By Raoul Davis
In the concrete jungle, entrepreneurs and executives from all walks of life repeatedly face the challenge of negotiating fight or flight moments. But regardless of their choices, there is one commonality to every decision pathway: stress.
As we've learned, continuing stress is associated with many chronic health conditions; well documented among the effects of ongoing stress can be an impact on and modulation of the immune system. Dysfunction of the immune system is a common thread among the many chronic disabilities and diseases that afflict Western industrialized nations, from cardiovascular disease to diabetes, obesity, neurodegenerative diseases, cancers, autoimmune diseases and a host of others.
Increasingly, scientific evidence is accumulating that one of the most critical decisions we make that impacts our health -- or lack of it -- is what we eat. The Fallacy of the Calorie, a new book by my client Dr. Mike Fenster (who is also a cardiologist, culinary chef and martial artist), discusses in detail how what we eat affects us both directly and indirectly through its effect on the bacteria that make up our individual gut microbiomes.
Unfortunately, the healthful choice is not always the obvious one. A hunk of steak may be a better choice than a processed fish sandwich. A fresh egg (yolk and all) is better than its cholesterol-free synthetic substitute. Fresh grilled shrimp is superior to zombie-fied veggies slowly drowning in safflower salad dressing.
For entrepreneurs who are constantly on the go, below are three simple tips Dr. Mike recommends that can help take the stress out of making food choices. Eating better can increase your energy and help keep the detrimental effects of stress every entrepreneur faces to a minimum.
- Avoid convenient but highly processed foods. Prepackaged foods are quick and expedient, but they don’t come without a price. Increasingly, these foodstuffs are implicated in the development of disabilities and diseases that plague our modern civilization.
- Get fresh. The solution to the endless barrage of fast food and junk food is to seek out fresh alternatives. In addition to sourcing great local produce from farmers markets, many restaurants now feature exquisite offerings that highlight seasonal, contemporary cuisine. Schedule your business lunches and dinners at these establishments instead of at the same tired old chains.
- Pack it up. Brown-bagging your homespun goodies is the foodie equivalent of shabby chic. It saves you time and money, and powers you up with the proper prescription for intestinal fortitude. There is increasing evidence that, where possible, it pays to go organic. When dining out it's worth seeking out places that use such ingredients.
As a branding professional, I’m always scanning for what impacts people’s perceptions of others. When someone has a poor diet it shows up in a number of different ways. First, they can be irritable and have a poor temperament. Second, their personal appearance changes. Third, their energy levels and perkiness goes down.
If you don’t think your employees, clients and strategic partners notice these things, then you’re shooting yourself in the foot. If not for the betterment of your own health, make changes for the sake of your company’s bottom line and the brand you’ve spent so many years building.
As Dr. Mike puts it, despite an increase in technology and our focus on tips to become more productive, productivity starts with how you are fueling your body. Beyond simply being calorie conscious, the more important thing to focus on is the fuel itself.
Raoul Davis is the CEO of Ascendant Group, which specializes in helping CEOs increase the top line revenue for their company through the power of CEO branding.
