It’s the afternoon and you can just feel your energy draining away at work. You yawn and look at the time but it’s still another 3 hours before you can legitimately clock-off from work. Sigh, this afternoon slump happens every day.
Feeling sluggish and dragging yourself through every afternoon is probably a sign that you are not fueling your body with foods that promote stable energy levels. What and how we eat are directly related to how energetic we feel throughout the day.
While it’s true that most people get more calories than they need, how we distribute it over the course of a day can be a problem. When we skip a meal or snack, it causes your body to conserve, instead of use, its energy, which means your metabolism moves in slow-mo.
If you go longer than 4 hours without eating, your metabolism can slow down and your blood sugar drops, both of which cause your energy levels to plummet. So try to inculcate the following tips:
- Hydrate! Drink plenty of water throughout the day and splash cold water on your face to revive you
- Plan each of your meals and snacks ahead of time and eat something every 4 hours
- Nibble on a light snack for a sugar boost – dried fruit, some nuts or a sandwich are great options
- Do not give in to the cravings for sugary snacks or soft drinks when you are feeling low on energy
- Make your meals a combination of carbs, protein & healthy fats to enable energy release at a steadier rate
Take a power nap – a 10-15 minute nap can do wonders for your energy levels. Just don’t sleep too long and get groggy afterwards.
