Edie here. Today I'm thrilled to introduce you to a woman whom I greatly admire and respect. Not only is she an amazing writer, she's also incredibly gifted in helping someone like me learn how to take care of myself. Her encouragement has meant the world to me and her most recent book, 7 Steps to Get Off Sugar and Carbohydrates is never far from my side. I'm thrilled I was able to convince her to share some of her wisdom with us.
Healthy Writer Tips: Clarity of Mind
by Susan Neal @SusanNealYoga
If you feel foggy brained and lack motivation, evaluate what you ate the previous 24 hours. Did it include sugar or wheat? Determine if something you ate or drank caused your symptoms and record the culprit on your calendar or in notes on your phone. Figure out what makes you foggy brained and avoid it, so that you can write clearly and efficiently.
Let me know what causes you to be foggy brained. For me, it is wheat and sugar.
2. Fiona MacDonald, “Watch: This is How Sugar Affects Your Brain,” Science Alert, November 3, 2015.
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Healthy Writer Tips: Clarity of Mind
by Susan Neal @SusanNealYoga
Being tired and foggy brained was not what I needed the day I finished my submission to the BRMCWC contest. As I muddled through the contest directions, I contemplated what could have caused my lack of mental clarity. It was the delicious tiramisu I ate yesterday. Dairy, wheat, and sugar—not a good combination for my brain.
The Trouble with Sugar and Carbs
Wheat and sugar are two of the worst carbohydrate culprits. In fact, wheat crosses the blood-brain barrier and binds to the brain’s morphine receptors causing the release of dopamine, which is part of our bodies’ feel-good reward system.1Opiate drugs (morphine, codeine, heroin, cocaine) bind to these same receptors. Unbeknownst to us, when we eat a bagel for breakfast, we get our dopamine high for the day.
Sugar also causes the secretion of dopamine. We enjoy the feeling of this neurohormone, so we keep eating carbs. Watch this five-minute Ted-Ed video that explains how we get hooked on foods with a high sugar content, “How Does Sugar Affect the Brain?” by the neuroscientist Nicole Avena, Ph.D.: https://www.sciencealert.com/watch-this-is-how-sugar-affects-your-brain.2
Sugary foods include a food item with greater than ten grams of sugar per serving. So check your labels. Refined carbohydrates include white rice, wheat, instant mashed potatoes, instant oatmeal, cereals, potato chips, crackers, etc. These are the types of foods we want to avoid.
When we eat processed foodstuff, we do not provide our bodies with the nutrient-filled foods God created for humans to eat. Food industries entice consumers to eat more of their products not to improve people’s health but to improve the corporations’ pocketbooks. These industries put sugar in products to lure us to buy more because they understand its addictive quality.
God’s Food
Yet God never put food in a box or bag and had them sit on the shelf for months. He didn’t label them with an expiration date. He gave humans a vast selection of food since their bodies need a broad range of nutrients to function correctly. By eating different foods from each food category (vegetable, fruit, grain, nut, seed), you take proper care of your body.God did not give us vitamin pills either. Instead he created fresh food right from the plant or tree and loaded them with vitamins and minerals so our bodies will function at their highest potential.
Food Addiction
Unfortunately, our society has moved away from eating produce right out of our garden to food-like substances out of a bag. When we ingest an overconsumption of sugar and refined carbohydrates, these foods may rewire the brain’s neural pathways and cause a person to become addicted. The brain’s hijacking triggers binge eating despite its consequences of weight gain and health problems. Therefore, getting off sugar and carbs is more complex than it may seem. It is no longer about willpower and self-discipline but a biochemical addiction. To learn more about food addiction read Food Addiction Leads to Weight Gain and Poor Health.
Now what does poor eating have to do with being a writer? After we consume refined carbohydrates it negatively affects our mood and clarity of mind. Our blood-sugar level rises which gives us a rush of energy but then it plummets and we feel lethargic. To produce our best work for the Lord, we need to nourish our bodies with the foods he gave us, not the food industry. Whole, natural foods, as close to harvest as possible, will give us energy and mental clarity.
