Excess caffeine takes its toll on your body. In the long run, it is likely to increase your fatigue instead of boosting your energy. If you drink it with sugar, you may not realize just how much sugar you’re consuming in one day, and this sugar adds to that quick boost of energy that soon wears off and leaves you feeling more exhausted than ever. If you want to experience sustained energy throughout the day, drinking coffee is not the way to do it.
Keeping your blood sugar stable is the key to keeping your energy levels steady. This prevents you from experiencing energy highs followed by lows when blood glucose levels crash, and you feel tired and sluggish. Reaching for a quick, sugary fix or a cup of coffee keeps you trapped in an endless cycle of ups and downs. If you want to climb off that rollercoaster, certain foods are known for helping to release sustained energy. Caffeine or a sweet fix may perk you up for a while, but this is no substitute for foods with the right mix of nutrients that help to stabilize your blood sugar and prevent you from crashing. Eating food containing protein is important because its presence in food slows down the release of the carbohydrates into the bloodstream, preventing spiking or crashing.
1. Oatmeal
Change your habit of grabbing a cup of coffee before you rush out the door and sit down to a bowl of oatmeal instead. Oatmeal has a low glycemic index because it contains complex carbohydrates. A bowl of oatmeal will provide you with all the sustained energy you need. People wanting to lose weight often shun carbohydrates, but the complex ones keep you feeling full for much longer and can help you to lose weight. Oatmeal contains both soluble and insoluble fiber. The insoluble fiber helps to prevent constipation and keeps your intestines healthy. The soluble fiber helps to stabilize your blood glucose levels and lower cholesterol.
Oatmeal contains a number of essential nutrients. Some of the minerals it contains are zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, selenium, manganese and thiamine. A cup of cooked oatmeal contains six grams of protein. You can boost the protein content by adding some delicious almond butter. This combination will keep you feeling satisfied and prevent you from making that teatime visit the vending machine or pastry shop. Oats also boost the production of serotonin so they can help to enhance memory and reduce stress. Stay away from oats full of artificial flavoring and added sugar.