The one thing I have realized about myself, since I have been working from home, is that my energy levels can often rise and fall drastically depending on what I eat. This is the main area that has been affected by my working from home. I can often miss out breakfast, even lunch as I get consumed in my work. Or just snack for quick energy, rather than take the time to prepare something substantial. I came across this article recently that talks about good energy giving foods and thought I would share what doesn’t and what does work for me.
When it comes to foods my main culprit or energy sapper is sweetened foods. Having a sweetened breakfast in the morning more of less puts me to sleep. Eating cakes, sweets or chocolate, especially before lunchtime, ends my day pretty swiftly. Other foods that sap my energy are:
- White bread
- Bacon or fried foods of any kind
- Potato products like chips etc,
My main saviour is simple plain old water. If I drink at least 1 pint of water a day, my brain is more alert and I am able to create fairly successfully. But if I do not drink this minimum amount, then I struggle day after day to be creative, and eventually simply function long enough each day just to get through my tasks. The other foods that work well with me are:
- Fruit – apples, grapes and bananas
- Wheat Cereal – Starting off my day with a bowl of shredded wheat with raisins works out excellently
- Vegetables – carrots, cucumber, spinach, tomatoes
These foods are great at giving me lots of energy. Of course the problem is “being good” by eating the good foods, or “being bad” by eating the sumptuous bad foods, or as I do frequently, missing meals altogether. The only thing I can do to get myself on-track is to ask myself “Petra, do you want to have a good day today?” or “Petra, do you want to feel successful at the end of the day, or depressed because you haven’t been as productive as you wanted?” I suppose I am at the stage in my life, where these questions really give me my own “kick up the butt” and help me get back on track.
How about you? What foods tempt you, but then make you feel terrible afterwards? What foods make you feel good, but you tend to overlook? And do you even have a structured diet, i.e. eat 3 meals a day? I would love to know what works or does not work for you.
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