Question: Is having too little energy a common complaint among your clients?
Absolutely. One of the top nutrition concerns among my clients is low energy -- and how to have more of it. How energetic you feel, or don't feel, can impact your mood, your motivation, your productivity, your self-esteem, even your ability to control overeating.
Diet blunders such as skipping meals, overindulging, not drinking enough water, or drinking too much coffee can leave you feeling sluggish.
Question: What's best to boost energy -- protein or carbs?
In general, carbohydrates, be it starchy foods or sugars. Your body's number one source of brain and muscle fuel is carbohydrates. Sugar in your blood stream is used as an immediate source of energy. Carbohydrates stored in your liver and muscles as glycogen is used for energy when your blood sugar runs low.
To maintain a steady stream of energy you need to eat at regular intervals during the day- starting with breakfast and then every three hours to help prevent your blood glucose from dropping. So meals and snacks should contain carbohydrate rich foods like whole grain breads, cereals, rice, pasta, fruits, and dairy products.
Meals and snacks should also contain a little protein and fat to help regulate, or slow, the release of energy from carbohydrate. Lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, legumes, nuts and nut butters are examples.
Question: You have a list of 5 top foods for boosting energy. What are they?
- 1. Oatmeal
This is probably one of the best breakfast foods for increasing energy and helping sustain your energy levels throughout the morning. It's an excellent source of carbohydrate and if you choose large flake or steel-cut oats, you're getting what's called a low glycemic carbohydrate. That means the carbohydrates from oatmeal are digested more slowly, and as a result, released more gradually into your bloodstream as glucose. As a result, the body gets a more balanced release of energy rather that a quick burst.
Oats also contain the energizing B vitamins, which help transform carbs into usable energy for the body.
- 2. Bananas
Bananas are a great high energy snack, especially when paired with a source of protein like yogurt or nuts. The sugar in bananas is an easily digested form of carbohydrate. Bananas also provide a lot of potassium, an electrolyte that helps maintain normal nerve and muscle function. Unlike some nutrients, potassium isn't stored by the body for long periods of time, so your potassium level can drop during times of stress or during strenuous exercise, when the nutrient is lost through excessive sweating.
- 3. Black Beans
Black beans, like all legumes, are packed with protein and they are a great source of low glycemic carbohydrate. So they are the perfect energy boost to add to a salads, soups, even tacos and burritos. Black beans are also an excellent source of the mineral magnesium. Magnesium is part of ATP, the active energy compound used by every cell in your body. A deficiency in magnesium can lead to decreased energy and weakness.
- 4. Green tea
Green teal contributes to your daily water requirements. And being hydrate means your circulation is more efficient at transporting nutrients to your cells for energy. Drinking enough water also helps regulate body temperature. When you're dehydrated, your cells receive nutrients for energy less efficiently, and your body can't properly expend heat through sweating. Both conditions lead to fatigue. But green tea also contains an antioxidant called EGCG. Some research suggests that this natural chemical causes your brain and nervous system to run more quickly.
- 5. Almonds
Almonds are the perfect portable protein snack to pair with fresh or dried fruit. Their protein helps slow the release of glucose from fruit. What's more they're packed with heart healthy monounsaturated fat. Pack 10 to 15 almonds in a snack size Ziploc bag with dried apricots or another dried fruit.
Question: What about caffeine to boost your energy? Doesn't it work?
If you want more energy, think twice about reaching for that jumbo-sized cup of coffee. Caffeine doesn't give you energy, but because it's a stimulant, it increases heart rate and mental alertness. Caffeine might perk you up during the day but it can also keep you awake at night, particularly if it's consumed late in the afternoon. Caffeine can disrupt sleep by blocking the body's production of adenosine, a brain chemical that slows causes drowsiness by slowing down nerve cell activity.
Aim for no more than 400 to 45 milligrams of caffeine per day (8 oz. of brewed coffee has 135-175 mg; 8 oz. black tea has 43 mg; 355 ml cola has 39-50 mg). Gradually cut back caffeine over three weeks. Start by switching to decaffeinated beverages after 12 noon.
