Having troubles getting up in the morning even with a good nights’ sleep? Having problems staying awake at work? Do you have problems staying awake after a rigorous work out? Feel like taking a nap after a heavy meal? Below are some key tips to stay awake during the day… (hint hint … it doesn’t include drinking caffeine or taking caffeine pills!)
Millions of North Americans are addicted to caffeine. Caffeine in itself, if taken in moderation is actually not that harmful to the human body or mind. However, excessive caffeine intake produces many side effects that are tough to reverse. Caffeine addiction is getting more prevalent in today’s society as people get caught up with work, are stressed out, get less sleep and don’t eat well. And in many cases, we aren’t even aware that we are addicted to caffeine in order to stay awake and focus on the tasks at hand. Some of the negative effects of caffeine addiction include having problems sleeping, getting dependent on caffeine in order to focus or stay awake during the day, needing caffeine to wake up in the morning, post caffeine intake crashes when the effect wears off and diuretic problems. In some cases, caffeine addiction used to keep you awake during the day, also prevents you from sleeping during the night. And so the cycle continues until you eventually burn out.
There are many ways to get out of this caffeine routine. Some keys to getting up in the morning and staying awake and focussed during the day is in your diet and food that you eat. It’s no surprise that the food that you eat provides the fuel that you need to get through a day. So if you consume the right and nutritious foods that are nutrient rich, chances are, you will have enough fuel to last you through the day without having to consume any caffeine.
Here are key tips to stay awake without the use of caffeine!
Key #1 > Reduce the Meat
Meat is protein rich and usually high in fat. Therefore, meat is more difficult to digest when compared to whole foods, vegetables and fruit. As the process of digestion takes longer, more energy is required to process meats through our body, which essentially wear us out. In addition, many types of meat are pesticide ridden and contain tonnes of hormones which can also impact your energy levels during the day.
Key #2 > Drink Lots of Water
As our bodies are composed of mostly water, our mind and body requires lots of water for hydration and proper system function. It’s recommended that you drink at least 8 glasses of water, and even more if you are exercising or playing sports. If you find that your urine is darker than a pale yellow color, chances are, you aren’t drinking enough water to keep you hydrated as well as to flush out toxins that may be building up in your body during the day. Lack of adequate water will make you sleepy and fatigued.
Key #3 > Don’t Snack on Sugary Foods
If you find yourself snacking on candy or other foods high in refined sugar, chances are you will get a mid afternoon burn out. By 3pm in the afternoon, our body is usually very low in blood sugar and therefore, we tend to snack at that time (usually have a cup of coffee or eat a candy bar). By snacking on foods that are high in refined sugars, we are actually only causing more problems. To avoid the sugar cravings in the afternoon, try snacking on whole foods and fruit with a low glycemic index rating instead.
Key #4 > Eat Less But More Often
Instead of going with the traditional 3 meal routine (breakfast, lunch and dinner) that we are all so used to since we were kids, go with a 4 to 5 meal program. Since blood sugar levels play an essential role in our energy levels through the day, eating fewer and larger meals tends to cause our sugar levels to spike and crash. This is especially true when there are 5 or more hours in between meals. Splitting up our nutrition intake into four or five smaller meals a day will prevent the spikes and crashes in our blood glucose levels, giving us a more balanced feeling of being nutritionally satisfied throughout the day.
Key #5 > Say YES to Whole Foods
Whole foods such as seeds provide nutritional balance that takes time for our bodies to digest and break down, providing us more energy throughout the day and a more steady supply of energy after we consume them. Carbohydrate rich foods, on the other hand, are digested more quickly and require more energy for digestion, causing energy spikes and crashes that prevent us from staying awake during the day.
Key #6 > Say YES to Fruits
The key here is to eat fruit with low glycemic index ratings on an empty stomach. Because fruit takes less time to digest than denser carbohydrate and protein rich foods, eating organic raw fruits on an empty stomach will give our blood sugar levels a quick boost without the crash.
