Three in the afternoon at work. You have no energy, you’re tired, your mind is wandering everywhere but on the memo you need to type, and it’s still only three. How do you fix an energy drain like this that happens so frequently? Some head off to the snack machine for a big bag of M&M;’s and others go to the break room for a giant cup of coffee. But, there are healthy alternatives to the coffee and candy – great foods that can boost your energy and give back your productivity. Here are some of the best.
Fruit and lots of it. Fresh fruit like bananas and watermelon can give just as much energy as candy or sugar. But unlike sugar, fruit gives you an energy boost plus vitamins, minerals and fiber. Fruit is portable and can easily be taken to work in a plastic baggy. Grapes, oranges, mangoes, dates, pineapple, cranberries and papaya are great energy-giving foods and full of vitamins, minerals and fiber that can give you a quick and healthy energy boost.
Lots of vegetables can also give you an energy boost. Carrots, potatoes, spinach and others are full of vitamins and nutrients and they can raise your blood sugar because they are digested and quickly absorbed in the bloodstream. Mashed and baked potatoes are comparable to pure honey because of that reason. These energy-giving foods are good for you and contain such vitamins as Vitamin A, Vitamin C, folic acid and potassium. Baby carrots can easily be put into a plastic bag and kept on your desk at work when you need a boost in the afternoon.
Cereals such as Shredded Wheat, Corn Flakes or oatmeal are great foods that can give you a lift. These cereals tend to be digested slowly so they give an extended release, and help to keep your blood sugar level stable. Adding fresh fruit to the mix will also provide a steady release of glucose, keeping your body fueled and your brain alert throughout the day.
Energy bars are very convenient foods. A San Francisco company, Matisse and Jack’s, offers an energy bar mix in two flavors that you order and prepare at home according to your dietary needs.
Finally, any food rich in carbohydrates is one of the best foods to boost energy. Nuts and pasta are great sources of carbohydrates. A combination of peanut butter on a slice of whole wheat bread is a good source of food that helps to boost energy. Carbohydrates digest much sooner but protein like in peanut butter digest slower and this gives you longer lasting energy.
There are plenty of foods that can not only give you a quick energy boost but also necessary vitamins and nutrients. The short walk to the candy machine doesn’t provide enough activity to burn the calories obtained when you eat that big of M & M’s, so shoot for a healthier alternative when you need a quick fix for lagging energy.
