Ever Have One of Those Days…

I love this picture. I was immediately drawn to it, even before I read the accompanying article at Wired. It could be my avatar.

I’m guessing that all parents can relate to this photo. Many days I feel like this man looks — madly multitasking as the responsibilities of the day pull my attention in a dozen directions. On other days when my To Do list exceeds my energy reserves, I wish I could sprout an extra pair of hands.

From Wired.com:

Surprisingly large numbers of people appear to be using brain-enhancing drugs to work harder, longer and better. They’re popping pills normally prescribed for narcolepsy or attention-deficit disorder to improve their performance at work and school.

“We aren’t the teen clubbers popping uppers to get through a hard day running a cash register after binge drinking,” wrote a Ph.D. research scientist who regularly takes a wakefulness drug called Provigil, normally prescribed for narcolepsy. “We are responsible humans.”

What a sad commentary on our culture. Apparently, drugs aren’t just for the stupid, but for those desperately struggling to keep up with the demands of a 60hr work week.

Recently I was reminiscing with a friend about the crazy hours I kept last year, juggling family, school and work. I marveled at how I made it through at all, with the demands that my schedule required:

“Yeah, I often wondered about that, but I didn’t want to dig too deeply.”

“You thought I was taking something illegal?”

“Well…”

“Well, as much as I was able to accomplish, it probably should have been!”

I’ve already posted a blog entry about the supplements I take. I’ve tweaked the list a bit, but for the most part, the list is the same. However, the most important factor I have found for high energy and clear thinking is “live/raw” foods. When stress is at it’s peak, an 80% or more live foods diet helps me be at my best. I can maintain a high level of productivity on 4 hrs sleep and keep my calm, sweet demeanor.

Live foods, or foods that remember where they came from, have all their lovely enzymes intact and are much easier for your body to digest. Since digestion is one of the hardest things your body has to do, any energy not spent digesting dead food can be reserved for important stuff like remembering where you put your keys, writing a thesis or curing cancer.

Read the rest of the Wired article on so called “smart drugs” here. At the end and in the comments, there are suggestions for mixing your own prescription cocktail, which I do not endorse. I contend that genuine increases in energy can be made without abusing drugs, prescription or otherwise. Increasing the amount of live foods in your diet, even if it is just an extra green salad a day, can do wonders. What I’m saying is, give peas a chance…