Food and the brain: keys to think and perform better

What you eat does not only “enter” as fuel: it also changes your mood, your mental clarity, and how easily you say yes or no to a craving. When you lack stable energy, the brain pushes you to look for fast rewards. When you eat in a way that supports glucose stability and satiety, you decide better. In the video, a useful idea is repeated: you do not need perfection, you need a system that makes the easy option more likely.

Below you have a practical guide to translate those ideas into concrete actions, without obsessing over every gram.

Three signals that guide your food decisions

The brain integrates internal and external signals. Understanding them helps you design an environment that works in your favor.

1) Energy availability

If you spend hours with real hunger or with spikes and crashes, your attention becomes more fragile. It is not a lack of character: it is physiology.

2) Gut-brain signals

Hormones and neurotransmitters related to satiety and reward influence the desire to keep eating, even when you already covered calories.

3) Expectations and context

If you associate certain hours, places, or emotions with “something sweet,” your brain anticipates the reward and increases the impulse.

The good news: you can intervene on all three fronts with simple measures.

How to build meals that sustain focus and satiety

A useful meal is not the “cleanest” one, but the one that keeps you stable for 3–5 hours. Use this template:

• Protein in each main meal
• Fiber (vegetables, legumes, whole fruit) to slow digestion
• Carbohydrate adjusted to your activity (more if you train, less if you are sedentary)
• Fat in a moderate amount, especially if it helps you stay satiated

Quick templates (choose one)

• Plate style: protein + 2 fists of vegetables + 1 fist of carbohydrate + 1 thumb of fat
• Bowl: plain yogurt + oats + fruit + seeds
• Complete salad: vegetables + legumes or rice + tuna/eggs + olive oil

If nighttime hunger is hard for you, review this first: did you lack protein during the day? did you lack real food in the afternoon?

Common mistakes that make “the brain ask for sugar”

Sometimes it is not a lack of discipline, it is a repeated pattern.

• Having only coffee for breakfast or something very sweet
• Eating very little at midday and arriving at dinner with aggressive hunger
• Training hard and not replacing protein/carbohydrate
• Sleeping poorly and relying on late caffeine

Choose only one mistake and fix it for one week. Small changes often give a huge return.

Strategies to lower cravings without fighting all day

Cravings are not beaten with endless prohibitions. They are reduced with friction and alternatives.

Increase friction (without drama)

• Do not buy the weekly “trigger”; buy small portions
• If you order food, decide beforehand what you will order, not when you are already hungry
• Change daily dessert to dessert 2–3 times per week and choose quality

Create an automatic alternative

Have a fast option for when the impulse appears:

• Fruit + yogurt
• Dark chocolate (small portion) + nuts
• Herbal tea + something with protein

The goal is not zero cravings; it is that they do not control you.

Supplements: few, clear, and with criteria

Supplements can help, but they do not replace sleep, protein, and training. If you want to simplify, start with the ones with the most evidence and best tolerance, and add one at a time.

• Caffeine: improves alertness; use it early and avoid increasing the dose if it affects sleep
• Creatine monohydrate: can support performance and, in some people, mental clarity; it is usually well tolerated
• Omega-3 (if you eat little fish): it can be useful for general health

Before buying, decide what you will measure: energy, sleep, concentration, or training performance.

Practical 7-day plan (without perfectionism)

Day 1–2: add clear protein at breakfast (eggs, Greek yogurt, shake).

Day 3–4: add one extra serving of vegetables at lunch or dinner.

Day 5: choose a “planned dessert” and avoid improvised snacking.

Day 6: review caffeine: last dose 8 hours before sleep.

Day 7: evaluate: were there fewer hunger spikes? did focus improve?

If something worked, repeat it for two weeks before adding another layer.

How to measure if you are moving in the right direction

You do not need to keep a perfect diary. Choose two signals and write them down 3 times per week:

• Mid-morning energy (0–10)
• Afternoon cravings (0–10)
• Sleep quality (hours and how you feel on waking)

If one week improves and the next worsens, look at context: stress, sleep, and training volume often explain the back-and-forth.

Practical tips to sustain it

• Cook 2 bases: one protein and one carbohydrate for 3–4 meals
• Eat seated and without screens at least once a day; it improves the satiety signal
• Drink water and add salt if you train and sweat; sometimes you confuse thirst with hunger

Conclusion

The brain decides with the signals you give it. If you stabilize energy with complete meals, reduce friction around “triggers,” and use supplements with criteria, you improve focus and control without living on a diet.