How the right food can fuel your productivity

That caffeine buzz may make you feel more productive, but is it really doing the job? The fuel, or food, put into the engine of the brain directly affects productivity. Here are some of the foods that work to improve productivity.

The basic fuel for the brain is glucose, and the slow release of glucose into the blood stream keeps attention, concentration, memory and stamina at constant levels. Slow release is the key.

• High-sugar foods release a great jolt of glucose all at once, creating spikes and crashes in productivity attributes.
• Caffeine from coffee and soft drinks is a stimulant that results in a crash similar to a sugar crash.

The best foods for productivity are natural foods that are high in complex carbohydrates or protein and low in processed sugars.

• These are whole, unprocessed foods, green or dark vegetables, lean meats, fresh fruits, nuts and whole grain bread products.
• For quick snacks, choose cheese, vegetable sticks, a slice of leftover steak or a handful of nuts with a whole grain bagel.
• Blueberries, broccoli, nuts and pumpkin seeds are known to positively affect short-term memory.
• Vitamin C increases mental agility, while vitamins B6 and 12 and folic acid reduce memory impairment.
• In addition to eating healthy, remember to keep yourself hydrated; water is an essential component in fuelling a productive mind and body.

Fuelling at regular times is the best way to keep a steady stream of glucose entering the blood to keep productivity constant.

• Eating well may mean three small meals and two snacks per day, and it means having breakfast.
• If time is at a premium in your day, plan your meals and prepackage them.
• Make the first thing you see when you open the fridge a food that is a slow-glucose-release food.
• Pay attention to what you eat; removing yourself from the work desk for even five minutes gives your brain a change to regroup, and you will come back more productive.

If you can find 10 minutes in your work day for exercise, you will increase your productivity substantially.

• Multitasking does not increase productivity; in fact, doing too much at once can decrease productivity.
• If you are facing a deadline, turn the phone and email notifications off, clear your desk, put some good fuel into the engine, drink a glass of water and get it done.

Productivity is the measure of efficiency, or how well we get tasks done. A productive brain is organized, remembers well, is calm and can stay for extended periods. Help yourself out by fueling your body with the right stuff.