{"id":5265,"date":"2018-08-30T12:29:29","date_gmt":"2018-08-30T16:29:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.naturalwellness.com\/nwupdate\/?p=5265"},"modified":"2023-10-12T17:16:24","modified_gmt":"2023-10-12T21:16:24","slug":"7-foods-you-should-be-eating-to-boost-your-energy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.naturalwellness.com\/nwupdate\/7-foods-you-should-be-eating-to-boost-your-energy\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Foods You Should Be Eating to Boost Your Energy"},"content":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s the middle of the day and you\u2019re feeling drowsy. Your instinct might be to grab an energy drink from the office break room or munch on one of the candy bars you keep in your desk, but neither of those is the healthy option. You\u2019ve been told that exercise, more sleep, and a proper diet can stave off the midday doldrums, but you don\u2019t have the time to prepare a fancy feast.<\/p>\n

Well, we\u2019ve got some good news for you.<\/p>\n

There are plenty of ordinary foods that can give you a real energy boost, and no, you don\u2019t have to shop at specialty stores to find them.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve compiled a list of simple treats that will put the pep back in your step without making you crash a few hours later. Some of these foods might surprise you, and that\u2019s good!<\/p>\n

When you realize how powerful these familiar foods can be, you\u2019ll see that eating healthy doesn\u2019t require complicated instructions. It can be as simple as…<\/p>\n

1) Apples & Oranges<\/h3>\n

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What\u2019s more basic than these two fruits? They\u2019re portable, sweet, and require little to no preparation (you may have to peel the orange first, but trust us, it\u2019s a no brainer).<\/p>\n

Apples are good sources of both carbohydrates and fiber and, because they take longer to digest, the energy they give you outlasts their fruity competition.<\/p>\n

Oranges, because of their super high Vitamin C content (about 106 percent of your recommended daily intake), can also go the distance.<\/p>\n

Apples and oranges protect against oxidative stress, which may contribute to feelings of fatigue. In one study, women who consumed orange juice and trained for one hour three times a week showed decreased muscle fatigue and improved physical performance.<\/p>\n

However, unlike oranges, juicing apples is not recommended. Juices and purees often dispense with apple\u2019s fiber, so you\u2019re better off eating them whole.<\/p>\n

2) Quinoa<\/h3>\n

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Unlike most plant-based foods, quinoa is a complete protein. That means it\u2019s bursting with the kind of amino acids that are normally exclusive to meat. It\u2019s also packed with manganese, magnesium and folate, which help your body generate energy. A low glycemic index ensures that quinoa is absorbed slowly by your body, stretching that energy over a longer period of time. By relaxing blood vessels and muscles, this gluten-free grain also reduces stress and keeps you motivated!<\/p>\n

3) Eggs<\/h3>\n

Speaking of protein, eggs boast the most complete form of protein found on any table. Almost 100 percent of it can be absorbed by your body. That monster protein is invaluable to building muscle and fueling prolonged energy. But protein is not all eggs have to offer.<\/p>\n

\u201cEgg yolks are naturally rich in B-vitamins, which are responsible for converting food into energy, and they also have vitamin D to maintain strong bones,\u201d says Lisa Moskovitz, a sports nutrition expert and registered dietitian with NYC-based Nutrition Energy<\/a>. \u201cPlus, they\u2019re one of the best sources of protein, which is essential after an intense training session when muscle breakdown occurs the most.\u201d<\/p>\n

4) Green Tea<\/h3>\n

Coffee could easily fit into this list. A plain cup of coffee contains less than five calories and zero fat. It stimulates brain activity, improves physical performance, and may actually be great for your liver! However, some of us have a tendency to drink too much, or add sugar, cream and all sorts of bells and whistles.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re trying to cut down on coffee, green tea is an excellent alternative. Like coffee, it has the caffeine you crave, but it also contains a compound called L-theanine (an amino acid commonly found in tea leaves) that moderates the anxiety and jitters brought on by too much coffee.<\/p>\n

5) Whole Grain Cereal<\/h3>\n

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Combined with yogurt, another great energy food, whole grain cereal slows down the release of glucose into your blood stream, which gives you more consistent and long-lasting energy throughout the day.<\/p>\n

6) Dark Chocolate\"\"<\/h3>\n

 <\/p>\n

And you thought you weren\u2019t getting any sweets out of this list. Dark chocolate, unlike milk chocolate, is good for your cardiovascular system. Its theobromine and caffeine compounds stimulate mental acuity, and its antioxidants improve the flow of blood to the brain. As with all chocolate, moderation is key \u2013 and the best kinds of dark chocolate for you are brands with at least 70 percent cacao content.<\/p>\n

7) Water<\/h3>\n

The simplest and most overlooked element on this list? Water. It\u2019s essential to your daily life. Cells need it to survive and produce energy. You may not even realize how dehydrated you are, but if you have a headache? Drink a glass of water. Feel sluggish? Drink a glass of water.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t need to go overboard trying to force down that mythical \u201ceight glasses a day,\u201d but you should make an effort to drink it regularly. \u201cWater is responsible for transporting all nutrients in the blood that we use for energy, as well as getting rid of waste buildup that leads to fatigue,\u201d Dr. Moskovitz explained to Men\u2019s Journal<\/a>. \u201cWithout enough water, we can\u2019t metabolize the food we eat into fuel and ultimately cease to function properly. Always drink plenty of water throughout the day, especially before and during workouts.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In addition to eggs, discover 6 more healthy foods you should eat to boost your energy. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":5277,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[26,3,10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5265","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-energy","category-fatigue","category-nutrition"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.naturalwellness.com\/nwupdate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5265","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.naturalwellness.com\/nwupdate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.naturalwellness.com\/nwupdate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.naturalwellness.com\/nwupdate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.naturalwellness.com\/nwupdate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5265"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.naturalwellness.com\/nwupdate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5265\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8257,"href":"https:\/\/www.naturalwellness.com\/nwupdate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5265\/revisions\/8257"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.naturalwellness.com\/nwupdate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5277"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.naturalwellness.com\/nwupdate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5265"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.naturalwellness.com\/nwupdate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5265"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.naturalwellness.com\/nwupdate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5265"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}