How the Keto Diet Can Feed Entrepreneurship and Creativity For those looking for ways to take their work to the next level, a keto diet may be just what they need.
By Adrian Nita Edited by Amanda Breen
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Entrepreneurship and creativity are two key factors that drive the world economy. But one of the downsides about these is they both require a lot of mental energy, and if you run out, you start making mistakes and bad decisions.
Even if you don't feel like eating food on some days or aren't as productive as usual, it doesn't mean there's something wrong with you. It might simply be because your brain isn't working at full capacity or needs more fuel to perform well — which is exactly where the keto diet comes in.
My keto journey
For the past few months, I tried the keto diet to see how much of a difference it could make in my life. The results were astounding, to say the least. I felt much more focused, and my overall productivity skyrocketed.
Starting a new business is like building a new house: You need bricks and mortar to build it solid and sustainable for the long term. In the case of startups, those bricks are customers. No matter how much experience you have, you don't have a business if you haven't got customers. That's why in addition to focusing on my work, I also worked hard to get new customers for the startup I created recently.
Seeing how the keto diet helped me get through some challenging months at work, where I often felt pretty drained of energy levels, made me realize that completely changing your nutrition can impact your life and everyone around you. You can deliver your best work, be happy with what you are doing and contribute positively to the company's development.
Related: Can the Keto Diet Give You a Mental Edge?
So how exactly does the keto diet help with entrepreneurship and creativity?
It increases brain power
The ketogenic way of eating has become very popular in the past years, as it seems to have amazing benefits both for your body and mind. The main goal of this diet is to get your body into a state called ketosis. You can get into ketosis by eating clean keto foods, which are high in healthy fats, moderate amounts of protein and low levels of carbohydrates.
And where would these ketones go except to our brain? They feed our brains and give us energy, making us more alert and focused. In fact, many people report feeling euphoric, calm and even experiencing better mental performance during the keto diet. Another reason this might happen is that we eat fewer carbs on keto, which tells our brains that food is scarce, allowing us get more mental energy from the glucose (energy) already available.
So it is a win-win situation: The keto diet can increase your energy and make you feel more focused, which in turn makes you more productive and successful. It sounds like the perfect mix, right?
It gives space for creativity
This is not only an ideal state to get into when you're already working, but also when you're trying to come up with new ideas. If you've ever tried brainstorming sessions in the middle of the day while eating pizza and drinking Coke, I bet it didn't go so well. It's all about routine and having your body do the things it needs to do on autopilot — this includes making ketones out of fat!
Related: Keto Diet Evangelist Harlan Kilstein on How to Achieve Things You Never Thought Possible
And since you'll feel more focused naturally, coming up with new creative solutions will not be a problem either. You'll have no trouble putting in hours in front of your desk doing research or writing down your thoughts — which is great because building an empire takes time, attention and dedication.
It increases productivity levels
The state of ketosis may take some weeks to get into, but don't let this discourage you. There are tons of benefits of keto that will happen before you reach ketosis, and these can already be felt just after a couple of days on the diet. And once you get into it, your workflow will increase your productivity levels.
A keto diet can not only help you stay focused and productive for increasing amounts of time, but also increase the quality of the work you do. With ketones feeding our brains, we can put more effort into what really matters instead of wasting time trying to fight off mental fatigue.
It builds discipline
The key ingredient for most successful entrepreneurs is self-discipline, and staying in ketosis requires this too. We all know about the temptations of carbs, sugars and processed foods, but you can overcome them with enough discipline — especially if you're aiming to build a business empire.
And even when you think it's hard, remember that every time you say no to something bad for your body or mind, it's one more small win on your path to greatness! So next time someone offers you pizza or pasta, just smile and politely refuse — I'm sure they'll understand. Because in the end, people want to work alongside winners, not quitters.
Related: 5 Products to Help You With the Keto Diet
It helps you lose weight
And if there are no carbs in the body, you'll have no carbs to store as fat, right? So ketogenic diet can help you burn fat. But at the same time, it will also increase your mental performance, so it's not so much about losing weight, but about reaching higher levels of success.
And the best part is that your brain will actually work better when you're lighter since it won't have to bother with digesting food all day. This way, you can have more room for activities that drive your business forward.
Keto will change how your body uses energy, and this will completely transform the way you work. It can help you get into flow faster, build more discipline and increase the quality of your work — all while keeping you lean and focused!
Isn't that what great empires are built upon? A feeling of success day by day until it's turned into something magnificent.
Although many other diets may give similar benefits, which makes them worth a try, keto is quickly becoming one of the top choices for entrepreneurs because it fits perfectly with their lifestyle. It feeds them the energy they need to perform better at their jobs without getting tired or distracted easily. And don't forget that this state also keeps you in good shape, which saves time that you would have otherwise spent working out.
