Eating Your Way to Success

Sigrid Grobys BSc. NDChef Martin Yeo

Where gourmet food meets healthy living

To empower people to create & maintain good health

To help people implement healthy living solutions

Eating to be Productive

• Alertness• Ability to concentrate• Efficiency with the task at hand• Better memory• Energy levels

Eat Your Way to a Promotion?

How do you typically feel after eating lunch?

The Food & Mood Connection

TirednessTiredness Low MoodLow Mood HyperactivityHyperactivity

Lack of Motivation

Lack of Motivation

Difficulty Concentrating

Difficulty Concentrating Mood SwingsMood Swings

Poor MemoryPoor Memory AnxietyAnxiety Attention Deficit

Attention Deficit

The Brain & Gut Connection

• The brain contains 100 billion neurons

• The gut contains

100 million neurons

The wrong foods can make you

feel tired, unmotivated…

The right foods can make you feel

great, energized…

• The brain and gut communicate together

The Brain & Gut Connection

Food Mood

Gut Brain

What are thewrong foods?

What are theright foods?

What is a balanced diet?

Glucose From Food Affects Our Mood

Food Mood

Gut BrainGlucose

Glucose: The Critical Brain Food

• Fuel for our brain• Found in carbohydrates

• In a sedentary day, the brain consumes 40% of the carbohydrates we eat

Imbalances in the brain’s glucose supply are often the culprit for a

low mood

Carbohydrate-Containing Foods

Carbohydrate-Containing Foods

• Starches– Bread– Rice– Pasta/noodles– Grains– Anything flour-based

• Fruits• Vegetables– Starchy vegetables– Legumes

• Sweets– Chocolate bars– Candy– Sodas– With “sugar added”

• Salty Junk Food– Chips

Processed / Simple

• White starches– Pasta/Noodles– Rice– Bread– White flour-based

products• Sweets

– Chocolate bars– Candy– Sodas– With “sugar added”

• Salty Junk Food– Chips

Non-Processed / Complex

• Brown starches– Pasta/Noodles– Rice– Bread– Whole wheat flour

products• Fruits• Vegetables

– Starchy vegetables– Legumes

Classes of Carbs

Our body reacts differently to different types of carbohydrates.

Carbs: Effect in the BodyA

mount

of

Glu

cose

in t

he B

lood

Time

Simple

Complex

A slower entry of glucose into the bloodstream leads to a healthier

physiological response.

Carbohydrate Metabolism

Simple carbs can make you feel

tired, unmotivated…

Complex carbs can make you feel

alert, energized…

Slowing Down Glucose Entry

Protein Fiber

• Chicken• Beef• Eggs• Fish• Dairy• Soy• Legumes• Nuts & Seeds

• Legumes• Vegetables• Fruits• Nuts & Seeds

Practical Tip #1 - Starches

• Replace the WHITE

– White Pasta/Noodles– White Rice– White Bread– White flour-based

products

• With BROWN– Brown Pasta/Noodles– Brown Rice– Brown Bread– Wholewheat flour-

based products

• Unprocessed grains– Quinoa– Millet– Amaranth

Why are Complex Carbs Fiber-Rich?

Anatomy of a seed

Effects of Food Processing

Complex Carbs = Fiber + Vitamins + Minerals + Glucose

Simple Carbs = Glucose

PROCESSING

Processed or Simple• White starches

– Pasta/Noodles– Rice– Bread– White flour-based

products

• Sweets– Chocolate bars– Candy– Sodas– With “sugar added”

• Salty Junk Food– Chips

Simple Carbs are Empty Calories

=

Beware of Hidden Sugar

• Ingredients: Sugar, corn syrup solids, hydrogenated vegetable oil, modified milk ingredients, cocoa, cellulose gum, salt, dipotassium phosphate, silicon dioxide, artificial flavour, mono- and diglycerides, guar gum, sodium ammonium silicate.

Beware of Hidden Sugar

• Ingredients: Sugar, corn syrup solids, hydrogenated vegetable oil, modified milk ingredients, cocoa, cellulose gum, salt, dipotassium phosphate, silicon dioxide, artificial flavour, mono- and diglycerides, guar gum, sodium ammonium silicate.

What food product was that?

Hot Chocolate

Without vitamins and minerals, our metabolism becomes inefficient.

Difficulty concentratingFatigue

SleepinessLack of Motivation

Empty Calories Make Us Feel Tired

Practical Tip #2: Snacks

Replace empty calories:

• Sweets– Chocolate bars– Candy– Sodas– With “sugar added”

• Salty Junk Food– Chips

With nutrient-rich goodies:

• Nuts & Seeds• Nut butter• Yoghurt• Fruits• Boiled Egg• Soy Products• Vegetables & Dip

Practical Tip #3: Meal Break-Down

Our Meals are Not Balanced

Practical Tip #4: Quantity

• Don’t overeat

• Bring good snacks from home

• Eat a balanced breakfast

Practical Tip #5: How to Eat

• Slow down & chew• Don’t eat while you are stressed• Don’t eat while doing something

else

In Summary

• Replace white starches with brown starches or unusual grains.

• Balance your plate with 1/3 starches, 1/3 protein and 1/3 vegetables.

• Don’t snack on processed foods.• Eat a good breakfast. • Slow down while eating.

Questions?