What you eat and drink can have a profound effect on your health.  This is something that your mother probably told you when you were small.  But what you eat and drink can also effect how productive you are.

For people looking for an extra edge at work, diet can be a useful tool.  With research and information about foods now more accessible than ever and with a variety of supplements widely available, there is no reason not to use diet as a way to increase your productivity.

Here are some ideas:

1. Use breakfast to power up for the day.  Coffee and donuts are a staple for millions of members of the work force.  Sugar and caffeine are popular stimulants, but they can have side effects (especially for people with high blood sugar or high blood pressure) and there are other effective ways to get energy.  Protein and carbohydrates can give a more natural sense of energy.  Eggs get a bad rap because of their cholesterol, but a single egg, pouched or scrambled, is packed with protein.  If eaten in moderation  (one per weekday), they can be very useful.  Pancakes and breads (toast, bagels, muffins) are popular sources of a.m. carbs.  However, low fat options like oatmeal or cream of wheat are arguably healthier (they generally aren’t contain syrups or butter), and provide the same amount of carbs.  Yogurt (low fat, if you want) is another good source of protein.
2. Many people cite coffee as a major productivity enhancer.  However, it can lead to poor health (blood pressure, acid stomach, etc) and often leads to an energy crash later in the day when the caffeine wears off.  Fruit juices have necessary vitamins and natural sugars that can stimulate your mind as well as your body.  Natural, 100% juice, options are best.  Some fruit juices are made from concentrate and sweetened artificially.  You can read the label to make sure your juice is pure.  Some serious juice drinkers go as far as buying a juicer and making their own drinks out of whole, fresh fruits (and veggies like carrot too).
3. Meatless foods are a good option for workers who want to avoid the bloated, tired feeling that comes with eating a heavy lunch.  You don’t have to opt for tofu-based dishes (although that is a possibility, especially if there is a good East Asian eatery near where you work).  Salads topped with hard-boiled eggs or avocados can help you fill up without feeling bloated.  For more energy, try grains with complex carbohydrates.  This mainly means whole grains like brown rice, barley or even breads made solely with whole wheat, rye or other similar non-processed grains.
4. Almonds are a good choice for a snack.  They have healthy oils and also contain two important brain boosting chemicals: phenylalanine and nutrientriboflavin.  Both these help boost brain function and cognitive ability.  Almonds and other nuts contain L-carnitine, a chemical that is stimulating to the brains neurons.
5. What about that afternoon hunger that always seems to set in when you are doing something important? A bag of chips or a candy bar can help, but there are healthier options as well.  Energy bars are a popular choice, but many do not taste very good and come with a high price tag (you could buy a week’s worth of Snickers for the price of one energy bar).  Dried fruits (such as apricots, mangos or banana chips) are a convenient alternative.  They are easy to carry and satisfy the hand-to-mouth habit that makes less healthy munchies so subconsciously attractive.  Nuts (see above) are another healthy snack.  Eating a light snack every hour or two during the day can help to keep your energy level high so that you can avoid the afternoon hunger pangs in the first place.

Mark has been contributing to blogs for 3 years; he blogs about a variety of topics ranging from where to find free insurance quotes online to how get an irs extension.

As you start working out and exercising more you will learn the importance of protein in your diet. Proteins help rebuild your muscles after strenuous use such as lifting weights, running or playing sports. Your body will need a daily supply of protein depending on your weight. This is where protein supplements and shakes come in. They help ensure you’re getting enough of what your body needs to function at its peak level.

1. They Give Your Body What It Needs

After any type of strenuous workout, your body will need a source of protein to recover. Many people do not have enough protein in their diets, especially those that do not eat meat. A protein shake can supply you with nearly half of the recommended daily intake of protein in one 8oz glass.

2. They Are Quick & Easy

The key to getting protein in your body after a workout is to take it within half an hour of working out. This is the time period in which your body absorbs the most protein. While it would be difficult to make a meal in under half an hour, a protein shake can be mixed in a few minutes. They are easy to stir into smoothies, juice or just a glass of water. Taking a protein shake will help ensure you get the protein you need quickly after a workout.

3. They Taste Great

There was a point where protein shakes were chalky and hard to drink. Nowadays they taste great. You will think you’re having a dessert with flavors like: chocolate, cookies and cream and strawberry. Even with all of those great flavors, many shakes are low in sugar and draw their sweetness from other natural sources.

Conclusion

Protein shakes are a great way to supplement your body with the extra protein it needs after exercising. The more muscle mass you have, the more protein you will need on a daily basis, so check with a specialist to find the ideal level for you.

Nick is a fitness nut who works for All Pro Sciecne, a company that makes all-natural protein shakes including their top seller which is a 100% grass fed whey protein.

So we’ve all noticed by now that celebrities are thinner and more physically fit than ever before. And why not, right?  Knowledge and advancements in health and fitness are light years from where they were just 50 years ago, and our athletes and celebrities are the first to benefit from all this insight.

They are usually the first who can afford the most knowledgeable health professionals, trainers, chefs, supplements and you name what else … if for no other reason than because most of them get paid to be healthier and more physically fit.

But before you know it, these celebrities are coming out and slapping their names on all sorts of new health and fitness workouts and products.

From Jane Fonda’s Lean Routine, to Cindy Crawford’s Shape Your Body. From the Chuck Norris Total Gym, to the George Forman Grill. From Carmen Electra’s Strip Tease, to Valerie Bertinelli Losing it. For decades, the list goes on and on. All of them basically promising the same thing … a better, healthier you.

So many products to choose from … some of them offering real health and wellness benefits with actual insight into modern health and fitness innovations … some of them sadly, nothing but misleading gimmicks.

So the question becomes, do any of us “average folk” really know who/what to trust? Should we blindly take the advice of the celebrity we know and love just because they are who they are and we assume they have access to all the best stuff? How do we know for sure that the next celebrity workout video for example isn’t just them exploiting their fame to make another dime?

Fortunately today, there are ways to become more knowledgeable. Many people are now bypassing the celebrity all together and going straight to the source. We are now seeing celebrity doctors, fitness trainers and chefs for example, get their own TV shows. And thanks to the internet largely, we now have more direct access to these people, such as Mari Winsor Pilates Workout Club and more information is available than ever before.

So if you’re considering purchasing a celebrity health and fitness product, make sure you are getting it because it’s something that will really help you achieve your health and fitness goals – not just because it has a famous person’s name on it. Do your research and go online to read reviews and if you’re unsure, seek the advice of professionals and not just celebrities.

Guest Post by Nathan Joynt, contributor to the Gaiam Healthy Green Living blog.