Wellness Cooking Academy

Eating to Stay Energized and Avoid the Midday Slump

by Wellnesscookingacademy | Nov 19, 2016 | Eating for Energy

Halloween and Thanksgiving have passed and Christmas will be here before we know it! The rush, the extra food, the stress – it is all around us as the holiday season arrives! Before we know it, we’re dealing with more fatigue and exhaustion than ever. So how do you stay energized in the midst of everything going on?

Imagine this:

It’s coming. You can feel it. You’re trying desperately to will it away, but, inevitably, the clock strikes 3:00 pm. Suddenly, you’re exhausted. The thought of striking the letters on the computer keyboard seems like a daunting task. Not to mention you can barely keep your eyes open!

‘Argh!’ you think to yourself. When this happened yesterday, you swore it wouldn’t happen again. As you walk to the café to get a cup of coffee, you wonder how to avoid this midday slump tomorrow.

Chances are, this is really happening to you, and as the ever-increasing busyness of the season hits you, you find it even harder to get through the afternoon without experiencing the mid-day slump.

Here’s the good news: There are steps you can take to stay energized throughout the day and avoid this desperate feeling.

The best place to start is breakfast. Before we even talk about what to eat, let’s recognize that it’s important to eat breakfast. Your body has been in a state of rest, relaxation, and recharging for several hours. It needs fuel in the form of carbohydrates and protein to get going in the morning. Instead of processed cereal and milk, why not go for oatmeal with almonds and blueberries? Or prepare a couple of hard boiled eggs that you can grab-n-go in a hurry. Pair them with a brown rice cake, almond butter, and jelly and you’re starting your day off on the right foot.

It’s also important to remember to drink water throughout the day. Dehydration is certain to cause sleepiness and fatigue. Imagine that a few glasses of water could be the difference between your 3:00 pm exhaustion and vitality.

Don’t forget to put some thought into your snacks. You want to be sure to stay away from excess fats and sugars, which are in candy bars and most packaged food. The fatty foods will make you feel lethargic and the sugars will provide an initial spike. But then you’ll feel the afternoon slump as you come down from the sugar high! Take a few minutes at home to prepare trail mix with almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, Goji berries, and Incan berries. For sweetness, you can add some cacao nibs or mini chocolate chips (I prefer Enjoy Life brand because their products are free of common allergens).

The midday madness doesn’t have to continue!

You can control how your body feels by nourishing it with healthy food and water throughout the day. I’ve definitely learned this myself. I used to have such awful afternoons – sometimes I would be typing and actually fall asleep at the keyboard! Now with the way that I eat, and the snacks that I eat, I can stay energized in the afternoon! I have learned that certain foods affect me more than others do, so I try to avoid them. It’s been a long, long time since I have almost (or sometimes even have) fallen asleep at the keyboard!

Try these few things to stay energized and then let us know how you feel by commenting below: