“One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.
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Why do other people have control over their focus and motivation?
Why do you feel unfocused and procrastinate?
Why do you feel agitated and snap at co-workers or family members?
Why are you impulsive and make poor productivity decisions?
If you or someone you know wonders about these questions, then the habit of eating food at regular intervals throughout the day may help. While eating will not address all executive function deficits, the practice will go a long way toward improving them. This article will address those individuals who struggle to make eating a habit or are not aware of why they should do so.
Executive functions are the brain-based mental processes that enable us to focus, regulate our emotions and behavior, and reach our productivity goals. The operative term here is brain-based. The average brain only weighs 3.3 lbs but uses up to 20% to 30% of your energy reserves when you are at rest. If you don't fuel your brain, it will not fuel your productivity and aspirations! Let's take a closer look at some common examples of this.
Hangry: Executive functions help us manage emotions. Most parents are aware that when they experience their child becoming easily frustrated or overly emotional, it is time to give them a snack or meal. Once she meets that need, the child can handle her emotions more efficiently. While most evident in children, the same applies to us regardless of age. We have less control over our feelings if our brains don't have fuel.
Impulsivity: Executive functions help us control impulsivity. There is an adage that says, don't go grocery shopping on an empty stomach! And why? Because we will find ourselves pulling items, especially sugary snacks, off the shelf impulsively. You will likely stick to your grocery list and healthy food options if you have eaten a meal. With the proper energy level, our brains allow us to think before we act.
Productivity: Do you believe you work best in the morning, afternoon, or evening? This may be because this productive period follows a meal or a Meal Replacement Experience. An MRE is the adrenaline you get when you forget to do something. The fight or flight response kicks in, and you have the energy to complete a task. This period may also be defined by the meal you ate before. This often happens to students. Many parents report that getting their children to start homework earlier in the day is a battle. But they are more willing to do so later in the evening. This usually follows dinner or a significant snack. In short, our brain is doing the work and needs fuel to be productive.
“The belly rules the mind.
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Establishing that the brain needs energy is only part of the discussion. Individuals with executive function disorders find it difficult to develop healthy daily routines such as properly nourishing themselves. There are three aspects to this challenge, and we'll discuss them below.
1. Eating Assumptions
The first challenge is an assumption about what people do. Individuals with executive function challenges often misunderstand neurotypical behavior and the thinking behind it. In this case, there may be a belief that everyone eats when hungry. A related belief is that all people eat if there is a specific reason to. I should eat before taking a long hike or an evening college class. In essence, there needs to be more awareness that most individuals eat based on dividing the day into morning, afternoon, and evening, which traditionally corresponds to breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The first step in addressing eating habits or the lack thereof is to explore the basic assumption about when and why people eat when they do.
2. Body Awareness and Attention
Another challenge related to establishing healthy eating habits is the issue of body awareness and attention. Body awareness requires modulating our attention or bringing explicit awareness to how our body is feeling and relating to our environment. Individuals with ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorder often have trouble modulating attention. They may be so focused on what they are reading, playing, or thinking that they are unaware of other stimuli, such as the need to go to the bathroom, hunger, thirst, different tasks, and even the passage of time. An example is professionals who wake up in the morning thinking about the tasks they must complete that day. Focused on them, they jump onto the computer or prepare for their commute. They are not thinking about the physical stimuli of hunger. At some point in the day, they find themselves hungry and grab whatever food is nearby. Typically, this would be snacks offered in the office or quickly available in a cabinet. They may only eat an actual meal later in the evening once the high-energy needs of the day are over. In this step, confirm whether you use the adrenaline for the fight or flight response to fuel yourself for most of your productive day.
“What could be more important than a little something to eat?”
3. Eating as a Habit/Routine
Use Reminders
As I mentioned, your attention may be elsewhere, and it may be difficult to notice and attend to your eating needs. A way to develop that awareness is by setting reminders with notifications on a digital calendar such as Google Calendar or a habit tracker app.
Make meaningful connections
If you pay attention to your current eating habits, you may already have associations with eating habits. You may say to yourself, "I should eat something before the end of the day," "I should eat something before I go to that long lecture," or "I always eat breakfast to start my day!" The strategy here is to add enough associations that you are spreading out your meals throughout the day to provide your brain with the energy it needs to keep your executive functioning solid and effective. Connect eating to a goal or aspiration, even if it is improving your video game playing.
Other eating challenges
Meal Replacement Options
For many people, time impacts their ability to develop eating habits. Mornings are especially challenging. If you are already late, feeling rushed, or getting up early enough already, you may need help adding a meal to your routine. Make it easy on yourself. There are meal replacement items that you can grab on the go. Here are some options to consider. Another strategy is to keep these handy for when your reminder to eat sounds.
Meal Preparation Options
Besides the time factor challenge, many individuals don't know how to cook or don't have the facilities to prepare meals. Because the idea here is to develop a consistent eating routine, we must commit to keeping things simple. Meal preparation companies offer varying options and products to fit the bill. You can choose from options that deliver pre-cooked meals that you heat or the ingredients of meals that are pre-planned, and you cook. Whichever route you choose, please remember that easy is the priority.
“We are indeed much more than what we eat, but what we eat can nevertheless help us to be much more than what we are.”
Creating eating routines will take consistency, time, and patience. Working with an executive function coach is a way of ensuring success. You will also have the advantage of accountability and customized strategies. To inquire about executive function or ADHD coaching, submit a Get Started Contact Form or call/text me for a free consultation at (818) 239-6182. Don't let your executive function challenges prevent you from reaching your life and career goals.
