Hello there,
So what did we actually do with out wi-fi? its official the internet has taken over! I am even struggling with just the odd wi-fi fix at my local Starbucks. But luckily for me, I have some amazing bloggers guest posting for me over the next fortnight to help me through this, wifi-less experience. Today’s guest blogger is the beautiful Sophie from the blog increasedpresence.com, a Beauty, Fitness and Health blogger, and I actually love todays post! One of those healthy eating posts to inspire us for the week ahead…
Hope you enjoy, and make sure you check out her blog afterwards… Much love!
Energy Boosting Foods that beat the afternoon slump? Correct! If you’ve ever worked in an office environment or a sedentary job, you’ve probably found that between 2-3pm, you feel sluggish, tired and the one thing we assume will fix it would be a nice trip to the vending machine… Wrong, educate yourself on the afternoon slump below, what it is, the symptoms and then head onto the recommended foods you should be swapping or including into your diet…
What is the Afternoon Slump?
The afternoon slump is often described as the tired, sluggish and sleep feeling we tend to get between 1-3pm in the afternoon. If you have tried changing your diet and you still seem to experience the afternoon slump, it’s highly recommended you visit your GP because it could be leading towards a more serious problem. These are Four of the main reasons for why the afternoon slump happens:
- High Levels of Stress
- Lack of Sleep/Over sleeping
- Poor Diet/Bad Food Habits
- Underlying medical conditions
- What are the symptoms of the Afternoon Slump?
As described above, people feel and describe the afternoon slump differently, even if you don’t work at a computer or a sit-down type of job, you can still experience the afternoon slump. However the symptoms are generally the same as one another:
Frequent yawning & heavy eyes feeling: it affects people more at computer desks because you are facing a bright screen and usually bright lights. Turning down your resolution on the monitor can help with the strain of the eyes.
Extreme fatigue: It doesn’t necessarily matter if you slept like a baby the night before or had a super-food breakfast to experience this. Extreme fatigue is a horrible feeling because not only do you feel sleepy, everything is a challenge. Picking up your pen, writing things down, walking to the toilet, lifting your arms or even trying to concentrate – they all become a big challenge for each individual.
Moodiness: You’re most likely to feel short-tempered and distressed. The little things that wouldn’t usually annoy you are bugging you, and most people can just put this down to how their day has gone so far – but most of it has to do with the afternoon slump. Fresh air is the best option for this, if you feel yourself getting aggravated then just step outside and breathe.
Craving Carbohydrates: Come this time of the afternoon slump, it’s the worst time for most people who are trying to shred a few pounds, because all you’ll be thinking about is sugar and pastas, breads and refined carbs and sugars, the list is endless. We automatically think that our bodies are going into crash mode, we know that work needs to be done so most of us bring pre-snacks or head to the vending machines. Whilst a coffee could kick the afternoon slump quite nicely and so could a bit a sugar, it could also make your afternoon a whole lot worse. Carbs do make us feel sleepy, they’re supposed to be burnt off as they are good for energy, so not only are they bad for demolishing at your desk, they are also bad for your body because it doesn’t need those foods so they don’t go to good use.
Banish the Afternoon Slump with our Energy Boosting Foods
- Eat protein for lunch – protein wakes up the brain cells and it’s also filling, easy to digest (especially chicken) and it’s also great for the metabolism! Unlike a meat and potato pie, protein won’t feel heavy on your digestive system so you won’t be feeling sluggish afterwards. If possible, avoid chicken and bread – that’s your sluggish nightmare. Eat your protein on it’s own, on a single wrap if you need bread or with a salad.
- Don’t avoid carbs completely – not all carbs are bad for you. You may be aware of the good carbs that our bodies actually need, such as wholegrain or rye bread, bean soups, oatcakes, brown rice and even wholewheat pasta combined with a salad or protein. You should always try to include a portion of carbs that contain a high fiber content with a low to medium GI, the foods listed above are perfect. These carbs assist in keeping your blood sugar levels topped up, preventing that sugar crash in the afternoon which is caused by a drop in our blood sugar levels. We say a portion because too many carbs cause the sleepy effect. Carbs make us feel sleep because they can assist in the increase of a chemical production in our brains known as serotonin.
- Eat a Fibre Snack – be careful with the “healthy bars” that dominate the supermarket shelves, these are most likely filled with artificial sweetners and sugars that won’t actually help you in the afternoon. Instead reach for a banana or an oatcake, low fat cheese, apple, pear, orange or a pot of fat-free yogurt. Afternoon snacks don’t have to be boring!
- Stay hydrated – water is not a food, but their are fruits that are more than 92% water based such as watermelon, cucumbers, spinach leaves, strawberries and plenty more… If you can’t manage fruit, grab a smoothie from Boost if it’s nearby or a natural smoothie, or even your bodies bestest friend, a simple bottle of water. Water should be your main priority in the day and if it’s on your desk, it can nicely become a habit. Water is the only fluid that is needed to make our bodies function in the correct manor.
- Avoid sugars that you THINK are going to perk you up – we mentioned the vending machines because when we’re tired, you’ll usually state “I need some sugar!” – but we never usually opt for the good sugars. A can of full fat coke and a twix may perk you up a bit, but as discussed earlier you’ll come crashing back down again soon.
How do you beat the afternoon slump? Are you concious of healthy eating?
Head over to Sophies blog, you can also find her on Twitter, Instagram and Bloglovin.
Lots of Love,
KBxx
