Homer

Today is starting out to be a better day than yesterday. Starting at about noon, I got a detox headache that didn't go away until I woke up this morning. It's not enough to bring you to a standstill, but it's pretty close. It's hard to focus when the pain is going on—not that I'm doing brain surgery or anything.

I ran this morning, and it really seems to be a chore for me to even put forth the effort. I don't know if it's the fatigue I feel or the deep-down laziness that I have to deal with that’s making this so hard. I heard that Homer Simpson voice in my head that was telling me I didn’t have any energy because I wasn't eating any sugar or I needed to have at least a cup of coffee with some yellow stuff in it. Then I heard the good voice say, "Honey, you could run for a good week with all this fat you have stored up!" I think I'll call the good voice Anne, because it reminds me of this crazy woman I work with at Coldwater, and that sounds like something she would say to me. Needless to say, I made it back to the house and met up with Alex and the dogs, and we went out for a two-mile walk. So I have gotten in my exercise for the day, but I still have to pull four hours at Coldwater, talk to Carness and have choir practice this evening. I came across some strange news today and I wanted to share it with you:

Donuts aren't exactly a superfood, but it turns out they may be capable of providing your brain with what it needs to effectively start the day.

While a donut isn't the healthiest morning breakfast, sometimes it's what your brain actually needs. If you're having trouble concentrating or remembering things in the morning, it's often because your brain is missing the sugar (generally in the form of glucose) it needs to function normally. The sugar is used as an energy source for the brain so it can do all the things it needs to do. One of those things is producing an important neurotransmitter chemical called acetylcholine, which is important to a good memory, your ability to pay attention, and your mood. Dr. Gary L. Wenk explains:

Your brain makes acetylcholine from choline, which is obtained from the diet, and from acetyl groups that originate from the metabolism of sugar. We frequently obtain choline in our diet by eating lecithin. Lecithin can be found in many different bakery goods such as donuts and cupcakes and is commonly added to chocolate. Thus a tasty chocolate covered donut first thing in the morning is going to provide your brain with everything it needs to pay attention and learn new things.

Looks like I won't be learning anything new today or paying attention. Now when people expect things out of me and don't do them, I can blame it on the lack of donuts in my diet. Thanks, Homer!

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