear this a lot from clients, they feel like because they are sitting all day they haven’t ‘earnt’ food or don’t really need to eat. This is absolutely not true.

Out of all the calories you consume each day your brain takes 2o% of them. That’s a huge amount for one organ. It’s an energy hungry machine and even if you think you’re just ‘sitting’ I can promise you your brain is doing an absolute tonne of things in the background.

It’s not just being creative, problem solving, working, hustling, learning, growing, actioning, creating or doing any other of your business tasks. It’s keep you alive! And that takes energy too.

If you make your brain work on a budget it will (thank goodness!) prioritise the functions that help you survive. It will use it’s limited budget on those essential tasks and not on non essential tasks like problem solving, mood regulation, being creative or focusing on work tasks.

So how do we nourish ourselves for better energy?

Firstly, don’t skip breakfast. Start your day off with a well fuelled and nourished body and mind and give it some energy!

A high protein breakfast (eggs, tofu, seeds, nuts, greek yoghurt, nut butter) with some complex carbs (quinoa, oats, seeded wholegrain bread) and healthy fats (seeds, avocado, nut butter, olive oil). Is a good way to go.

You want a balance of these 3 because…

🍳 Protein- is essential for our health and well-being and getting it in early sets us up well for the day. Protein is also invovled in supporting our executive function (problem solving, working memory and focus) so it is beneficial for focus and productivity too. Protein also slows the digestion and release of the carbs meaning a slower more sustained energy release.

🥖 Carbs- because they are a good quick source of energy and your brains favourite source of energy. Our brains are glucose hungry and want fuel quick. Out of all 3 macro nutrients (proteins, carbs and fats) your body can turn carbs into glucose the fastest and easiest. So it really is the best way to get good energy. If you eat wholegrain/unrefined carbs you will also get fibre which is vital for good gut health- which impacts everything else in the body including our mood and energy!

🥑 Fats- because your brain and nervous system need fats in order to be healthy and happy. And considering the importance of these two things I’d say it’s pretty key to focus on giving them what they need! Fats also help give a slower release of energy and when at rest your body uses fats as well as carbs as a fuel source because you don’t need such intense amounts of energy as quickly as if, say, you’re doing a workout. So your body has time to slowly break down fats into energy to keep you going throughout the day.

Second make time for food during the day…

I get it, you’re in a deep focus state plowing through your to do list and suddenly you lift your head up from your desk and BAM it’s 3pm and you’re absolutely starving and also hangry and also probably tired and emotional at the same time as your body is screaming for food.

To keep healthy, happy energy levels during the day I recommend keeping some healthy snacks to hand. Some seed clusters, roasted chickpeas or edamame beans, veggie sticks and hummus. Anything you can just nibble on here and there so even if you’re glued to your desk you’re still fuelling yourself properly.

Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate

Your brain and body cannot function optimally if they are not properly hydrated. You can be eating really well, moving lots but if you aren’t drinking enough water then brain fog, low energy, a drop in your mood and focus are pretty much inevitbable.

I suggest to clients that they have a glass of water by their bed so they drink it first thing when they wake up (250ml) then a glass of water before they sit down at their desk. That way you’ve had a half a litre before you even started the day. That combined with regular sipping on your water bottle during the day will keep your body and mind happy and hydrated!

Our bodies are great communicators! If you’re feeling sluggish, it might be time to rethink your snack choices. Experiment with different foods to see what fuels your energy best- because as with everything health and wellness related- we are all unique and what is right for you might look different to what is right for me!

The tips I have given are great guidelines to focus on. Remember by nourishing your body with the right foods, you’re not just investing in your health; you’re also setting yourself up for success in your business because you’ll have the energy and brain power to show up each day the way it needs!

Want personalised guidance on your nutrition? Check out my ‘work with me’ page and find out how we can team up and restore your energy!

See how it can suddenly build? But you didn’t throw the kitchen sink at yourself and ask all these huge changes of yourself in one go. We often think big changes lead to big results, but the reality? Big changes are harder to stick to. And we are only human and have busy lives with tonnes of other things and competing demands going on. The benefits and compounding effect of small change lead to lasting change. Lasting change means a real positive impact. Now let’s pick back up for a sec on that whole inconsistency thing…

Looking at the list above let’s say we get to Week 5 and suddenly the gym drops to once a week. Let’s get curious and ask why might that be. Did we sleep less? Was it a busier week? Did we slack off on putting our gym clothes out the night before adding an extra step/decision-making process? Look at what small changes you could make from that feedback. Then we adapt and pick back up Week 6 perhaps with slightly adjusted habits to better suit our lifestyle.

There is power in the small, there is power in being comfortable with inconsistency and there is power in seeing it as feedback over failure.