Brainfood: A Big Idea Worth Exploring
Part 1: The Basics and a Tip for More Growth with Less Pressure
Overwhelmed by choices? Brainfood isn’t just what you consume—it’s how you curate. Choose wisely.
Part 1: The Basics and a Tip for More Growth with Less Pressure
You might think the idea of brainfood is straightforward - something you understand at first glance. Not so fast. There’s a lot to chew on here, and digesting it could be very good for you.
Let’s take a few bites and see what we can discover together.
Your Brain Has a Diet
The concept that your brain has a diet, just like your body, is powerful. We all know how our mouths feed our bodies, and the idea of physical nutrition has been explored extensively. Most of us have a basic understanding of the difference between junk food and high-quality protein. Many of us make an effort to eat healthier and feel better because of it.
But how is our brain fed? You could say our eyes are the “mouth” of the brain. Reading is like chewing. The things we read are a primary source of mental nourishment. Thank God you can read - it’s one of life’s greatest blessings. Being deliberate about the quantity and quality of what we read is just as important for our minds as our food choices are for our bodies.
Our eyes also take in the world around us, offering another chance to feed our brains. What we see - whether it’s a beautiful landscape or an engaging image - has the power to nourish us.
Then there’s our ears. The things we hear often echo in our minds for a lifetime. Conversations, music, podcasts - all of these feed our brains too. Technology has made it easier than ever to listen to whatever inspires us.
We’re more empowered than ever before to use our eyes and ears to nourish our minds. But this empowerment brings both opportunity and risk. Choose deliberately. Add threads of curiosity - topics you don’t know much about but want to learn more about.
Bright ideas illuminate the mind - feed your brain with creativity.
What Feeds the Brain?
At its core, our brain consumes information. But even more powerful than raw information are ideas. Interlocking, overlapping ideas are like high-quality protein for the mind.
And how does our brain digest these ideas? Part of it happens instantly, as information lands and is processed. But another part occurs slowly and imperceptibly, as our minds synthesize and store what we’ve learned. This process of learning is one of life’s greatest joys.
How to Improve Your Brainfood Diet
Start by being hungry. Cultivate curiosity. Be a learner.
But here’s a key insight: the brainfood buffet is not like your work email inbox. You don’t need to consume it all. A bigger buffet doesn’t mean more work - it means better choices.
When I was working full-time, my inbox often felt like a source of pressure. Unread messages piled up, and it was my job to clear them. But brainfood doesn’t work that way. There’s no pressure to consume the entire buffet. Let things slide by. Take a bite of something that catches your attention. Save the really good stuff for later or share it with a friend.
Subscribed content, like newsletters, should work the same way. Set aside time for interest-driven reading - it’s smarter and more fun than mindless scrolling. Flag items you want to explore when you have time. Organize your personal buffet so you can dip in and out without feeling overwhelmed.
When you approach it this way, being in the flow of emails, newsletters, Notes, and ideas becomes a source of nourishment - not stress. An ever-flowing buffet of curated brainfood offers more opportunities to learn and grow, without adding pressure to your day.
Let’s Keep the Conversation Going
There’s so much more to explore about brainfood, and we’ll come back to this idea in future newsletters. For now, take some time to digest what we’ve talked about here.
I’d love to hear your thoughts. What works for you? What feeds your mind? If you're reading this in your inbox, then hit “Reply” and let me know - I’d love to hear from you.
Or, leave a comment on the Substack page using the speech bubble icon below.
Warm regards,
Craig
Craig A. Williamson
Regarding Things That Matter - Newsletter
www.regardingthingsthatmatter.com
P.S. If you enjoyed this newsletter, please share it with a friend who might appreciate the idea. Together, we can spark more meaningful conversations.
