What are you eating? The Power of What You Consume

What are you eating? This simple question isn’t just about food—it’s about what you feed your mind. In Episode 3 of The Leader Fitness Podcast, David Brown-Dawson explores how our mental diet shapes our leadership and overall well-being. From the social media we scroll to the conversations we engage in, everything we consume influences how we show up in life and work.

Let’s dive into how what you feed your mind impacts your leadership fitness and how to curate a healthier mental diet.

The Connection Between Mental and Physical Nutrition

We often focus on physical nutrition—calories, vitamins, and the food that fuels our bodies. But what about our mental nutrition? David highlights that what we feed our minds has just as much impact as what we eat physically. Our mental diet includes:

Social media
News
Podcasts
Conversations
Books, shows, and music

These inputs shape our mindset, energy, and even our behaviors. Just as eating unhealthy food can drain your physical energy, consuming negative or toxic content can drain your emotional energy.

David shares practical steps to start building your Leader Fitness today:

The Juice Cleanse and Mental Awareness

To illustrate this, David shares his experience with a three-day juice cleanse. While the physical challenge made him more mindful of his eating habits, it also heightened his awareness of his mental consumption. During the cleanse, he noticed how small choices, like skipping a workout to conserve energy, mirrored the choices we make in our mental diet.

This experiment inspired him to ask: What are you feeding your mind?

How Your Mental Diet Impacts Leadership

David explains that your mental inputs affect the four key pillars of leadership: mindset, emotional intelligence, decision-making, and communication. For example:

Negative news or toxic online interactions can increase stress and anxiety, leading to poor decision-making and decreased focus.
Uplifting and educational content can enhance emotional well-being, improve productivity, and inspire positive leadership.

What you consume shapes your emotional state, and your emotions influence how you interact with others.

Practical Steps to Curate a Healthier Mental Diet

David shares three actionable steps to help you take control of your mental diet and fuel your leadership:

1. Track What You’re Consuming

Spend a day auditing what you consume, both physically and mentally. Use a journal or a simple spreadsheet to note:

How much time you spend on each activity (e.g., scrolling social media, reading a book, listening to a podcast).
How you feel afterward (energized, neutral, or drained).

This exercise helps you recognize patterns and become more intentional about what you consume.

2. Set Boundaries

Be mindful of the time you spend on activities that may not serve you, like endless scrolling or negative conversations. David suggests:

Limiting time on social media.
Unfollowing accounts that don’t contribute to your well-being.
Avoiding conversations or content that leave you feeling drained.

Boundaries protect your mental energy and help you focus on what matters.

3. Choose Uplifting Content

Replace negative inputs with content that inspires and educates. Fill your feed with:

Positive podcasts like The Leader Fitness Podcast.
Books that expand your knowledge.
Conversations that uplift and energize you.

The quality of what you consume directly impacts your ability to lead with clarity and confidence.

Leadership Starts With Awareness

David reminds us that being an effective leader starts with self-awareness. By curating a healthier mental diet, you can:

Reduce stress and anxiety.
Improve focus and productivity.
Strengthen your emotional resilience.

Leadership isn’t just about managing others—it’s about managing yourself first.

Your Challenge: What Are You Eating?

David leaves listeners with a challenge: spend a day tracking your mental and physical consumption. Reflect on what fuels you and what drains you. Then, make small but intentional changes to curate a healthier diet for your mind.

For more practical tips and inspiration, tune into The Leader Fitness Podcast on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify. Let’s grow together—one choice at a time.

Leadership isn’t about being perfect—it’s about being intentional. Take control of your growth.

If you’re looking to grow yourself or your team, connect with us—let’s grow together.