What if you could achieve coffee energy without jitters?
Keyboard warriors all over the world are desperately looking for ways to create this perfect state of mind so well described by the main character in one of our favorite movies, “Limitless”:
“I wasn’t high. I wasn’t wired.
Just clear.
I knew what I needed to do and how to do it.”
~ Eddie Morrah
FROM ESPORT ATHLETES TO TOP EXECUTIVES, IT'S ALL IN THE QUALITY OF OUR BRAIN, IT’S ALL IN THE MENTAL GAME.
Focused, motivated, clear, able to stay calm and perform under pressure, having great mental endurance and no mental fatigue - that is the state we all aspire to achieve.
At the end of the day, whether you are working on your fitness, building a mission-driven startup, or managing in a highly volatile financial market - it all ends up being limited or enhanced by your mental game. The brain is the operating system of your body and life. It’s where our drive, energy to pursue relentlessly, focus on the important, our mental toughness comes from. It’s our competitive advantage or the weakest link. It’s not about whose muscles are stronger anymore. It’s about whose brain is sharper, faster, more resilient.
Is your brain your superpower? Is it your unfair advantage? Or something that slows you down every day?
Esports athletes have been ahead of the mind-athlete curve, looking into smart drugs to get competitive advantage for decades now. They were the first to realize that if you want to stay in the game long-term, if you want to keep succeeding long-term, you have to figure out a no-downside solution to keep your brain delivering its A-game day after day, week after week, year after year. Advanced gamers and esports athletes who’ve been making millions of dollars are looking into performance-and-wellness solutions, solutions that just keep giving 360 benefits - mind, body and life. Heck, of all the people, gamers might one day become the best health, sleep and nutrition advocates! Stranger things happened!
FOCUSED BRAIN NUTRITION AND LIFESTYLE
Whether you are a high-performing athlete or a CEO who needs to make great business decisions under pressure and prevent burnout, you need to cover the basics first:
Sleep and light exposure habits and routines. (For high levels of dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin aka motivation, energy and calmness of mind);
-avoid blue light (screens!) before sleep
-sleep in a cool dark room (or use an eye mask)
-get light exposure for 10 minutes early morning (go for a walk with no sunglasses)
Exercise and movement habits - great blood circulation and oxygen levels in the brain and the whole body, great blood sugar control, stress mitigation. (Essentials for consistent high energy, high performance, lower stress levels, able to stay calm under pressure);
-even short 1 minute bursts of squats or some movement through the day make a big difference
-add strength training and achieve the best results by doing reps to full exhaustion (shorter, but more intense exercise sessions work much better than longer, low intensity exercises)
Meditation, breathwork, strategic breaks and recovery practices to manage stress and anxiety, to keep performing at your best for long hours sustainably, preventing burnout, staying calm when stakes are high;
-when you feel stressed, focus on a physical sensation like your breath or two finger tips touching. Do not avoid the feeling or sensation, notice and name it.
Brain Nutrition 101 to make sure that your body and brain get all the essential building blocks required to support high energy, high motivation and focus required for sustainable productivity of the mind.
-avoid sugar which creates high volatility in focus and brain fog. Avoid sugar alcohols which lead to upset stomach and increased cravings. Simple carbs like white bread and rice raise your blood sugar and leave you tired and exhausted.
- eat real food. Leafy greens provide lots of nutrients and almost no calories. Nuts are great for your brain and are very satisfying. Load on protein to build muscle. Eat colorful vegetables to get a rainbow of vitamins and anti cancer benefits. Get your healthy fats like olive oil, coconut oil and avocados to supercharge your brain with long lasting energy.
ELITE BRAIN. BEYOND-BASICS NUTRITION. NATURAL NOOTROPICS.
After building the foundational practices, you can start looking into natural compounds aka nootropics that can enhance many aspects of brain function without negative side effects.
Our 2 favorites are Matcha and Cacao.
