Do you find yourself nodding off late morning?
Hitting a wall at 3pm?
Sound familiar? Start your day with a bagel and you’ll be needing a nap by noon. You’ve eaten - but not for energy.
Food is fuel for your body and much like a high-performance vehicle - it needs premium fuel (aka properly balanced nutrients) to maximize performance and provide consistent energy throughout the day.
Photo credit: Photo by Sonny Mauricio on Unsplash
Following are 5 tips to maintain energy throughout your day.
1. Blood Sugar and Energy
When you eat, the body breaks down food into blood sugar (glucose) to fuel muscles and organs. Insulin is then released to escort glucose out of the bloodstream and into cells where it is used for energy.
Meal timing and a proper macronutrient balance (protein + healthy fats + carbohydrates) help keep your body in balance, functioning optimally and maintaining energy levels.
However, if you eat too many carbohydrates (especially simple carbohydrates, such as white bread, white sugar, white potatoes, refined flour, ultra-processed foods like cookies, chips, etc.) you wind up on a blood sugar rollercoaster causing energy crashes and cravings for more simple carbohydrates.
Optimal energy levels are due, in large part, to balanced blood sugar (think gentle waves NOT mountainous peaks). Understanding your body’s optimal macronutrient profile is key and it isn’t as hard as you may think.
2. Balanced Meals (& Snacks)
Here is the magic: Every single meal and snack should ideally include:
protein + fiber + healthy fat
Protein slows down that blood sugar curve, increases satiety and controls cravings.
Fiber supports digestion, feeds the healthy bacteria in the gut, is anti-inflammatory and modulates blood sugar.
Healthy fats slow digestion, promote satiety and, you guessed it… stabilize blood sugar.
Energy boosting meals might be:
Salmon + stir fried veggies + drizzle of olive oil
Grilled chicken + roasted veggies + avocado
Egg + spinach + avocado
Protein smoothie + fruit/chia seeds + almond butter
3. The Importance of Breakfast
In order to stay off the blood sugar rollercoaster, it is critical to start your day in balance with the correct ratio of macronutrients. Eggs, protein smoothie, greek yogurt, savory dinner leftovers (i.e. chicken breast) are all good options that will keep the body in balance.
Consistently hitting a wall at 3pm can be due to inadequate protein intake at breakfast. Try increasing protein to 20-30 grams at breakfast and note the increase in energy.
4. If You Need to Snack
Waiting to eat until your ravenous can lead to poor choices and overconsumption because blood sugar levels have dropped and your body is looking for the fastest source of energy (i.e. sugar and/or refined foods). Instead, reach for a healthy snack when hunger begins such as a handful of nuts, greek yogurt with berries, hummus + veggies.
Naked carbs (e.g. pretzels, chips, etc.) will send blood sugar back on the roller coaster so make sure to combine with protein and/or healthy fats.
5. Hydration is Key
Dehydration can mask itself as hunger and even mild dehydration can cause fatigue. Water delivers oxygen and nutrients to every cell in the body and is an often overlooked source of energy.
Daily goal is generally half your body weight in ounces (150 lbs = 75 oz of water/day). Pale yellow urine means you’re adequately hydrated while darker shades indicate you need to increase consumption. Bonus points for adding electrolytes to your water!
Cheers to thriving and getting the most out of each day! You deserve it.
xxxx
Stacy
Comments