Food and Writing: Keeping Your Blood Sugar Up

So you're writing. You have goals to write a certain amount per day, and maybe a date by which you must finish this project. You're committed to making this happen, even if someone has to chain you to your keyboard until you meet your daily word count. What can you do to make this process easier? Well... one thing for certain! Keep your brain well-fed and at the top of its game! Here are some tips and hints I've found helpful:

1. Stay hydrated. Fatigue is often the result of being mildly dehydrated. Sugary or caffeinated beverages also contribute to dehydration. So grab a glass or two of water along with that cup of coffee.

2. Speaking of caffeine-- I will admit to being seriously excited about that extra boost it seems to give, improving concentration, but be wary. As stated above, stay hydrated, and look out for the inevitable caffeine crash!

3. Try to stick with healthy snacks that will boost your blood sugar without dropping you like a hot cookie sheet. Whole foods, like fruits and vegetables, or whole grains. You know the drill. One of my current favorites is fresh guacamole and blue corn chips. (Recipe below)

4. When all else fails, bust out the cookies and coke. At least, if you're me. There is just something about a few Oreos that seems to do the trick sometimes. There's nothing wrong with pampering yourself occasionally. ;)

5. Snacking is okay, but be sure you start with a good breakfast and break to eat a good lunch. Something heavy will slow you down while your body works to digest it, so avoid that if you can.


Guacamole Recipe
1 medium avocado (the small bumpy ones, not the bigger, lighter ones for this recipe.)
1 plum tomato, chopped (or less, to taste. I LOVE tomatoes.)
1 TBSP finely chopped onion
Garlic powder, to taste (you can also use fresh minced garlic. probably 1 clove.)
Salt, to taste (if I'm using salted chips, I leave the salt out of the guac.)
Cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
Tortilla Chips

Cut avocado in half and spoon out of skin into a bowl. Mix with the spoon. Add chopped tomato and onion, mix well. Add seasonings to taste. Enjoy with chips!