We have been taking them every day for years now. The research on both is extensive and ongoing. Many supplement companies patent different synthetic extracts and formulations to keep profits “in the house”, creating energy, performance, weight loss and wellness solutions. But consuming these products close to their natural state seems to work the best.
MATCHA. NOT JUST WEIGHT LOSS AND BEAUTY.
Matcha’s high-performing brain benefit: calm confidence under pressure
Matcha provides jitters-free energy boost (due to moderate amount of caffeine). L-theanine compound in matcha creates calm and balanced state of mind, boosting chill-and-confident brain chemicals like serotonin and Gaba (Stress and high-caffeine lifestyle lower them). L-theanine has a boosting effect on alpha-brain waves - the calm and alert brain waves, helping you to stay cool in high-stakes, high-pressure situations. Alpha brain waves also help you to manage stress and boost creativity - precious benefits for the life of a high performer.
Additionally, if you experience anxiety and racing thoughts, definitely look into matcha and l-theanine and take less caffeine or coffee.
-delay any caffeine in the first 90 minutes after you wake to get steady energy and avoid the 2-4pm crash.
MATCHA USER MANUAL FOR A CALM-UNDER-PRESSURE, CREATIVE MIND
If you are not enthusiastic about drinking matcha, you can still get the optimal benefits by consuming 1/2 teaspoon of matcha powder with water as a part of your morning supplement routine. (Not the tastiest experience). Or try one matcha Belichka bar for your breakfast routine to get the energized-and-calm vibe needed for a productive morning, minimizing stress and powering tough decisions to deliver excellence.
CACAO AND CHOCOLATE. NOT JUST A TREAT. TOP BRAIN’S ENHANCER.
Our second all-time favorite brain compound is cacao. There’s a lot of mythical and real-life data, putting chocolate among the top substances for a high-performing brain. Countries with the highest chocolate consumption also produce the biggest number of Nobel laureates - obviously the causal reason :)! Many studies show that cacao enhances memory and brain’s processing speed and prevents cognitive decline. Chocolate and cacao products were considered Gods’ foods by ancient tribes of Mayans and Aztecs, who used to give cacao to shamans to help them connect to the mystical realm of the Universal wisdom.
So what’s up with cacao and chocolate?
It stimulates 5 brain chemicals enducing the flow state - the state where we objectively perform at our best, whether in athletic or business pursuits - dopamine for drive, norepinephrine for energy to act, serotonin for calm confidence, endorphins to keep going under pressure, anandamide, “the bliss molecule” of the brain, to balance it all out, to experience joy while in pursuit of rewards in challenging environments.
Chocolate helps the brain to endure. Chocolate reduces inflammation. Chocolate increases brain blood circulation which enhances brain performance.
CACAO USER MANUAL FOR THE OPTIMAL, RESILIENT, FLOW STATE OF MIND
We recommend consuming 30g of dark chocolate selecting the darkest variety which provides the most benefits (75% and higher - if it seems bitter at first, you’ll get used to it after a couple weeks). We also recommend getting your cacao throughout the first part of the day, and spread the dose out for more lasting effects. (And stopping 6 hours before bed to sleep well. Cacao is a mild stimulant).
Belichka bars are made of cacao butter which provides all the benefits described above. Our new chocolate flavor has an amazing velvety chocolate taste with no added sugar. This bar is a perfect addition to your cacao-enriched breakfast, or a midday-pick-me-up routine, bringing you high quality cacao with almonds which help the effects of cacao last even longer.
Perhaps, the best Belichka “prescription” for a high-performing mind athlete is one matcha bar in the morning and one cacao bar in the afternoon.
Whether you are an elite esports athlete, a top executive, a founder of a mission-driven startup, or a remote keyboard warrior, you can enhance your brain performance with a simple lifestyle changes and a nutrition plan that supports your health and wellness goals. Exercise, sleep in the dark, get some sunlight in the morning and avoid sugar. And use products like Belichka bars to make your high-performing journey more convenient, sustainable and delicious.