Really. The food we eat is a key determinant of productivity, according to Adrienne Youdim, MD, FACP–an internist who specializes in medical weight loss and nutrition.
“Diet is often conflated with weight loss in our society,” says Dr. Youdim. “In my clinical practice, there are three main dietary errors my patients encounter. Not eating, succumbing to eating what is easy, and failing to incorporate what is right. This strategy is not only unhealthy, but also adversely affects productivity.”
For starters, don’t skip meals or wait until you’re starving to eat. “When blood sugar drops from prolonged fasting, the body releases adrenaline,” explains Dr. Youdim. “Adrenaline, also called epinephrine, is a stress hormone that is released when the body senses danger. Adrenaline triggers the sympathetic or ‘fight or flight’ response of the body which increases heart rate and blood pressure, directs blood flow to the muscles preparing them for action, diverts blood flow away from the digestive tract causing nausea and ‘butterflies,’ causes tunnel vision and creates racing thoughts and difficulty focusing on tasks.”
Dr. Youdim recommends incorporating eggs, banana, spinach, Greek yogurt, salmon, walnuts, berries and avocado into your day.
Dr. Youdim is author of Hungry for More: Stories and Science to Inspire Weight Loss from the Inside Out and host of Health Bite podcast. Dr. Youdim served as the Medical Director of the Cedars-Sinai Weight Loss Center, then brought her passion and expertise to her own private practice in Beverly Hills, California. She currently holds positions as Associate Professor of medicine at UCLA David Geffen School of Medicine and Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. She is known to prescribe books, podcasts, and has even written a prescription for a puppy.
Follow Dr. Youdim @dradrienneyoudim.
