Eat your Way to Better Business: Secret Strategies the Gurus Never Share

Susie Beiler By Susie Beiler, CHHC, AADP, OTR/L

Do you know what your greatest asset in business is? Most people think it has something to do with how much capital they have or how productive their employees are…

The primary asset that you may have forgotten to factor in to grow your business is that your health is the foundation of your business. Have you ever missed a day or a week for emergency surgery or because you got the flu? If you are overweight, you know how exhausting it is to carry around those extra 50 pounds. Suffer from the 3 pm slump? You know it is not fun to feel exhausted and still have 10 more tasks to complete before the day is over.

The good news is that the above scenarios are totally unnecessary. Simple changes in your food choices can go a long way in giving you the energy, clarity of thinking, and efficiency that you need to grow your business.

The first secret strategy to growing your business is drinking enough water. Dehydration leads to a foggy brain, physical pain, illness, and even putting on too many pounds. The cells (especially the fat cells) in your body hold toxins, from your environment, from processed food, and even from unexpressed emotion. If you are not drinking enough pure water, those toxins remain in your body. Hydrating consistently allows your body to let go of those toxins. You will be amazed at how much better you feel when you start your day off with at least 16 ounces of water. Drink it when you first wake up in the morning.

You are what you eat. What you put into your mouth enters your digestive system, blood stream, and turns into your tissues, bones, and organs. This is profound. Do you want a leg up on your competition? Then eat whole, unprocessed, fresh, pure food. Fill your plate with vegetables first. Then add the whole grain, the beans, or the clean animal protein. (Clean animal protein comes from animals that have been pastured in the sunlight eating their natural diet.)

And the third secret- You are HOW you eat. Do you gulp your food down and rush through life? If you eat while driving and talking on the phone, you probably have never developed the ability to have single focus, which is a rudimentary skill for any entrepreneur. If you are the type to take your time and chew your food, feel it going down and hitting your stomach, and to stop when you are full, you probably have a nice rhythm in your life. Chew your food, breathe from your belly when you eat, and put your fork down between bites. You’ll save your digestive system so much energy by eating this way that you will have more than enough energy for your business, your family, and your hobbies.

The fourth secret strategy may be my personal favorite. Know the power of your gut. The gut is your second brain. You have just as many neurons there as you do in your brain. Your gut also plays a crucial role in regulating your mood. Neurotransmitters such as serotonin are mostly located in your gut. If you put processed food with chemicals and preservatives into your gut, those neurotransmitters are unable to function properly.

Of course, this is where you digest your food, a critical function of your body, which if in good working order lends to health everywhere else in your body. If it is not functioning properly, you experience heartburn, acne, arthritis, and many other possible ailments.

Not so obvious, is that the gut is where most of your immune system is located. Keep your food clean and your immune system will stay tough as nails. No more sick days! (Hint: teach your employees how to eat well. It will save your company lots of money.)

Hopefully you are also breathing from your gut (as opposed to your chest). Deep belly breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which allows you to operate in a state of calm. In a peaceful state, you conserve energy, make good decisions, and stay young. Operating from the stress response (fright, fight, or flight) leads to costly decisions and burnt out adrenals.

“I had a gut feeling about that…” That’s because your intuition is also located in your gut. Feed yourself pure foods and you will access your intuition, a crucial guide to navigating the complex world of business.

Stand in front of the mirror and look at your body. Where is your gut? It is in the center of your body. Pay attention to your gut and what you are feeding it and you will become more centered. Clients and contracts will flock to you because they like working with someone centered and peaceful.

Susie Beiler, Nutrition Counselor & Occupational Therapist is the owner of Spectrum Health Consulting LLC, a company dedicated to assisting businesses and corporations save money on health care costs.

Doylestown, PA
[email protected]
www.spectrumhealthconsulting.com

Donna Ward
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