Eat to Avoid the Midday Slump

It’s coming. You can feel it. You’re trying desperately to will it away, but,
inevitably the clock strikes 3:00pm. Suddenly, you are exhausted. The
thought of striking the letters on the computer key board seems like a
daunting task, not to mention you can barely keep your eyes open.

‘Argh!’ you think to yourself. When this happened yesterday, you swore it
wouldn’t happen again. As you walk to the café to get a cup of coffee,
you wonder how to avoid this midday slump tomorrow.  Here’s the good
news: there are steps you can take to energize your body throughout the
day and avoid this desperate feeling.

The best place to start is with breakfast. Before we even talk about what
to eat, let’s recognize that it’s important TO EAT breakfast. Your body has
been in a state of rest, relaxation, and recharging for several hours. It
needs fuel in the form of carbohydrates and protein to get going in the
morning. Instead of processed cereal and milk, why not go for oatmeal
with almonds and blueberries? Or prepare a couple of hardboiled eggs
that you can grab-n-go in a hurry. Pair them with a brown rice cake with
almond butter and you’re starting your day off on the right foot.

It’s also important to remember to drink water throughout the day.
Dehydration is certain to cause sleepiness and fatigue. Imagine that a few
glasses of water could be the difference between your 3pm exhaustion
and vitality.  

Don’t forget to put some thought into your snacks.  You want to be sure to
stay away from excess fats and sugars, which are in candy bars and most
packaged food. The fatty foods will make you feel lethargic and the
sugars will provide an initial spike, but then you’ll feel the afternoon slump
as you come down from the sugar high. Take a few minutes at home to
prepare trail mix with almonds, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, Goji berries, and
Incan berries. For sweetness, you can add some cacao nibs or mini
chocolate chips (I prefer Enjoy Life brand because their products are free
of common allergens).

The midday madness doesn’t have to continue. You can control how your
body feels by nourishing it with healthy food (and water) throughout the
day.