#5 Food Equals ENERGY! Where Hustle Begins

Podcast

Mar 26

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In today's episode, it's just you and me and we're setting the foundation of feeding your hustle: the connection between what you eat and the energy you bring to your work.This is *SUPER IMPORTANT* because everything else we talk about on the show builds on this. So let's dive in.

As an entrepreneur, your brain is your business.

Whether you’re creating a new offering, in the middle of launch week, or have a full client roster, it all comes down to your brain chemistry.

The food you put in your body becomes the energy you use during your day.

You may suspect, deep down, that what you eat is connected to the level of productivity you bring to your work. That the “right” foods will help you take your business to the next level.

Case in point, a little while back, I went to a vegan diner for a workday lunch out with my husband.

(First let me clear up any misconception that vegan food has to be healthy - there is such a thing as vegan junk food.)I had my pick of anything on the menu and I chose what sounded best.The waiter comes out, places my meal down in front of me, and whoa. It was a huge waffle stuffed with sausage and over the top was lathered this white gravy. Not exactly what I was expecting.So what did I do? I savored every bite as a delicious indulgence. (I believe in taking pleasure from food.)

But later on, when I got back to work, I had a hard time focusing.

After I re-read the same paragraph the fourth time, I decided to stand up and stretch. But when I sat back down to work, my brain was still foggy, and really all I felt like doing was lounging on the couch.Sure it was vegan sausage, a gluten-free waffle, and served with a side of braised collards.But it was still waaay heavier fare than my usual.

And guess what?

I got zero work done in the afternoon. My energy level was non-existent, and there was no way anything creative was coming from this brain.So I took the afternoon off.Luckily, I’m self-employed and had no appointments scheduled.But what if I had strategy sessions with clients booked and I needed to bring 100% of my energy?

What if I went into a food coma every day after lunch? And what if my breakfast set me up for a dragging morning as well?

What amazing ideas would I miss out on and how much work time would I waste when I could just power through and wrap up early to spend more time with my family?We’ve all had weeks where we get so busy we end up eating whatever’s easiest to grab in a quick dash to the kitchen – or the drive through! Do you notice that those weeks you’re foggier and less focused, maybe even feel emotionally imbalanced?

Contrast this to the clarity, focus, and power that comes from eating what our bodies were designed to thrive on: nourishing whole foods.

Take my typical lunch and what I put in my clients meal plans. Hearty sweet potato & lentil mash and a side salad tossed with orange tahini dressing. Doesn’t sound too crazy “healthy”. In fact, it's super-filling and indulgent.But eating this, I power through the day - taking client calls, working on a new personalized meal plan, getting inspired to record a podcast episode.After seven days of simple meals just like this from the personalized plant-powered meal plans I create for them, my clients are bursting with energy.

Take Caroline. (Not really her name but let's call her that for now.)

Caroline is a marketing coach who has successfully built a thriving 6-figure business. But she had SO MUCH going on in her business and life that deciding what to eat tipped the scale of too many decisions to make.She would frequently skip dinner or just have cereal, was consistently undernourished. That would show up in her work when her energy dropped and she started dragging through the day.

When Caroline contacted me, she was launching her new program in two weeks and knew something had to change during this notoriously busy time, when showers go out the window and food falls off the list of priorities.

She needed to power endless days in front of the computer, back-to-back interviews on podcasts, and late nights spent fixing glitches.We worked together to develop a simple strategy for her to eat quick and nourishing meals during it, and two weeks in, she was surprised to find that not only did she have extra energy to power greater hustle and longer hours, she even had energy left over during launch week to clean the house!

Food becomes the energy you use to fuel hustle and creativity during the workweek.

But so often we feed ourselves meals that just don't fuel our business or the lifestyle we want because we think that eating healthy is TOO HARD.That doesn't have to be true!

It is possible to be healthy and productive on simple meals from easy-to-find foods.

My upcoming TEDx talk is called "how food fuels hustle", and I am passionate about bringing this movement to female entrepreneurs.Often we inherently understand this concept and have a laundry list of what we should be doing, know what we should eat.

But usually the first thing that comes up for us as business owners is "I don't have the time" or "I'm too busy to eat a proper meal".

That's where I come in as a Healthy Living Strategist, helping you integrate this concept into your real life, to feed the amazing work you're doing in the world while simplifying kitchen time.Look forward to one episode of Feed Your Hustle a month dedicated to this with a food strategy chat between just you and me.

Send me a question so I can tailor my strategic guidance to you.

If you're stumped on what to write about, simply tell me your biggest challenge with eating healthy while running a business.

And take advantage of my FREE 3-Minute Morning Meal Plan to start getting tuned in to your body.

After a few days of these super-simple recipes, I promise you’ll notice a difference in the productive energy you bring to your day.

What's one meal you've had recently that drained your energy? How about a meal that kept you going all afternoon?

Go ahead and share it in the comments because I want to know!Warmth and joy,Adria P.S. Loved this episode? Leave the podcast a 5 star rating or review in iTunes. It only takes a second but will help this much-needed community conversation reach your sister entrepreneurs!

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HI! I'M ADRIA DECORTE, M.S.,HEALTHY LIVING STRATEGIST

As an Architect turned Plant Scientist turned Healthy Living Strategist, I help female entrepreneurs who don't want to choose health over hustle make healthy living part of their business plan.

WANT TO JOIN ME? (YOU'LL LOVE IT.)

Energy