Smartshop products for a productive day

Author: Elena Experience expert (psychedelics and psychoactive & medicinal plants), blogger, passion for healthy food

Whether you're a student, teacher, warehouse worker or forester, I suspect you like to have a productive day where you realize what "needs" to be done. Even if you don't currently have a job or are not studying, it is still nice to set goals for yourself and grow as a person.

The trick is to find a healthy balance between relaxation and effort, so that at the end of the day you can go to sleep feeling tired but fulfilled. This is how a person feels at their best!

Another busy day (at work)

For so many people, life consists largely of many busy days, in which they have to do all kinds of things. This corona period has ensured for many that everything that still 'had to be done' has been put on the back burner. Yet a lot of things continue, albeit in a different way. Online meetings, making out with your boyfriend via Facetime and not being able to travel freely from one place to another but throwing a virtual party instead are part of the new reality. Schoolchildren also currently live in a world of online classes, where faltering teachers do their best to keep the subject matter interesting.

After such a day at the computer, you are probably exhausted. Tired of sitting still, how is that even possible?

Maybe your office job has moved to your home setting and you no longer have to take the crowded bus or train to work? Do you get up every morning with the strange realization that you only have to take a few steps and your workday has already begun? 

Find a balance between relaxation and exertion

Sitting still at your computer from morning until evening exhausts you in a different way than backpacking for a whole day. It's a more mental fatigue, where your brain seems to be working slower and slower. Add to this a lack of oxygen and the fact that you have no (physical) social contact with others, and you're done with an energy-guzzling day without much-needed relaxation. 

Don’t worry! There are several ways you can still maintain your health, both mentally and physically. It's important to find a good balance between relaxation and exercise. 

Guarana in the morning

You probably don't think twice about your first cup of coffee in the early morning. Maybe you even smoke a cigarette with it and is this an unbreakable part of your daily ritual. For me, this was a favorite "meditation moment" for many years. It became less and less meditative when I couldn't get past the fact that tobacco was eating my body inside. Not exactly the productivity I'm looking for.

I still enjoy drinking coffee, but did you know that guarana (Paullinia cupana) is a very interesting, caffeine-rich alternative? Plus, it's a pleasant change from the somewhat boring black (or milky) drink you have every morning.

Guarana gives a more sustained energy, whereby you can keep a nice relaxed focus and are less likely to suffer from the ‘jitters’. 

Eat regular and healthy

This of course a no-brainer, but so hard for many people to balance. If you have a sedentary job, chances are you're eating your way through everything at crazy times. If you're also at home at your desk all day instead of in the office, then for many, the chances are even higher that they'll be popping into the fridge every so often. For myself, it helps to have set eating times where I eat nutritious, filling meals with everything my body needs. This way I have less appetite for unhealthy foods during the rest of the day and I feel much better and more energetic. Moreover, it leaves me with a lot more time in my day that I would otherwise spend eating!

Certain foods are a great supplement and can help you feel satiated for longer, making you less likely to feel the need to snack.

Also interesting: "Get to your ideal weight with Intermittent Fasting and Paleo Lifestyle".

A hand full of hempseed

One example of such a nutritious snack is hemp seeds. Yes, hemp seed is indeed the seed of Cannabis sativa, the plant that can also get you stoned or high. Of course hemp seeds are not psychoactive, but they are very tasty!

The seed (without the hard shell) is full of proteins and essential fatty acids. Your body uses these substances to build muscle mass and keep your cardiovascular system healthy. Hemp seeds have a nutty, creamy flavor and are an excellent ingredient in a smoothie, oatmeal or salad. 

Take a walk every day

Give yourself assignments and stick to them. A simple but effective way to relax and give your body a little exercise at the same time is to walk. It also provides fresh air and allows your thoughts to drift away. Make a habit of taking a walk every day, even if it's only for half an hour. 

Of course there are other forms of exercise and sport that work well, such as more intense forms (running, cycling, soccer or HIIT for example). I would recommend exercising outside as much as possible, especially if you are inside for the rest of the day. 

Take a few drops of CBD oil every day

CBD can help your body relax better. A therapeutic dose of just a few drops can be enough to help the stress and pressure of the day flow away much easier.

For me, it helps tremendously to combine CBD with a stressful period. Especially in the evening, cannabidiol is a valuable addition to a peaceful and relaxing sleep. Instead of drops of cannabidiol you can also opt for capsules. These are easy to take and also you do not have to deal with the taste, which for some people is experienced as unpleasant. 

Give your digestive system extra support

Your body is an amazingly ingenious machine with different functions that all need to do their job in top form. Here and there, of course, something can function less well and hopefully it is in your power to change this! Always listen carefully to your own body, it can tell you a lot about things you can do to live healthier. 

For example, it can be very helpful to inspect your bowel movements. What goes in and what comes out? Are your bowels doing their job properly? If not, you certainly have nothing to be ashamed of. Even though it is a taboo subject for many, it is actually very important to talk about our stool, because poop tells us a lot about our health. 

It is old news by now that we contain a second "brain" and that this center is located in our intestines. Much of how we feel, what we think, and how we act, we owe to the balance down there. 

To help our digestive system out a bit, it's a very smart idea to eat lots of probiotic and fermented foods, such as sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha and yogurt. These contain live healthy bacteria, which are very important for creating a good bowel movement. This way we feel fitter, more energetic and happier. 

Personally, I am experimenting a lot with fermented superfoods, such as curtido, tempeh and sourdough. As fermentation guru Sander Katz describes it in his book, "Actually, fermented foods involve pre-digestion, which makes it much easier for your body to absorb the important nutrients."

Living Nutrition makes it easy for individuals who, in their already busy lives, can no longer find the time and space to realize all kinds of (useful) fermented creations.

Living Nutrition markets handy capsules that are a mix of various fermented ingredients, based on the kefir and kombucha fermentation principle. So your gut flora gets a whole bunch of productive friends! 

These were just a few products that can give your day a positive boost. Check out our Healthshop and Smartshop for many other enhancers of your daily productivity.

Elena Experience expert (psychedelics and psychoactive & medicinal plants), blogger, passion for healthy food

Elena studies Organic and Biodynamic agriculture because, besides psychedelics and psychoactive & medicinal plants, she also has a passion for healthy food. Learning about the endocannabinoid system, different cannabinoids and terpenes is super interesting.

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