Eat To Beat Low Energy

If you feel like you need a boost of energy to fuel your busy days, check out these nutrition tips!

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Although there are many factors that can contribute to lower energy such as busy lifestyles, quality of sleep, certain health conditions and medications, poor eating habits can play a significant role. What you eat and when you eat can really make a positive or negative impact on your energy levels for the day. Not having enough energy can impact your quality of work, relationships, and even efficiency when completing tasks. Thankfully, you can learn how to boost energy levels to keep up with your daily life with nutrition tips shown below!

Time Your Meals

Do you find yourself skipping meals like breakfast or lunch? This can lead to midday drowsiness and fatigue due to a drop in blood sugar levels. Having longer gaps(4-5+ hours) between your meals can also result in lower energy levels during the day. In order to prevent this, timing your meals every 3-4 hours can be helpful or determine a meal schedule that works for you with the help of a Dietitian. Building meal planning skills to have food ready-to-eat for meal-time can come in handy. Download my FREE Meal Planner to get started! Share with anyone that would also find it helpful.

Balance Your Plate

Eliminating energy boosting food groups like carbohydrates from your meals or under-eating can lead you to feel sluggish. Build a balanced plate with energy-yielding macronutrients like carbohydrates, fats, and protein can be important. For example, you can fill 1/4 of your plate with whole grains like brown rice and 1/4 with protein like chicken or beans and 1/2 your plate with colorful fruits and veggies. Including a serving of healthy fats like avocados, walnuts, chia seeds, and olive oil can help keep your energy levels sustained as well. To add on, lower levels of certain vitamins in the body such as B12 can also cause tiredness. When you build a balanced meal, you also get a dose of B12 found in protein food sources like fish, eggs and poultry. If you are a vegan or vegetarian, you can get B12 from fortified food like cereals and consider supplementation with the help of Dietitian.

Choose Energy Boosting Snacks

Nourishing snacks can be key for energy balance between meal times. Do you ever finish your afternoon duties and suddenly feel your energy slipping away? This can be a perfect time to add in a complex carbohydrate and protein-rich snack especially if your next meal is more than 4 hours away. Some examples are Greek yogurt topped with berries, cheese stick with a serving of nuts, sliced veggies with tzatziki sauce, bananas dipped in nut butter, or whole grain crackers with hummus. These fiber-rich carbohydrates and protein food choices digest slower keeping you satisfied and energized between meals. Check out B.T.R Bars protein-rich and less added sugar snack bars made with whole food ingredients- click here!

Watch Out For Energy Crashers

Certain drinks and food choices may seem to give you a quick-fix of energy that can many times lead to a crash. Many people rely on several doses of caffeine from coffee, energy drinks and sodas to maintain optimal energy levels. This can also come in the way of consuming meals since caffeine may be an appetite suppressant. When caffeine stimulates your nervous system, you can feel more alert due to a spike in energy. But when the effects wear off, it can many times lead exhaustion and hunger. Similarly, munching on several portions of sugary sweets and refined carbohydrates like cookies, candy, refined pasta, and energy bars with excess added sugars can cause a quick spike blood sugar levels and then a drop in energy. Prevent an energy-depleting cycle by being mindful with caffeine intake and opting for balanced meals as well as nourishing snacks that can provide a steady source of energy.

Pay Attention To Hydration

Water plays an important role in transporting oxygen and nutrients throughout our body. Not drinking enough water can lead to periods of fatigue and weakness. If you notice lower energy levels during your day, check into how often you sip on water. A fun way to monitor your hydration to make sure you are getting enough is to download a water tracker app on your smart phone . Keeping a refillable water bottle in arms reach through the day can also help you meet your water needs. Check out Healthy Human's eco-friendly water bottle and accessories- click here!

Note:

It is important to note that a rise and slight drop in energy through the day can be normal for everyone. But, if you feel that your energy levels are impacting your day-to-day life, it can be important to speak to a licensed healthcare professional to explore and target the underlying cause!