Hit a post-lunch slump every afternoon? Feel exhausted at the end of the day?
Fatigue and lack of energy are real problems for many people today. Lack of sleep, long working hours, juggling to fit in work and family plus the competition for leisure time take their toll. Poor dietary choices are a common cause of fatigue. Some of these include:
Alcohol - One glass relaxes, but too many will make your sleep fragmented and fitful and deplete key energy-releasing B vitamins as well as zinc and magnesium.
Caffeine - While caffeine boosts alertness and overcomes fatigue, overdoing it can keep you awake and produce irritability, and headaches.
Low quality food - Supplements won' t give you everything that' s in food such as natural anti-oxidants found in vegetables and fruit. A varied intake of vegetables, fruit, grains, cereals, low-fat dairy products, fish and lean meat and nuts is a must there' s no way around this.
Skipping breakfast - No breakfast reduces your ability to concentrate and perform complex mental tasks in the morning
Don' t let your food let you down. It' s vital to eat well to cope with today' s stresses and hectic schedules. Often simple changes to the type of food you eat and the timing of your meals can make a difference.
5 ways to beat that afternoon slump
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Include a small serve of low-fat protein (lean meat, fish, tuna, salmon, chicken, turkey or pork) with your lunch.
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Eat some type of slowly-digested carbohydrate such as pasta, noodles, beans, lentils or grainy bread with your lunch.
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Have an energy snack about 3 pm or 4 pm to keep your blood sugar levels up - yoghurt, a grainy bread sandwich, oatmeal biscuits, oat bran muffins, slow-digested fruit like apples, pears or stone fruit are all good options.
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Have a brisk walk it gets the blood circulating in the brain.
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Drink at least 8 glasses (2 litres) of water a day. The brain needs water to work. Dehydration quickly diminishes the capacity of most of our organs, especially the brain, kidneys and skin.
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