Don't skip meals:
To maintain your energy level, your body breaks down the food you eat
into glucose, otherwise known as blood sugar the main fuel for your
brain and sends a steady stream of it to your body's cells. "But
to feel energized throughout the day, your blood glucose level should
stay within a certain range," says Neva Cochran, MS, RD, a nutrition
consultant based in Dallas. "If your blood glucose drops too low
which can happen if you go too many hours without eating you could feel
lightheaded and lethargic," says Cochran. Your best bet: "Don't
go more than four hours without eating something nutritious," Cochran
advises.
Balance meals
with carbohydrates, protein and some fat: At lunch, for example,
have a lean ham and low-fat cheese sandwich on whole-grain bread (protein,
fat and carbohydrate) and a piece of fruit (carbohydrate). "A combination
of carbohydrates, protein and fat helps moderate blood glucose absorption
so that your blood sugar rises gradually," says Cochran. On the
other hand, if you eat only carbohydrates such as just the fruit, your
blood glucose level could rise and drop quickly, leaving you hungry
and low on energy within an hour or two after eating. Similarly, if
you only eat protein, you'll get calories but they won't kick in fast
enough to make you feel energized, says Cochran, because your meal's
missing that carbohydrate-exclusive sugar-boost.
Activate your
day: Even though you may feel pooped after your workout, moderate
exercise can actually give you energy. "As you exercise, you use
blood glucose," Cochran explains. Your body then pulls glycogen
(the stored form of carbohydrate in the liver and muscles) into your
blood stream, which can ultimately make you feel more energized as your
blood glucose level rises. To increase your general energy level, add
more activity to your day. Cochran recommends revving up your daily
routine, e.g., pacing when you're talking on the phone and taking the
stairs at any opportunity.
Get an hour's
more sleep. To function at your best, The National Sleep Foundation
(NSF) recommends at least eight hours of sleep a night for adults. But
according to a recent NSF poll, on average, adults sleep just under
seven hours nightly during the work week. With a chronic sleep deficit,
you may be able to execute low-level mental chores such as figuring
the tip on your lunch check, but it may take you longer. And say good
night to multitasking and making sound judgment calls especially in
crisis situations. All told, "anything that's not routine is difficult
to do if you're tired," says Andrew A. Monjan, PhD, MPH, chief
of neurobiology at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD.
Nix caffeine.
Granted, caffeine can be a quick picker-upper, because it stimulates
brain cells. But if you have trouble getting to sleep at night, "avoid
caffeine after lunch," advises Sonia Ancoli-Israel, PhD, director
of the sleep disorders clinic at the Veterans Affairs-San Diego Health
Care System. Besides obvious sources of caffeine coffee (103 mg caffeine/6
oz cup), tea (36 mg/6 oz cup) and cola beverages such as Pepsi or Diet
Coke (46.5 mg/12 oz) take stock of your diets hidden caffeine sources,
such as Mountain Dew (54 mg/12 oz), coffee-flavored yogurt (44.5 mg/8
oz cup), green tea (40 mg/6 oz) and chocolate (6 mg/1 oz serving).
