Integrating mindfulness into business and leadership practices is no longer a novel concept. Mindful eating, however, is less commonly associated with entrepreneurial success stories, but I believe that is about to change. There are two major aspects to mindful eating that can propel you and your business to the next level by improving focus, mental sharpness and stamina leading to more moments of brilliance and efficiency.
Mindful eating teaches us how to eat for our body’s individual needs. As with everything in the natural world, there is not a one-size-fits-all
model to insure health and optimal function because each body is unique from DNA to microflora. The connection between what we eat and our ability to function at a higher neurological level
directly affects our ability to be effective in every aspect of our lives. With new science emerging faster than practitioners can keep up, researchers are uncovering the dynamic relationship
between nutrition, the gut and brain function. This means that the food you eat beginning from prenatal nutrition affects your cognitive ability. For those of us charged with leading our business
to success, the optimal functioning of our brains is a high priority. Nourishing the brain properly is the difference between chasing our tails (and our coffee cups) and maximizing our ability to
be effective with each moment.
Your Lunch Break Can Take Your Business to the Next Level
When practicing mindful eating, awareness of what the body needs to nourish properly becomes clear by paying attention to messages that we may or may not associate with food or hunger. This means
finding optimal vitality and experiencing the mental sharpness that comes with it can only be found when we turn our awareness inward and pay attention to the signals that our bodies are sending.
That information must then be translated into how we support our bodies with nutrition.
The reality is that many of us ignore the symptoms of imbalance that hinder our efficiency and optimal functioning. Moments of brain fog, exhaustion, distraction, energy lulls, allergies, dry
skin, poor digestion etc. are remedied with symptom-relieving substances. Mindful eating teaches us to recognize and respond to those signs by giving the body the nourishment that it needs and by
refraining from the foods that cause imbalance. What if responding to the body’s desire for energy with sweet potatoes instead of coffee and pastries is what is standing between you and taking
your business to the next level?
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Megan Barnett works as an educator and coach facilitating the incorporation of healthy behaviors into her clients’ daily lives using nutrition, lifestyle, and mindful eating to promote overall wellness and optimal functioning. Megan has a BS in Dietetics from Kansas State University, is a certified yoga instructor and is currently completing a Master's degree in Nutrition and Functional Medicine at University of Western States in Portland, Oregon. www.pepnutritioncoach.com