Have you ever had one of those days that is just smooth sailing all round?
You breeze through the day full of energy and motivation, getting stuff done left right and center? Sometimes you just get dealt those magical days, and they are just so good. How good would it be if you could feel like that everyday?
Well, when it comes to your energy levels, your brain function and how you feel about the day there is actually a few things you can do to ensure these perfect days become more common than not.
Like most good things in life, it’s not all just about chance or luck, it takes a little bit of practice and attention to your nutrition, but the pay offs are definitely worth it. So here’s four quick tips that I have found really add up to a great day full of energy, one that ends with me climbing into bed happy, healthy and with a full cup.
1) Start the day with some protein
Like it or not, popular opinion or not, love your cereal or not, starting the day with some protein keeps your eating on track for the rest of the day. There are many reasons why this is the case, and they get pretty complicated, but the long and short is, having some protein at breakfast, probably around 20g if you’re an adult, will more often than not stop you crashing and reaching for coffees, muffins and short term pick me ups from about 10 o’clock onward.
Protein keeps you feeling full, it curbs your cravings, and it helps to keep your blood sugar balance stable which is a key factor in the whole energy/snack cycle. So, if you want to feel like you, not your cravings are running the day then start with some protein.
Ideas: try a couple of eggs on a piece of toast, a high protein smoothie, nut and seed granola with yoghurt, omelette or chia pudding with nut butter.
2) Drink lots of water in the morning
The oldest most boring rule in the book, but also one we typically struggle with. Probably why it’s still in the book. Anyway, I have found that my memory to drink water and my desire to drink water diminishes throughout the day, along with my brain function if it don’t drink it.
It’s a great idea to get ahead of the game and really focus on drinking water in the morning. It’s the time of day when we’re most focused and motivated, achieve the most and potentially are the most active, so get some water intake going while your at it and see how it works for you. You’ll likely find that your energy, appetite and brain function all maintain a better balance throughout the afternoon if you do.
Ideas – if the weather is cool, and you’re struggling to drink water, makes yourself a big pot of your favorite herbal tea.
3) Eat a lower carbohydrate lunch
OK, I just heard a bunch of you turn off, but hang in here for a minute…
We all have a different tolerance to carbohydrates so this is going to vary from person to person, but, as a general rule a lunch that is loaded in carbohydrates, especially refined carbs, and low in vegetables, fat and protein is going to do two things:
It will leave you feeling a little sleepy and heavy for a short amount of time after eating (you all know that feeling, don’t tell me you don’t remember that last bakery day lunchtime carb binge hangover), but you’ll perk up as the carbs turn to sugar. Then at about 2:30 – 3:00 it will drop you flat on your face again and leave you crawling or snacking until dinner time. Not ideal.
If instead you focus on lots of vegetables, some slow carbs like quinoa or cooked and cooled potato, and some protein, then you can then leave the table feeling lighter but energised and that will often stay with you until early evening, when you won’t be crashing but you may just be respectably hungry .
4) Always eat a great dinner
I live my day for dinner, like actually. I think a day is hardly worth attending if dinner isn’t found at the end of it. By putting some time, effort and love into cooking and eating a great dinner, I think it sends a couple of important messages:
It tells us it’s time to wind down, the day is done and what is left is there for you. So make it special and enjoy it because that’s really living.
It’s a time to get in the kitchen, experiment and really spend time getting to know food. Our other meals are often made and eaten in amongst the rush of the day and we can forget that it’s food that gives us the life and health to do the rushing, so it’s good to take a moment to slow down and appreciate the food.
It’s a time when we can get around the family table and connect over a profound and age old tradition of sharing food, a tradition that is the foundation of so many cultures throughout history, and one that is in danger of extinction. We need to protect the sacredness of dinner.