I used to think I had a discipline problem.
- Can’t focus for more than 20 minutes.
- Always reaching for my phone.
- 2PM brain fog like clockwork.
- A to-do list that didn’t move.
So I did what most productivity lovers do:
- I downloaded the best apps
- I built habit trackers and time blocks
- I even tried waking up at 5AM
Some of it worked.
For a little while.
But the fog came back.
The focus didn’t last.
And burnout kept creeping in.
Until I stumbled on something that changed everything.
The Big Shift
After months of journaling and tracking, I noticed something strange:
My focus and energy always crashed 60–90 minutes after certain meals.
So I tested it.
Skipped those meals.
Cleaned up what I ate and when I ate it.
The result?
Deep focus.
Stable energy.
No mental resistance.
That was the moment I realised:
It wasn’t mental.
It was metabolic.
The Gut-Brain Link
This opened a rabbit hole I didn’t expect.
I learned that:
- 90% of serotonin is made in the gut
- Inflammation there leads to fog here (your brain)
- Blood sugar crashes = focus crashes
- Your microbiome can literally affect how you think, feel, and act
I was trying to fix my productivity with psychology – when the real fix started in my biology.
What I Did Differently
I built a protocol.
And I ran it on myself.
It looked like this:
- Strategic meal timing
- Fermented foods + fibre for gut diversity
- Short fasting windows
- Breath work + movement
- Light supplementation
And the results?
✅ More deep work blocks
✅ No more 2PM crashes
✅ Clearer thinking
✅ Better sleep
✅ More motivation – without forcing it
I didn’t need more tools.
I needed a gut reset.
What I’m Calling It
I now call this whole approach proGUTivity.
It’s productivity that starts in the gut – not the app store.
It’s:
- Biology-first
- Backed by science
- Tested by real experience
- Built in public (with all the data + lessons shared weekly)
Thanks for being here.
This journey’s just getting started.
Next week I’ll share one of the experiments I’m currently testing — and the surprising effect it had on my ability to focus after lunch.
