Many factors influence your energy level, including how well you sleep, your exercise habits, medications you take and even your overall health. However, the nutrients found in many foods can play an important role in boosting energy. It is not uncommon to wake up feeling good and, by late afternoon, feel sluggish, especially with the demands of today's busy schedules. Adding energizing foods or a well-planned snack between lunch and dinner can help keep you more alert and productive.
The Brain Chemistry Connection
While all sources of carbohydrate-rich foods are our body's main source of fuel, eating a high carbohydrate food alone, in the afternoon, will leave you feeling sluggish. Eaten alone, carbohydrates are inadequate as brain and body energizers. Carbohydrates bathe the brain in the amino acid tryptophan, which triggers the release of the brain chemical (or neurotransmitter) serotonin. Serotonin is known for its calming properties. This effect must be counteracted, or balanced, by protein-rich foods, which boost the levels of another amino acid in the brain, tyrosine. Tyrosine helps to produce two energizing neurotransmitters, dopamine and norepinephrine. For optimal brain-energizing chemistry, complex carbohydrate foods should be balanced with lean protein sources.
Protein and Carbohydrates: The Ideal Balance
Carbohydrates should make up the backbone of an energizing afternoon snack. You may choose simple carbohydrates (such as fruit), which offer a quicker release of energy, or complex carbohydrates, those that are broken down more slowly. Starches and vegetables are great examples of complex carbohydrate foods. Dairy products are a great choice because they offer both carbohydrate and protein. Protein sources are the other component of an afternoon energizing snack. Reduced-fat cheese, hard-boiled eggs and peanut butter are good choices. Stay away from energy-zapping fatty foods, particularly those high in saturated and trans (bad) fats, as well as sugar. Nuts, seeds and avocados provide nutrient-rich sources of unsaturated fats and are full of energizing vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin B12.
Putting it all Together
Fruit, whole grains, nuts, seeds, lean protein and dairy provide the elements of an afternoon energy booster. Here are some great pairings that will keep you energized until dinnertime:
An apple with 2 tsp. peanut butter;
Bran muffin with low- or non-fat yogurt;
Fresh fruit with 1/2-cup low-fat cottage cheese;
Whole wheat crackers or breadsticks with reduced-fat cheese;
Homemade trail mix of 2 tbsp. nuts (your choice), sesame/sunflower seeds, dried fruit;
1/2 whole wheat bagel, served toasted, with 1-oz. mozzarella cheese, sliced tomato;
Baked pita chips and carrot sticks, served with 1/4-cup hummus for dipping;
A "sports nutrition" bar (fat content should equal 30 percent of total calories or less, and vitamin/mineral content should provide 35 percent of the Daily Value, with 3 to 5 g dietary fiber, 8 to10 g protein and no more than 12 g sugar.
References
- Effect of Meal Composition on Alertness and Performance of Hospital Night-Shift Workers; Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism; A. Paz and E.M. Berry; 1997.
- American Dietetic Association's Complete Food and Nutrition Guide; RL Duyff, MS, RD, CFCS; 1998.
- Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism, 2nd edition; J.L. Groff, S.S. Gropper, S.M. Hunt; 1995.
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