Many people face the dreaded mid-afternoon slump. Usually a little after lunch, we get sluggish, fatigued, and start watching the clock – which seems to be moving backwards.
If you want to get more done in your day, fixing your energy levels in the afternoon is a great opportunity to do so. You can achieve this by understanding a little about why we get sluggish in the afternoon, and create a plan to combat it.
Read on and we’ll show you how.
What Causes Afternoon Sluggishness?
If you want more energy in the afternoon, you first want to understand why the afternoon crash happens. Here are a few things that could be the cause:
Poor Sleep
Sleep is important for many areas of our health and wellbeing. The quality of your sleep has a particularly large impact on your energy levels during waking hours. A bad sleep more often than not leads to a mid-afternoon crash, if not all-day sluggishness.
Poor Nutrition
What you eat during the day will have a big effect on whether or not you crash, or sustain your energy levels throughout the day. If you’re eating big meals, loaded with sugar and carbs early in the day, your blood sugar levels will spike, which is often followed by a big crash.
Poor Circulation
Circulation is another common reason for low energy levels and fatigue. Your body supplies oxygen and vital nutrients to different areas of the body via the blood. If your circulation isn’t optimal, you’re going to have trouble powering your muscles, as well as getting enough oxygen to the brain, which is often why we experience “brain fog”.
How to Feel Energetic All Day Long
With what we know about why afternoon sluggishness happens, here are some tips on maintaining energy throughout your day.
Fix Your Sleep
Better sleep will give you a huge energy boost. Keep a regular sleep schedule, ensure you’re not going to bed too late or waking too early, keep your room cool and dark, and avoid electronic devices late at night. All this will help you get deeper and longer sleep, and have more energy during the day.
Get More Exercise
Exercise, particularly cardio, is a great way to maintain higher energy levels. Aerobic exercise boosts circulation, along with releasing endorphins that promote feelings of wellbeing throughout the day.
Try Intermittent Fasting
Intermittent fasting – taking extended periods between meals without eating – may help you regulate blood sugar levels and avoid crashing. This usually involves skipping breakfast, for a 16 hour window every 24 hours in which you don’t eat. Be sure to talk to your doctor to check if this is safe for you, especially if you have any health conditions or if you’re on medication.
Eat More Protein and Fiber, Stick to Slow-Releasing Carbs
The right nutrition could have a big difference. Instead of carb-heavy meals, get more protein and fiber, which will promote steady, sustained energy production.
Carbs are also a great source of energy, but try to get slow-releasing carbs, such as fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and dairy. These types of carbs don’t give you a big spike and a big crash like common, simple carbs do.
Reds Detox Drink
Let’s finish up with a recipe for a “pick me up” drink you can take in the afternoon to support energy levels and beat the afternoon slump.
The main idea of this drink is to boost circulation and blood flow, while providing antioxidants that help your body flush out harmful toxins that affect your energy levels.
It’ll do this in a convenient way, with little preparation time, a great taste, and minimal sugar and calories.
Mix the following ingredients in a shaker:
- 350ml coconut water
- 1 scoop Naked Reds super reds powder
- 1 lime, squeezed
- 1 sachet of stevia for taste
Naked Reds contains a mix of fruits including apple, raspberry, strawberry, acai, blueberry, elderberry and pomegranate. These fruits are packed with antioxidants, and help boost the body’s natural nitric oxide levels.
Nitric oxide is an important compound for energy production. It promotes vasodilation, which is when blood vessels become wider and more relaxed, allowing for blood to flow more freely around the body.
As such, you get more vital nutrients to where they’re needed around the body. This promotes better immune function, higher energy and better cognitive function.
Combine this with coconut water, which is high in electrolytes and low in sugar. Lime juice provides an added boost in vitamin c and antioxidants and adds to the taste. And if you want a bit more sweetness, you can add a natural sweetener like stevia.
This is a great drink to take every day to support not just energy production, but overall well-being. Combine it with other healthy habits, such as getting regular sleep, exercise and avoiding too many simple carbs, and you’ll see a noticeable difference in your energy levels throughout the day.