The healthier options to improve your drowsy diet
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Do you ever grab something to eat for a boost and wind up feeling even more tired?
As it turns out, we may be looking for energy in all the wrong places.
Falling asleep at your desk at work or school is a terrible way to feel, not to mention you're looking to see who noticed.
The cause may well be what you ate.
When it comes to fighting off drowsiness, many of us reach for a soft drink or pop.
"Sugar tends to spike our blood sugar in our body and then come down. That level comes down quickly and that could leave you feeling tired or sluggish," said nutritionist Laura Zervos.
And Zervos says it's not just the sugar.
"The caffeine will give us that quick burst of energy. Within 45 minutes we'll see that, even with the energy drinks, it will give us a little bit more alertness and attention. And you will still get that drop after that."
Frozen diet entrees can also leave you sluggish.
"Most of them have a small amount of protein, very little vegetables, and there's usually a big portion of pasta rice or something like that, so there's just a typically higher in carbohydrate," said Zervos.
Zervos said fast food burgers are heavy on carbs, too.
"And sometimes it's such a large quantity of fat for some of these burgers, it could be over 50 grams per serving. It could just leave us overly full and tired that way, too."
White bread is another energy zapper, frozen yogurt is sugar-heavy, and you might not want yourself or your child frosted cereals.
"They probably won't have the attention span that they need and they're probably going to crash by 9:30, 10 in the morning. They'll need a little snack, a little pick-me-up."
And watch out for how much you eat.
"If you eat past that feeling of fullness, you know it can take quite a time to digest and that can leave you feeling tired."
The bottom line? High fat, high sugar, or simple carbs are a recipe for needing a nap.
There are a lot of people who swear by caffeine and energy drinks. As Zervos said, they do give you a boost, but they also create some health risks by escalating your heart rate and increasing your blood pressure.
You won't find many experts who will argue with the need to eat something to start your day.
Choose to start with an egg. Zervos says it should have some company.
"It's important to have the protein, the vegetables or the fruits, and also the complex carbohydrate that keeps us even in fuel throughout the day.
You're telling me to eat vegetables for breakfast?
"Absolutely. Absolutely. We need five servings of fruits and vegetables per day," according to Zervos.
What vegetables do you eat for breakfast?
"What about sautéed spinach or onions or mushrooms with your eggs?"
She even said a little spinach in a smoothie gets the veggie without altering the taste and at lunch.
"Either a carb-balanced tortilla, whole grain bread, a lean protein, a nice leafy green salad with a lean protein is also a good choice," she added.
The recipe for lunch or your evening meal follows the same guidelines.
"Not too heavy in fat not, too heavy in simple carbohydrates. You know, a nice high-protein meal."
And if you choose to have your biggest meal in the evening?
"I do think it's better to wait several hours before you go to bed for the evening."
And the more active you can be after the evening meal, the better. It helps your body process all that food.
So if you have to go to bed early, eat light in the evening and maybe have your big meal in the middle of the day?
Exactly, and very important: stay hydrated and water should be the beverage of choice.