Fuel Yourself with the Right Fuel

Written By: DJ Patterson, Owner of EcoGreen Professional Detailing

Brought to you as part of the IDA Health & Wellness initiative. Check out Health & Wellness Resources.

What’s the one most neglected tool in your business? I could easily argue that a majority would answer this wrong. For years I neglected myself, the most vital tool in my business. Why is that? Because everything else was urgent. The majority of us wake up and immediately take on the first thing presented to us. It could be a text, email, or DM from a client with a complaint or request. It could be checking how our latest Instagram or Facebook post is doing. It could be a funny TikTok a friend sent that led down a rabbit trail of laughs. Next thing we know, it’s time to run out the door and get to the office or our first appointment. Although this may not be relevant to all reading, I’m about to give you a few tips on how I gained more mental clarity, more sustained energy, and overall control through nutrition alone.

Nutrition is what fuels your body. It’s like putting gas in your car. If you put in crap fuel, you’re going to get crap output. Now, the car will still run, but at what point will it lose performance? 

Let me tell you about my previous gas station diet. As a mobile detailer for over half my career, I lived off of energy drinks, gas station pizza, hot dogs, and candy. My first meal consisted of a sausage roll, a donut, and RedBull. Between nearly every appointment I stopped to grab an energy drink and junk food snack. Let me sidetrack for a second and touch on the financial aspect of this. I was easily spending $20 per day. That’s $120 a week, $480 a month, and dang near $6000 a month…on junk food! This type of diet left me in a fog all day mentally, for years. The food bogged me down, the energy drinks kept me going but by end of the day, I had a HARD crash. Wake up and repeat.

You may be asking yourself, "okay, DJ, what’s so wrong with eating whatever I want?" I’d argue that everything is wrong. Our bodies aren’t meant to run entirely off artificial foods loaded with preservatives. These types of food do nothing good for our mental clarity. Everything is good in moderation though. I, too, indulge in junk food almost weekly, but it’s not my core diet. Below are some of my recommendations for a healthy diet.

Breakfast Options: 

• Oatmeal
• Granola
• Eggs
• Toast
• Bagels
• Smoothies
• Potatoes 

Snack Options:

• Trail mix
• Nuts
  
• Dried fruit
• Sunflower seeds
• Vegetables and a dip

Lunch Options:
A simple balanced portion of protein, fat, and carbs is key here. You want foods that are going to fuel you the second half of the day. I lean on meals like those below since I’m a proponent of bringing my own lunch when on the go:

• Chicken, broccoli, rice
• Ground beef, potatoes, green beans
• Meal replacement smoothie 
• Ground turkey and sweet potatoes 
• Salads 

Again, everything is good in moderation, so if you want to throw in some cookies, a bag of chips, or even candy in the mix, go for it! But I can promise if you’re like I once was, following some of the tips above will take your mental clarity through the roof, it will help sustain your energy, and you’ll have a much better outlook on life in general.

*The IDA is not a provider of medical or health services, and the information provided herein does not constitute medical advice. Please talk to your medical healthcare provider.