Health & Fitness – Energy To Burn (part 2)

10.30 AM.
Prevent Midmoring Malaise.
It takes your body two three hours to break down the sugars in the food you eat, release them into your bloodstream, and convert them into energy. Go longer than that without eating again and your energy levels will start to fade.

At Your Desk: Drink a bottle of lightly sweetened tea – we like Tazo and Heaven and Earth Tea. The sugar will help to elevate your blood sugar, while the caffeine improves your mental alertness. Compounds in the tea itself also help boost metabolism. Swiss researchers found that men who drank green tea burned more calories during the day than men who didn’t; USDA researchers made a similar discovery regarding men drinking black tea.

And if that weren’t enough, drinking tea also helps prevent dehydratrion. Losing just 2 percent of your body’s water weight can decrease energy levels by 20 percent.

> In A Catered Meeting: Skip the doughnuts and pastries and grab a handful of fresh berries instead. Since fruit breaks down slowly in the body, it provides a more gradual dose of sugar for the bloodstream. Your brain is constantly burning sugar for fuel, so maintaining an adequate supply of sugar in your bloodstream at all times is one of the key strategies for keeping energy levels high.

Noon.
Eat A Power Lunch.
By lunchtime, your blood – sugar level doesn’t need an immediate boost. Instead, stock up on sources of long – term energy to get you to quitting time.
> At A Business Luch: Order the tuna fillet. The omega -3s found in fish are one of the primary building blocks brain tissue, so they’re vital for keeping your mind sharp. Omega – 3s also increase the flexibility of red blood cells, boosting bloodflow and the supply of energy – providing oxygen throughout the body.

> In The Cafeteria: Drizzle olive oil and vinaigrette dressing over a salad topped with chicken, ham, or hard – boiled egg. The oil in the dressing will help slow down digestion of the protein and carbs in the salad, stabilising blood – sugar levels and keeping energy levels high.

> At The Hawker Centre: Order a little bit of rice with extra hot curry with dhal. Australian researchers found that men who’d eaten spicy foods stayed alert and energetic longer than men who’d eaten other foods. The power comes from the lentils, which are rich in riboflavin and niacin – two vitamins your body needs to convert sugar into energy.

3.30 PM.
Beat The Afternoon Slump.
Work stress has taken its toll. Fight fatigue with these.
> In The Cafeteria: Grab a carton of Paul’s Light yoghurt when your energy starts to waver. High – protein foods like yoghurt are good sources of amino acids, such as tyrosine. The body uses tyrosine to create a chemical called norepinephrine, which helps reduce the effects of stress, boost energy levels, and keep the brain alert.

> At Your Desk: Snack on crackers and peanut butter, which provide quick carb energy plus long – burning protein and fat.

Alternative Energy.
Can supplement supply what your diet won’t?

to be continued in part 3

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