E². “E squared” or Eating and Exercise. That’s the secret formula to high performance. That’s the secret formula for the foundation of transformation. That’s the secret to better ADD/ADHD management, too. I’ve said it before and will continue to say it: healthy eating and frequent exercise are good for everyone. It takes a healthy body to be a high performer.
Eating. What a great activity! It provides a social time. It’s what we do to nourish our bodies. For some, it’s become an emotional salve. For some, it’s become a necessary annoyance. For some, it’s a connection to a creative outlet — cook to create satisfying foods to eat.
By being constantly bombarded with carefully calculated marketing efforts, we eat more fast food and more junk food today than ever before. When I was young, my mother bought pre-made foods and called them her cheap help because of the time and effort it saved her from having someone else make them. I thought that was brilliant myself — at the time.
The problem with what was once a convenience has become a habit, and an unhealthy one. It’s a habit, based on the number of people who don’t cook today — they graze the snack aisle or fast food joints. The unhealthy position I’m coming from there is that preservatives, artificial colors, and “natural flavors” — which can contain artificial ingredients — come with those convenience foods (and don’t forget the heavy load of salt and sugar)! Sadly, through the years more artificial ingredients, sugar, and preservatives have crept into our convenience foods. That’s taking its toll on our health. These ingredients impact us in various ways, ranging from energy to allergies to autoimmune diseases.
For you to take control of your life and to become the best version of yourself that you can be it’s critical you take control of what you eat. When you eat whole, organic foods, your body is able to do what it does best — be healthy and strong. It takes a healthy and strong body to be at peak performance. Peak performance is how you live a high-performance life and have the energy to transform your life.
Exercise, the second “E” in this formula, is short-hand for movement. Movement benefits a focused, high-performance life. Movement, especially frequent movement, increases dopamine, which helps with focus, learning, and motivation. All high performers benefit from that boost!
Movement increases creativity, as well. When I’m stuck on finishing an article, for example, I have learned that a quick walk around the office building or pacing in the office will fire up those creativity cells, and the article comes together nicely. Research supports that observation.
Another reason exercise is good for you is that it gets the blood flowing, which gets vital oxygen and glucose to your heart and brain. A change of scenery, stimulus, and position also improve the brain’s functioning ability and your mood. You don’t like exercise? Ok, then call it movement and skip the gym.
You can walk the stairs, the hallways, the sidewalks, or the countryside — get out there and move to improve your health and productivity. Find your favorite kind of movement and adopt it. Stretches, yoga, swimming, karate or a martial art, biking, running, etc. all help improve your outlook on life and work, and improve your health. Use your imagination to figure out what kind of movement you will enjoy adopting, then incorporate it into your day.
It’s the one-two punch of eating well and exercising regularly that makes for a life where you rise to your best potential, improve creativity, and increase productivity. This is a vital formula for those who want to transform to an excellent life and keep it going. If you want your strengths to shine and your superpowers to flourish, subscribe to E².