For better judgement, eat

31st January 2010

Higher blood sugar may improve our self control, especially for skinny types.

Recent studies suggest a link between blood glucose levels and our tendency to delay gratification until later for a greater reward. Even a simple glass of coke can have a marked effect on our decision making:

"The volunteers who drank the regular sodas (and therefore had higher blood glucose levels) were more likely to select receiving more money at a later date while the volunteers who drank the diet sodas (and who had lower blood glucose levels) were likelier to opt for receiving smaller sums of money immediately."

Assuming the findings are accurate - and my own experience says 'hell, yes' - there a few things we can learn from this:

• Never skip meals
  Skipping a meal may appear to save time, but we pay the price of self control - usually essential to whatever we're trying to accomplish. A five minute snack gains far more time than it costs.
• Beat procrastination
  If you're stalled on a task, try a snack high in glucose (like Coke, or even mashed potatoes).
• Know your natural highs and lows
  Everyone differs, but you'll likely experience highs and lows after activities like eating, sleeping and exercise. Put your most important 'disciplined' activities in the high points, and use the rest for everything else.
• High metabolism can be dangerous
  If you're like me (naturally thin) and your body seems to incinerate food in seconds, then you're particularly vulnerable to low blood sugar, and more violent swings in the quality of your judgement. Eat small meals more often to increase stability.

Read more: Fluctuating Blood Glucose Levels May Affect Decision Making