The Breakfast Mistake That Ruined My Focus (Until I Fixed It)

Hey there,

So there I was, sitting at my home desk at 11:30 AM, staring at my laptop screen, wondering why every Slack message looked like it was written in ancient hieroglyphics.

My third coffee did nothing, and I counted the minutes until I could turn off my camera in the next meeting.

This used to be my life a few years ago.

Every morning, I congratulated myself on my "healthy" breakfast—a bowl of oats with enough honey to feed a small colony of bees topped with a fruit salad that would make a smoothie shop jealous.

Sometimes, I'd grab a bagel instead - I mean, who hasn't? No one told me it was pure sugar in bread form.

By mid-morning, I couldn't string two thoughts together.

The Accidental Discovery

Here's the thing - I didn't have some magical epiphany. I just got tired of feeling like I needed a nap before lunch.

Through some research (and a lot of trial and error), I learned that what I thought was "healthy" gave my brain a sugar-powered rollercoaster ride.

Turns out, our brains are pretty simple creatures. They want:

• Protein (to get stuff done)

• Complex carbs (for energy that lasts longer than a TikTok video)

• Healthy fats (because your brain is made of the stuff)

What I Eat Now (When I'm Not Just Having Coffee)

1. The "I Have Time" Breakfast:

   • Scrambled eggs with cheese

   • Sourdough bread

   • Spinach and tomatoes (yes, vegetables for breakfast - I've become that person)

2. The "Fancy Porridge" (because it sounds better than buckwheat):

   • Buckwheat (it's better than it sounds, I promise)

   • Cashew butter

   • Protein powder

   • Blueberries

   • A tiny bit of honey (because I'm not completely dead inside)

3. The "I'm Already Late" Smoothie:

   • Banana

   • Nut butter

   • Protein powder

   • Cinnamon

   • Frozen berries

   • A prayer to make it to work on time

The Science Bit (I'll Keep It Short)

Insulin helps get glucose to your brain.

But when you eat too much sugar, your insulin spikes, and then crashes - leaving you feeling foggy and tired.

Think of it like this: You want a steady stream of energy, not a huge burst followed by a crash.

A Thing I Realized

Not every meal needs to be optimized for peak performance.

Sometimes, a meal is just about enjoying that pizza with friends or demolishing your mom's famous cookies.

I call these "ritual meals" - they're for the soul, not the spreadsheet.

Would love to hear your breakfast disaster stories - or your wins, if you're one of those people who had it figured out before me.

Still caffeinated,

Alex

PS: Also, please let me know if you try any of these breakfasts. I'd love to hear how they work for you.

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