The title of this post is literal and talks about food for designers – or anyone who requires brain power, sitting or standing at a desk, while staring at a computer screen. I hear you: ‘Whatever, this is not helpful for my design and creativity abilities.’ But I promise that you’ll find something to boost this talent in here!
Disclaimer: I’m by no means a nutritionist (in fact, I’m a designer) – but I think I got pretty good at knowing what type of fuel is needed by my brain to be at its best, and I’ve got sources!
Water
Coffee dehydrates, water hydrates! So, ideally, water is the first thing that the body should get after a night of sleep.
Water helps digestion, a lot. So it seems like a no-brainer to get your water so that your brain and stomach can focus on the work instead of using energy to digest!
Extra: Water eliminates toxins [1] – whether you work remotely or in-person, you’ll have a glowing skin for those video hangouts or meetings!
Quality fats
Quality fats keep your sugar level steady. [2] This will avoid drops of energy throughout the day (like after lunch).
In this category: Avocado, Coconut oil, Almond butter, Raw almonds, Raw cashews, Raw walnuts, dark chocolate (75% and more cacao), Hemp seeds, Chia seeds, Flax seeds and Olive oil – all in moderation.
Vitamin K and Choline
Those will help keeping your memory sharp! Vitamin K helps to strengthen cognitive abilities and Choline helps with memory. [3]
Vitamin K is present in broccoli, collard greens, kale, spinach, turnip greens, swiss chard, mustard greens, parsley, romaine, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage and green leaf lettuce.
Choline is present in spinach, beets, rice, split peas, peanuts.
Fruits
Fruits are a high-quality fuel because they provide a low-level impact on your sugar level. [2] Bananas, oranges, and apples are easy to carry and eat on the go! It’s important to eat them in their original form because nature made them perfect:
Fructose in fruit is encased in fibre which hugely affects its metabolism in our bodies. The fibre helps to slow down the absorption and so it doesn’t get fast, direct access to the liver like it does when it is ‘free’. – That Sugar film
Antioxidants
Pollution, radiation, cigarette smoke and herbicides are hard to fully avoid! Help your body fight free radicals by providing antioxidants, and again, regain that energy to focus on work 🙂
The list includes Goji berries, Blueberries, Pecans, Artichokes, Cranberries, and much more.
Food in its natural state
You’ll get the most out of the above ingredients if you consume them in their most raw, unprocessed state!
Finally –
I hope that I convinced a few of us of the place that food has on this design blog. Our brain and our body are the tools that provide us the ability to be innovative, interact with each other, work efficiently and consistently. I would hurry taking care of them 💞
Sources
Photo by Bernard Rossignol
AUTOMATTIC DESIGN (FLOW RIP) 