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Food for Energy
Posted on 25th Jan 2016
Food for Energy – how to stop the mid-day blahs!
Do you wake up in the morning ready to rock the world but by 11:00am are wishing for a nap?
Here are a couple of tips to help you maintain your energy as you tackle your busy day. It’s all about what and how you eat.
Breakfast is probably the most important meal of the day. So, even if you are not hungry don’t skip out on it. Anything from a muffin to a bacon omelet will get your metabolism going. But always be mindful of the amount of sugar in a meal. Many people report feeling sleepy after eating sweets. Why?
When you eat a large amount of sugar, it causes an increase in blood sugar levels. The increase in the blood sugar level is a result of insulin being released into your body, which will cause your blood sugar level to drop. This sudden diminishing of the levels makes you feel sleepy and tired. This can also result in cravings in your body as it tries to recover from this sudden change.
If you are trying to lose weight, eat a good breakfast. You can eat a smaller lunch and then just a salad or healthy snack for dinner. Eating first thing and eating a good meal is far preferable than eating a big meal at night, which can upset sleep.
Another good practice is to eat about every four hours. This will keep your blood sugar from spiking or dipping. When you eat three large meals, spaced out 5 to 6 hours, it takes more energy to digest all that food. This can cause a huge increase in blood sugar followed by a fall off the mountain. We want to keep blood sugar levels constant throughout the day. When they are continually rising and falling it stresses the body and makes us sleepy.
Eat foods that will fill you up. For every small meal, select either carbs (whole grains, sweet potatoes, fruits or beans), proteins (nuts, beans or eggs) or healthy omega-3 fats (sardines, salmon and beef). Eating foods like this will keep you from raiding the refrigerator an hour after you’ve eaten.
If you are tired in the day from lack of sleep don’t drink caffeine beverages after noon. They say a little caffeine won’t hurt you but a lot will definitely alter sleep patterns. Just talk to the coffee-aholic who has trouble getting a good night’s sleep because they have consumed copious amounts during their day. About 250 milligrams should be your limit. If you are having trouble sleeping at night and then slugging out of bed in the morning you might consider stopping caffeine all together.
Fiber is a great way to keep your get up and go, going. Food rich in fiber releases energy slower and at a steadier rate. This gives you more energy to work with over a longer period of time. Some good food choices would be raison bran or oatmeal, beans, popcorn, fruits with the skin still on and whole wheat pasta.
Drink plenty of water. I don’t think anyone will ever tell you that staying hydrated is bad for you. There are varying studies that say how much a person should drink in a day. But there is no doubt that when your body is quenched you are healthier and when you are healthier you have more energy.
