Increasingly, people devote just a little attention to each of their multitasking activities, not giving full attention to any of them—including eating. The false urgency of technology, such as e-mails and texts, contributes to this problem. Changes in our work and social habits, as well as in our eating habits, have contributed to the prevalence of distractible and impulsive behavior. Some characteristics of this cluster of behavior include:
• Feeling restless or hyper—having difficulty sitting still for long periods
• Being impulsive—acting on sudden urges or desires
• Being addicted to impulsive acts—frequently feeling the need to impulsively check or to see distractions
• Being easily distracted—using a variety of activities (such as checking e-mail or responding to texts) to interrupt primary work or tasks
• Having poor concentration and memory—having difficulty focusing on a single task for a long time. Both nutritional and social factors shape these behaviors, and they can be reduced. Diet and supplements can often completely reverse these behaviors and keep your mind focused and calm.

Acting on Impulse
Multitasking has helped to foster impulsive behavior— one of the worst examples is texting while driving. Doing more than one thing at a time has become so instilled that, when we are limited to doing just one thing, we often don’t feel right. Researchers have found that intense multitasking triggers a classic stress response, including an elevation of adrenaline and cortisol levels. So instead of reducing stress, multitasking actually increases stress. Furthermore, sustained high levels of stress hormones damage brain cells that are involved in forming new memories. If you seem more spacey when stressed, it’s because you are losing some of your ability to concentrate and remember. The simple fact is that we cannot focus equally on each task when we multitask; we are distracted by the other tasks we are doing.

Impulsiveness is a classic symptom of ADHD in children. Instead of darting out in front of cars, however, impulsive adults spend their days darting about mentally or physically. They have difficulty thinking before acting, and they accomplish far less than they might otherwise.

Distractibility & Impulse-Addictive Behavior
Just as multitasking encourages our minds to flit between activities, it also promotes attention overload, distractibility, and poor focus. Multitasking promotes distractibility and hyper behavior, and in the process, we lose the ability to filter out less important stimuli to keep us on track. Through all this, our attention spans seem to become shorter and shorter.

The blend of impulsiveness and distractibility has set the stage for what could best be described as impulsive-addictive behavior. Similar to being addicted to drugs or alcohol, getting a hit triggers the release of neurochemicals, including endorphins, adrenaline, or dopamine. Withdrawal, the phase when levels of these neurochemicals decline, results in a feeling of uneasiness or outright anxiety. Because of these uncomfortable feelings, we can become addicted to activities that prompt a quick surge of these neurochemicals. Gambling is perhaps the oldest and best-known form of impulsive-addictive behavior, but today an obsession with checking e-mail, surfing the Internet, and texting have a similar effect.

A Healthy Diet
One of the most common ways that distractibility and impulsiveness play out in modern society is with our eating habits. With plenty to do at home and at work, people often don’t plan ahead for substantial, healthy meals. So when we do get hungry (that is, when our blood sugar is low and our brain is short on neuronutrients and glucose), we are especially susceptible to making impulsive decisions about where to quickly get our next meal. In a real sense, eating has become an impulsive act.

Sound eating habits provide a strong foundation for optimal brain chemistry. Eat a little protein at each meal to stabilize blood sugar, protecting you from mood swings. Eat a variety of high-fiber nonstarchy vegetables including dark leafy greens, cucumbers, peppers, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, green beans, kale, and leeks and fruits like berries, melons, apples, and kiwi.

Cook with olive and macadamia nut oils, which are rich in oleic acid, an anti-inflammatory. Stress triggers an inflammatory response, which these oils can help protect against. Drink water and teas. Avoid soft drinks, which contain large amounts of sugar, caffeine, or both. Diet soft drinks also have their downsides: the artificial sweetener aspartame is closely related to a stimulating neurotransmitter, which may contribute to impulsive or hyper behavior.

Incorporate fresh fish, which are high in omega-3 fats, into your diet. Modern processed foods—what you buy at fast-food restaurants or in packagesfor use at home—are generally rich in highly refined omega-6 fats and contain virtually no omega-3s.

Helpful Supplements
Dietary fatty acids. Some dietary fats have a profound effect on impulsive, distractible, and aggressive behavior. These fats include the omega-3 fish oils, specifically eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and the omega-6 plant oil gamma linolenic acid (GLA). These fats are best known for their anti-inflammatory effects, but they also play a major role in brain development and the brain’s response to stress, and some evidence suggests that they also reduce brain inflammation (a potential factor in Alzheimer’s disease). A recent study found that the byproducts of these fats control stressinduced impulsive behavior. In a study of children with behavioral disorders, researchers found that a combination of omega-3 fish oils and GLA led to significant reductions in impulsive and hyperactive behavior and better focus. Adults can gain the same benefits.

GABA. Gamma aminobutyric acid helps the brain filter out nonessential information—that is, distractions. Impulsive behavior often entails responding to nonessential and distracting stimuli, and it is likely that GABA will be of benefit.

B-complex vitamins. B vitamins are essential for healthy neurotransmitter levels and activity. Combined with magnesium, vitamin B6 has been found to reduce poor attention, twitchiness, physical aggression, and moodiness in children.

N-acetylcysteine. NAC may help to restore normal brain levels of GABA, as well as the body’s reserves of glutathione, a potent antioxidant.

Psychological Tips
The benefits of dietary improvements and supplements in reducing distractible and impulsive behavior are so impressive that relatively few behavioral tips may be needed. Often, supplements lead to a clearheaded, focused, and calm feeling. Still, here are several tips.

Learn to disengage. Develop an inner switch that alerts you when you see yourself start to act impulsively. For example, if you’re shopping, out to dinner, or socializing with friends, you don’t have to answer your cell phone. If you feel restless, which can be a prelude to impulsive actions, look for one calming activity, such as reading a book or magazine or listening to music. The more you use this inner switch, the better you will become at resisting impulses. Resist the impulse. When you find yourself beginning to slip into impulsive-addictive behavior, consciously resist the pattern. This may generate a little anxiety at first, but you will likely get better at it so that you mentally note but otherwise ignore the impulse.

Be mindful. To focus and improve your memory, you have to first pay attention. This often means consciously ignoring potential distractions, such as trying to do too many things at once. Stick to doing what you have to do until you finish it. If it’s a time-consuming project, you can give yourself a break after an hour or two and work on something else. That kind of work shifting may actually sharpen your concentration.

Although a nutritional approach might strike you as being simplistic, it is actually a rational and reasonable way to correct many behavior problems. If you support your brain’s production of neurotransmitters, they can help keep your brain sharp and focused—making you calm and productive.

The Food-Mood Solution by Jack Challem (John Wiley & Sons, 2007). Sample chapters at jackchallem.com.