Each morning you get to choose how you start your day. Do you get up, roll out of bed, grab coffee with almond joy creamer and a pastry OR do you get up, roll out of bed, grab 30 minutes of exercise and a bowl of steel cut oatmeal? The choice is yours, but before you make that choice, I want you to think about this—The Pastry Effect. Whether you know it or not, that decision may impact your entire day. The simple act of eating a pastry may cause your day to look something like this…
All that refined sugar from your pastry breakfast is converted into quick energy. In fact, so much energy, that you put the pedal to the metal on your way to work. You get pulled over for doing 50 mph in a 25 zone. The unsympathetic police officer issues a ticket for more money than you have in your bank account and adds points to your license. You get to work (late of course), and the sugar high is over. You feel wiped out and cranky. So cranky, that you snap at your boss. Your boss doesn’t approve of your late arrival or the bad attitude and sternly reprimands you. Your confidence is shaken and a headache sets in. You pen an email to your best friend detailing the events of the morning and how much you can’t stand your boss. You have such a bad headache that instead of sending said email to just your BFF, you accidently send it to the entire office. Your theme song, So You Had A Bad Day, starts playing…
Now let’s say you start the day with exercise and a bowl of oatmeal. You feel fantastic. Your energy is level is sustained (no roller coaster effect). Your judgment is impeccable, and you avoid that sneaky speed trap. You arrive to work early and greet your boss with a respectful yet warm morning salutation. In return, your boss remembers that the office has 2 extra tickets to the hottest event in town and offers them to you. You sit down at your desk to begin the day with a sense of clarity and confidence. You shoot an inspiring email to the entire office and productivity levels go through the roof. Your theme song, What a Wonderful World, starts playing…
The concept is simple, but the effect is profound. The greatest part is that you get to choose. Think about it tomorrow morning when you wake up. When you are making the choice between a healthy or sugary start, think about the Pastry Effect.
