To exert willpower, the brain uses a chemical known as glucose.
When the body takes in food, it turns some of that food into glucose which is sent throughout the blood stream. 20% of the body's glucose goes to the brain, which it uses to think, communicate and, yes, exert willpower.
All foods create glucose, but not all glucose fuels your willpower as effectively.
High-glycemic foods, like the ones Grover prohibits, cause your blood sugar to spike. That gives your brain a quick boost of willpower. But it is shortly followed by an extreme drop in blood sugar, which causes a "willpower crash".
Grover's athletes can keep going because their low-glycemic diet provides a steady stream of glucose to the brain. They are able to persevere through their workouts because their willpower is being constantly fueled.
To get the most willpower out of your diet follow these guidelines:
No sugar. Especially sugar that is artificially added to foods during processing.
No dairy. Milk, cheese, yogurt, everything. Because the lactose in that food will lead to the spike and crash effect.
No breads. The grains are processed into sugar by your body.
No junk. Any sort of processed food will likely be high-glycemic due to high-fructose corn syrup.
Yes lean proteins. This includes cuts of beef, poultry, pork, fish and free-range eggs.
Yes nuts. Specifically those nuts that are high in omega-3 fatty acids like walnuts, pecans and cashews.
Yes vegetables. All vegetables will help build your long-term willpower, so choose your favorites!
Yes fresh fruit. Fruits do have more sugar than others, but many fruits like berries and avocados are still low-glycemic – even though they have sugar. Fresh fruit is preferred over dried because dried fruits have a higher concentration of sugar in them.
When the body takes in food, it turns some of that food into glucose which is sent throughout the blood stream. 20% of the body's glucose goes to the brain, which it uses to think, communicate and, yes, exert willpower.
All foods create glucose, but not all glucose fuels your willpower as effectively.
High-glycemic foods, like the ones Grover prohibits, cause your blood sugar to spike. That gives your brain a quick boost of willpower. But it is shortly followed by an extreme drop in blood sugar, which causes a "willpower crash".
Grover's athletes can keep going because their low-glycemic diet provides a steady stream of glucose to the brain. They are able to persevere through their workouts because their willpower is being constantly fueled.
To get the most willpower out of your diet follow these guidelines:
No sugar. Especially sugar that is artificially added to foods during processing.
No dairy. Milk, cheese, yogurt, everything. Because the lactose in that food will lead to the spike and crash effect.
No breads. The grains are processed into sugar by your body.
No junk. Any sort of processed food will likely be high-glycemic due to high-fructose corn syrup.
Yes lean proteins. This includes cuts of beef, poultry, pork, fish and free-range eggs.
Yes nuts. Specifically those nuts that are high in omega-3 fatty acids like walnuts, pecans and cashews.
Yes vegetables. All vegetables will help build your long-term willpower, so choose your favorites!
Yes fresh fruit. Fruits do have more sugar than others, but many fruits like berries and avocados are still low-glycemic – even though they have sugar. Fresh fruit is preferred over dried because dried fruits have a higher concentration of sugar in them.
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