By Kelly Ryan, Registered Holistic Nutritionist
When I was growing up, my father said that being an entrepreneur “means you are the chief cook and bottle-washer.” The buck stops with you: you have so much to do and worry about. You might have family responsibilities, be in business organizations, network, you have to . . . And also . . . And . . . Oh, my . . .
With all of this on your plate, it is imperative that you take care of yourself.
Your health, eating habits, lifestyle, and mindset are interconnected and can affect your memory, productivity, energy, and chance of sickness. You don’t have time to operate at anything other than peak levels.
Set a good example for your employees so they can be at their best at work: create a great work-life balance. To attract the best employees, you need to be a leader who values your employees’ well-being.
Can living a healthy lifestyle improve your bottom line? Some initiatives, including “comprehensive workplace wellness programs, deliver impressive cost savings and positively influence productivity” (“Healthy Workplaces and Productivity: A Discussion Paper,” Lowe, Graham S.; April 2003).
Nutrition
Many nutrients can affect your energy levels—omega-3s, magnesium, vitamin C, B vitamins, and several minerals. The best source of nutrients is whole foods.
Did you know that 60 percent of our bodies and 73 percent of our brains are made of water? Water is crucial to having energy and clarity and to working at peak performance.
It is important to avoid toxins, junk foods, processed foods, and other harmful things; these can be linked to brain function impairments, chronic fatigue, anxiety, irritability, susceptibility to illness, and more.
If your digestion isn’t in good working order, it will throw off the rest of your body. Friendly bacteria in the gut can help lower stress levels! They say that your gut is your second brain.
You may think that eating healthy food is time consuming, but you can save much-needed time. For instance, you can make an easy, nutrient-packed green smoothie for breakfast.
Green Smoothie (makes two servings) Blend together
4 cups unsweetened almond milk
4 cups kale leaves
1 avocado
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/2 cup hemp seeds
1/4 cup almond butter
1 mint sprig
4 tbsp. lemon juice
Optional: add local in-season berries, a couple of drops of stevia, pure vanilla, peppermint, or almond extract to taste. Time-saving tip: make enough for two days and keep it in the fridge.
Mindset
Your mindset can affect your health. Stress can affect your digestion, immune system, insulin release, weight, and sleep; if they aren’t at their best then neither are you.
A little stress can help (if you’re responding to an RFP, for example), but too much can be damaging. Stress is a “fight or flight” response and dampens body parts that are unessential for escape. It is useful when a lion’s chasing you and you need to high-tail it out of there.
The problem is daily stress (driving, meeting deadlines, and managing employees): working on your mindset and lowering your stress levels can help keep you on your game.
Lifestyle
Taking breaks, enjoying nature, creating healthy habits, and unplugging can give your mind a break, decrease stress, improve workflow, and boost your immune system so you can be more focused.
Exercising helps energy and clarity by circulating blood, oxygen, and nutrients; it decreases stress and strengthens your immune system.
So tell me—do you think taking care of your health can help you as an entrepreneur?
Stay tuned for the next article: “Living Healthy Now to Thrive into Retirement.”
Kelly Ryan,
Kelly is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist who helps moms get their energy back and feel great. She believes that it is possible to be a mom, and feel energized, feel like yourself, feel great and love life! As a mom to 2 wonderful kiddos, she wanted to start them off right, keep them as healthy as possible and teach them how to take care of their own health. As a professionally trained Chef and lover of food, she had to undergo big changes in her diet 3 years ago when she discovered that a gluten and dairy intolerance was causing her major health issues that medicine just couldn’t seem to fix. These reasons ignited her interest in natural nutrition. Kelly has completed the Natural Nutrition Program with the Canadian School of Natural Nutrition, Eben Pagan's Virtual Coach program, the Basic Pastry and Basic Cuisine programs at Le Cordon Bleu Cooking School in Ottawa and is certified as ASQ’s Certified Manager of Quality/Organizational Excellence. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Memorial University of Newfoundland. She is a member of the CSNN Alumni Association, NLOWE and Healing NL. She is a speaker and health coach inspiring her audiences and clients to feel recharged, energetic and fantastic. Connect with her on Facebook @KellyRyanRHN.
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