Episode Transcript
Have you ever wondered if your food choices could be affecting your motivation? Whenever I open an email or scroll through YouTube or Facebook, there's a new eating program promising different results.
Lose weight, gain weight, gain more muscle mass, gain more energy, or learn how to stop binge eating.
Interestingly, amidst all these diet discussions, one crucial aspect remains the largely unexplored influence of food on our motivation.
You may be asking yourself: What does my eating have to do with my motivation? Or do I even know what I am talking about?
Here's a question: Have you ever consumed a meal at an event or mealtime that made you fall asleep or feel sluggish?
Like many of you, I've experienced the post-meal slump. That feeling of heaviness and drowsiness that sets in after consuming certain foods. It's a shared experience.
Our body systems are specifically designed for a type of food. Our teeth and jaw range of motion are two undeniable giveaways. True carnivores' jaws only open and shut. In contrast, herbivores can grind food with side mobility of the jaw. Carnivores have teeth that are made for ripping flesh and crushing bones.
Another critical feature is the intestinal tract. Omnivores, herbivores, and carnivores have three types of intestinal tracts.
The carnivore's digestion system cannot break down plant vegetation's cell walls. Omnivores are animals that have adapted to eating both plants and animals. Herbivores are animals that only eat vegetation. They can digest and use the cellulose that forms the cell walls of plants.
Most herbivores have an intestinal tract roughly >10x the length of their bodies to process the plant materials. Still, carnivores that do not need to ferment plant materials tend to have much shorter digestive tracts, roughly 3-5 times the length of the body.
An adult human's digestive tract, also known as the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, is about 30 feet (9 meters) long. The GI tract includes the esophagus, stomach, and intestines, which run from the mouth to the anus. The intestines can vary from person to person, but research suggests that the small and large intestines combined are at least 15 feet long. The small intestine can be about 9–16 ft long, while the large intestine is roughly 5 ft long.
The actual length of a person's intestinal tract can vary. However, there is a distinct ratio difference depending on what type of food suits each creature.
Another critical point is the gut biome.
The gut microbiome, also known as microbiota or microbes, consists of trillions of microorganisms living in the intestines, including bacteria, fungi, parasites, and viruses.
According to a study published in Cell, sugar can alter the gut microbiome, which can lead to metabolic disease, pre-diabetes, and weight gain. The study found that sugar eliminates filamentous bacteria, which reduces the number of Th17 immune cells in the gut. Th17 cells are necessary to prevent metabolic disease, diabetes, and weight gain.
Our gut biome communicates with our brain. Consequently, if the sugar-loving bacteria overpopulate, they will hijack your brain and make you think you need more sugar when you don't.
The carnivore diet does two things at once: It infuses the gut with bone broth's gut-healing benefits while eliminating harder-to-digest vegetables, legumes, grains, nuts, and seeds. In other words, it still allows a person to get beneficial nutrients while giving the gut a break from working so hard.
Because of our biological design, we cause ourselves medical issues when we eat sugary foods, white bread, baked goods, high-caffeine drinks, and heavily processed foods, including foods that contain saturated fats, high fructose corn syrup, and artificial ingredients.
In contrast, Fatty fish, Green tea, purified water, nuts, seeds, blueberries, chocolate, leafy greens, and chocolate can stimulate our overall performance without the crash.
Incorporating these stimulating foods into your diet, you can maintain energy levels and cognitive function throughout the day. This simple change can significantly affect your productivity and overall well-being. So, why not give it a try?
Even the most motivated person will have motivational downtime. No one succeeds without motivation. None of us need anything to mentally, emotionally, or physically slow us down. A great place to start is to be careful about the types of food we eat.
Okay, our food orientation can be hard to overcome, but even baby steps in a helpful direction are beneficial.
Embracing a better quality of life has numerous benefits, including being there for our children and grandchildren.
See you on the mountaintop.
Let's be great together.
Elevate, Achieve, and Soar. Make Your Only Way - Forward and Up!
