You are not to be blamed for your depleted energy towards the end of the day. The day is so demanding that your body fails to give a steady supply of energy to meet the needs. Fatigue is a common problem and need not always indicate any underlying illness. Some of us belong to those who skip our breakfast because we couldn’t cook, did not have time to eat or even forgot to do grocery shopping on the previous day. A few others miss our lunch reluctantly due to a meeting or a training and still there are others who cannot sneak in for a quick snack. Not eating food at the right time, not eating the right food or simply not eating enough, lack of sleep and juggling through too many tedious tasks zap out your energy levels.
As you fight fatigue at the end of day anger grips you and you feel you are good for nothing. You unwrap a candy bar and snuggle the rest for the evening before your TV. Experts point out that a candy bar or a flavored soda is not your best friend but a nutritious daily diet.
- Breakfast is your easy key to energy, alertness, concentration and keeps you away from obesity. People who skip their breakfast are prone to many health risks like obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
- Another tip to keep yourself charged is to eat small healthy meals instead of bingeing three large ones.
- Focus on proteins for stamina and carbohydrates for vigor.
Here are some foods that can empower you. Some are part of your staple diet while some are quick fixes to jumpstart yourself.
Whole Grains are magical little grains with complex carbs, valuable minerals, vitamins, phytonutrients, fiber and even protein. Add in flax oil, fresh vegetables or fruits, nuts and herbs to make it a nutrition bomb.- Oatmeal is a low glycemic food which can give you a slow and steady flow of energy. Don’t forget to throw in raisins and nuts.
- Eggs!! I feel the number of eggs you can eat in a week is sort of arbitrary.
- High energy veggies include sprouts, broccoli, asparagus and spinach. Potassium and carbohydrates can be distributed in plenty by beans and lentils. Lentils also contain protein, vitamin b, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, calcium and copper with negligible calories and fats.
- Munch a few nuts to fuel yourself. Almonds, soy nuts and peanuts are great.
- Do a quickie with yogurt. You need vitamin-B to convert your other foods to energy.
- Take plenty of Vitamin C to fight fatigue.
- Potassium is an electrolyte that helps you to maintain normal nerve and muscle function. Bananas make a nutritious and convenient snack with their potassium content that can deal with stress and strain. Grapes, pineapples, apples and peaches also fall in along with bananas.
Roast some pumpkin seeds for a quick fix. Both sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds may not be appetizing but they are great energy foods.- Finally, drink lots of water! Simple as it may seem, water plays the hero in digestion, absorption and transportation of the nutrients inside. Replenish yourself with herbal teas, natural fruit juices and lots of water.
So there you have it. Other than these, go get yourself a mug of coffee or a bar of chocolate when you feel very drained and sleepy in the working hours. You don’t want to miss your performance bonus, do you?
-AparnA K V
