Banish brain fog and find your focus with two simple swaps

Are you an author looking to improve your writing focus, have less brain fog, and greater productivity?

Then my new book is for you!

The Author Diet — Focus, health, and productivity through nutrition and habits

That’s just the working title, of course.

The book is done and in the final stages before publishing, but in the meantime, I want to share something I do with all my books — give my readers a quick win to keep them motivated and energized as they read and begin to implement the plan in the book.

I call it a kickstart, and here’s an excerpt from that very chapter of my upcoming book.

Enjoy!

Roland

The Author Diet Kickstart

In my books, I always give my readers a strong start.

I’ve read so many books where you have to read to the end just to see what your first step should be.

Not here. Not in my book!

Whether you dive right in or take your time getting into it, there are some truly simple things you can do today that will give you big benefits with very little effort.

While some of you might want to lose weight, almost every author I talk to wants better focus, improved mental sharpness, reduced brain fog, less fatigue, and to eliminate what they call “writer’s block.”

If you’re ready for a sharper mind and more focus, the Kickstart below will get that going, and fast.

A vicious circle, in reverse

Have you ever noticed that when you perform actions or habits that are complementary that everything seems easier?

If you start to eat better and start exercising at the same time, both seem to work better than one alone.

The same is true here – the sooner you sharpen your mind, the sooner you’ll feel positive results, the sooner you’ll finish the book, and the easier it will be to maintain your new habits.

It’s like a vicious circle, but in a good way.

Simple swaps to kickstart your focus

Before you think ‘supplement,’ think again. I’m not much of a supplement pusher.

In fact, I’ve found that most supplements recommended for better focus aren’t worth the money and often have little effect, even if you can afford them.

I’ll talk more about supplements – including the few that actually do work – in a later chapter, but it’s important to note the word ‘supplement’ here.

A supplement is designed to work with your food or to make up for something that food isn’t able to provide.

That’s what the word ‘supplement’ means.

Without having your diet in order first, you have little to supplement.

Besides, most people can accomplish their health, focus, and writing goals through real food, not powders and pills.

Okay, are you ready to kickstart your writing focus?

All it takes is a few simple swaps that are not only easy, but actually taste good.

Focus on focus

The one area where authors can have the greatest impact on mental alertness, brain fog, and energy levels is by improving their omega-3 fatty acid balance.

Omega-3 balance is very important for brain health, and most of us simply do not get enough omega-3s.

You might be familiar with omega-3 fats already. They are commonly found in fatty fish like salmon, and are one of the healthiest fats humans can eat. Most of us don’t eat nearly enough foods containing this super healthy fat.

And, at the same time, most of us get way too many omega-6s. The omega-6 fats are found almost everywhere, but in particularly high concentrations in corn, vegetable, and soybean oils.

That’s where balance comes in

An omega-3 to 6 imbalance can cause systemic inflammation, which can make it hard for my fellow authors to focus.

It can lead to brain fog and fatigue, and all sorts of other things that the word ‘inflammation’ brings to mind.

On top of omega-3s bringing balance to the ratio, studies have shown that simply getting enough omega-3s in the diet helps improve cognition and focus.

Studies on kids have shown they were more alert and studied better with more omega-3s.
Omega-3s have shown promise in treating some mood disorders, such as postpartum depression.
Adults with more omega-3s had less dementia and were less likely to show cognitive decline.

Two tasty swaps for less brain fog

When it comes to improving your omega-3 to omega-6 balance, two simple swaps is all it takes.

1. Swap salmon for your typical meat or protein source

When you go to the grocery store this weekend, pick just one meal and swap out your normal chicken, beef, or pork for salmon.

Ideally, serve each person a 3-6 oz piece of salmon. Wild-caught is best, but any salmon is fine.

One meal is a good start, but if you already enjoy salmon, aim for 2-3 meals per week. It doesn’t have to be dinner — lunch and breakfast work, too.

2. Swap olive oil for your typical cooking oil

When you go down the cooking oil aisle, get a bottle of olive oil to replace the typical oil you’ve been using.

Any olive oil you buy is fine. They are all healthy. Extra virgin has more taste, but light olive oil has a more neutral flavor for cooking and doesn’t smoke up as easily.

Cooking oil is a great start, but if you eat a lot of salad dressings, check the labels and find one that uses olive oil or avocado oil, instead of corn, canola, soybean, or vegetable oil.

That’s it.

Salmon and olive oil. Easy.

With these two simple swaps, you’ll be getting more omega-3s from the salmon and fewer omega-6s by replacing your soybean, corn, or vegetable oils with healthier (and tastier) olive oil.

Just those two simple swaps and you’re on your way to sharper focus, less brain fog, lowered inflammation, and better overall health.

Try these swaps for at last a week or two

Keep in mind that like taking a multivitamin, you won’t always feel immediate results. Omega-3 to omega-6 balance adjusts over time as your body processes them.

It doesn’t take long, though, and soon enough you’ll be writing better, faster, and with less writer’s block.