Providing your body with healthy vitamins and foods for energy is essential to your health, as well as simply getting you through your daily routine. Whether you're at home, at work or at the gym, getting plenty of certain key vitamins and foods is vital to staying energized and ready to tackle the challenges of everyday life.
Calories and Energy
Understanding the connection between food and energy begins with the calorie. A calorie is simply a unit of measurement for the amount of energy in food. Your body uses this stored food energy to provide you with energy, and nearly all types of foods contain at least some calories -- from peanut butter sandwiches to candy bars.
B Vitamins
The family of B vitamins plays a pivotal role in many aspects of providing your body with energy, reports MIT. B vitamins including B-1, B-2, B-6 and B-12 are essential in helping metabolize carbohydrates from food into glucose, which is key in energy production. These numbered vitamins are often referred to by names such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin and folic acid.
Food for Energy
Healthy sources of energy include complex carbohydrate-rich foods such as whole wheat bread, whole grain cereal, raw broccoli, pasta and rice. Foods that pack an energy-lifting punch of B vitamins include protein sources such as lean red meat, beans, eggs and dairy products, according to the National Institutes of Health. Getting energy from healthy food sources is essential, since eating greasy fast food meals or sugary candy bars can overload your body with sugars, resulting in an initial boost of energy followed by a "crash" period during which you may feel sluggish or sleepy.
Energy and Metabolism
Eating energy-rich foods in small portions throughout the day is key in keeping your body's metabolism burning, which in turn keeps you energized. Breakfast is an essential meal, and incorporating foods rich in B vitamins as well as complex carbohydrates into your morning meal is vital in kick-starting your body's energy production. Snacks such as granola and dry whole grain cereal help your metabolism energize you, while burning fat and calories at the same time.
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