Most people underestimate how much their output is tied to what they eat. They think productivity is about discipline, motivation, or tools. That’s the surface layer. Those things matter, but they sit on top of something more basic: your body.

If your energy system is unstable, your work will be unstable.

I didn’t fully understand this until I started changing how I eat around late 2021. Before that, I operated like most people; high-carb meals, sugar spikes, and the constant cycle of energy up, crash, repeat. It felt normal because everyone else lived that way too. You eat, you feel full, maybe even energised for a short while, then a few hours later you’re tired, distracted, and reaching for something else.

But “normal” is not the same as “optimal.”

What I began to notice was simple but hard to ignore: there were days I sat in front of my work and just couldn’t think clearly. Not because I didn’t want to work. Not because I lacked discipline. My mind just felt slow. Heavy. Unreliable.

That’s when it started to click, this wasn’t a motivation problem. It was a fuel problem.

The Problem with High-Carb Living

In places like Ghana, our staple foods, fufu, banku, rice-heavy meals, are deeply cultural. They’re part of identity, family, and daily life. The issue isn’t the food itself. The issue is how heavily and how frequently we rely on it, especially in a modern context where many of us are doing mental work more than physical labour.

High-carb meals tend to spike blood sugar quickly. That spike feels like energy, but it’s temporary. What follows is the crash: fatigue, brain fog, low motivation. If your work depends on thinking, writing, building, or decision-making, that crash becomes a real cost.

You can’t produce consistently if your energy is rising and falling every few hours.

I started noticing patterns. Certain meals guaranteed a slow afternoon. It wasn’t subtle. After eating, I would feel like I had less control over my own focus. That’s a dangerous place to be if you’re trying to do meaningful work.

It wasn’t laziness. It was chemistry.

Keto: Not Magic, But a Shift

Switching to a keto-style diet changed that baseline.

The idea is straightforward: reduce carbohydrates significantly and rely more on fats and proteins for energy. Over time, the body adapts by using ketones instead of glucose as its primary fuel source.

What changed for me wasn’t dramatic in the way people advertise it. It was quieter, but more important.

My energy became predictable.

I stopped experiencing sharp crashes. I could sit and work for longer without feeling the need to constantly refuel. Hunger became less urgent, less distracting. It gave me longer stretches of uninterrupted focus, which is where real work actually happens.

That’s the part most people miss. Productivity is not about doing more things. It’s about staying with one thing long enough to do it well.

Keto didn’t give me superpowers. It just removed instability.

And to be clear, it’s not a religion. Some people treat it that way, as if it’s the only correct way to eat. That’s not true. But if your current diet is chaotic, keto introduces structure. And structure alone can change your output.

Sugar Is Not What People Think

Sugar is often framed as harmless, just quick energy. That framing is incomplete.

Yes, sugar gives you energy. But it delivers it in a way that’s volatile. It spikes fast, and it drops fast. It’s like pressing the accelerator hard without thinking about control.

Over time, that pattern creates instability:

-Energy that comes and goes unpredictably

-Difficulty maintaining focus

-A subtle dependence on the next “boost”

Saying it “weakens the body” might sound dramatic, but there’s a truth underneath it. The real issue isn’t occasional sugar. It’s the constant cycle of needing it.

When your system gets used to spikes, steady energy starts to feel unfamiliar.

Coffee: A Simple Lever

Morning black coffee became part of my routine, and it’s one of the simplest tools I’ve used.

Used properly, it sharpens you:

-You’re more alert

-Your thinking is quicker

-It pairs well with a low-carb system

But coffee only works if the foundation is solid. If your sleep is poor and your diet is unstable, coffee becomes a crutch instead of a tool.

I keep it simple: black, no sugar, no extras. It’s not about enjoyment. It’s about function.

The Core Diet: Simple, Not Fancy

The biggest shift I made wasn’t towards exotic foods. It was toward simplicity.

Eggs.
Meat.
Leafy vegetables.

That’s most of it.

This kind of diet does something important: it removes noise. You’re not constantly triggering spikes and crashes. You’re giving your body what it needs without overcomplicating it.

Leafy vegetables, especially, are underrated. They don’t give you a noticeable “boost,” but they support everything quietly: digestion, micronutrients, overall balance.

It’s not exciting food. That’s part of why it works.

Long Walks and the Missing Piece

Diet alone wasn’t the full picture.

I started incorporating long walks, five kilometres or more, and that added another layer. Not intense workouts. Just consistent, extended walking.

It sounds simple, almost too simple, but it had a clear effect.

Walking did a few things:

-It stabilized my energy further

-It cleared my mind in a way sitting never could

-It created space for thinking without distraction

Some of my best ideas didn’t come while working. They came while walking.

There’s something about sustained, low-intensity movement that resets your system. It complements everything else: diet, focus, mental clarity.

Most people underestimate walking because it’s not flashy. But it’s one of the most reliable ways to improve both physical and mental performance.

Herbal Medicine and Paying Attention

Around 2022, I started paying more attention to herbal medicine. Not blindly accepting everything labeled “natural,” but observing carefully.

There’s a lot of noise in that space. A lot of exaggerated claims. But there’s also real value, especially when it comes to general wellness and prevention.

The shift for me wasn’t about switching systems. It was about paying attention.

Once you start observing how your body reacts to food, to herbs, to routines, you realise how little attention most people give to the basics. They operate on autopilot, reacting instead of understanding. 

Clarity of Mind Is the Real Win

The biggest benefit of all these changes wasn’t physical appearance. It was mental clarity.

Thinking became easier.
Focus lasted longer.
Fatigue reduced.

That’s what actually improves your work.

People spend time optimising tools, apps, and workflows, but ignore the system producing the work: the brain, powered by the body.

If that system is unstable, nothing on top of it will work consistently.

On “Anti-Aging”

“Anti-aging” is often presented in a superficial way, but the core idea is simple: reduce unnecessary stress on the body over time.

Stable energy, better nutrition, and fewer metabolic spikes contribute to long-term resilience. You recover better. You maintain cognitive function longer. You don’t burn out as quickly.

You won’t notice it in a week. But over years, it compounds quietly.

The Real Point

This isn’t about keto versus carbs or sugar versus no sugar.

It’s about control.

If your energy is unpredictable, your work will be unpredictable. If your body is stable, your mind has a chance to do meaningful work.

Most people try to fix their output directly. They try to force discipline on top of a broken system.

That rarely works.

Fix the input.

Everything else follows.