Dopamine also releases when we pet our dog, cuddle with our kids or grandchildren, write, exercise, and praise God. After I finish a workout, yoga class, or walk I feel energized and happy. Yes—happy because dopamine makes a person feel joyful. Next time you want to improve your mood, put on your worship music, lift your arms to the Lord, and the feel-good hormones will foster a positive state of mind. Therefore, we can get our dopamine from sources other than processed foods.
If you feel foggy brained and lack motivation, evaluate what you ate the previous 24 hours. Did it include sugar or wheat? Determine if something you ate or drank caused your symptoms and record the culprit on your calendar or in notes on your phone. Figure out what makes you foggy brained and avoid it, so that you can write clearly and efficiently.
Let me know what causes you to be foggy brained. For me, it is wheat and sugar.
TWEETABLES
Susan U. Neal, RN, MBA, MHS
Notes
1. William Davis MD, Wheat Belly (New York: Rodale Inc., 2011), 8–9, 48–49.
Great post. Thanks Ms. Susan. Yours is a book I must add to my reading list.
ReplyDeleteThank you Jim. I hope it leads you to improved health.
DeleteSusan, I resonate with this in ways I wish I didn't -- but it makes perfect sense. The struggle with sugar is real. I look forward to reading your book -- and meeting you at Blue Ridge!
ReplyDeleteAww, thanks. Yes let's connect at BRMCWC. I will friend you on FB so we can message each other. I hear it is so big this year we might miss each other.
DeleteOutstanding! Writing with a snack of carrot sticks, cucumbers, apples, grapes etc and a cold bottle of water fuels my brain!
ReplyDeleteGreat suggestions! My favorite snack is a green apple with almond butter.
DeleteI need to eat healthier.
ReplyDeleteGreat post, Susan with so much information to digest (pun intended).
Blessings!
LOL! Thank you.
DeleteI love Milk Duds & Ice Cream. Not necessarily together. I limit any treats to one day per week now. I feel so much better. I eat more fruit, nuts, salad, and white meats. Thank you for helping us stay healthy.
ReplyDeleteI believe it okay to splurge once in a while because we do not want to have a noose around our necks. I describe a 80/20% rule in my book where you eat healthy foods 80% of the time but allow yourself a dessert occasionally (just not the night before you enter a contest).
DeleteI so love this post and information! Thank you for giving us the insight and the science behind it. You're a walking billboard for the benefits of eating healthier too. It's inspiring to see your joyful and youthful face at conferences. See you at Blue Ridge!
ReplyDeleteThanks Annette. You inspired me to get this blog written and I did. Thanks for your encouragement!
DeleteSuch a well-written, timely article! The combination of sugar, lack of mindful eating, and zero exercise is wreaking havoc on our health. Imagine our mental clarity and overall health if we followed some of Susan's suggestions!?! Thank you so much. GBY! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Erma. When I was sick there was no way I could have published and written what I am doing now. It is important for us to take care of ourselves, so we can produce great work for Him.
DeleteGreat post, Susan. Your facts are spot on. I wish you great success in ministering this truth to others. I look forward to reading your book.
ReplyDeleteThank you Emme! My motto is "inspiring others to improve their health, so they can serve God better."
DeleteEverybody tells us not to eat sugars and carbs. But HOW do you eat all those veggies, nuts, fruits, grains & seeds? My husband would not go along a menu without a few nice "comfy" cooked meals at least once a day. I do grow things in my garden - I have sugar pod peas I munch off the vine, and Yukon God potatoes I'm digging right now. A bit a Okinawa Spinach and those Nasturium flowers. A few tomato and pepper seedlings growing too. And some chives. BUT, without going to the grocery store every day, how do you buy fresh and just enough to eat before it spoils and we waste money. There's just so many salads you can eat. There is something about longevity and shelf-life of boxed and canned. Just saying. I agree with you, the HOW is the hard part.
ReplyDelete