Here are five foods that could be zapping you of your precious energy. So if you’re tired of feeling tired, steer clear of some of these food options and watch your energy soar again.
5 Energy-zapping foods
Oatmeal
This one may surprise you, because oatmeal is generally considered a health meal as it keeps you fuller for a longer period of time. But a prepackaged variety with loads of added artificial sugars can actually be an energy-zapper.
If you add maple syrup to your oatmeal or buy the sugar-filled variety, make some switches to nut butter or chia seeds instead – these will keep you energized instead of draining your energy.
Nuts
Once again, another power food, yet nuts can make you sleepy. In moderation, nut varieties are a great heart-health food, but in excess – which many of us are guilty of – they can leave us lacking in the energy department.
Nuts contain high amounts of fat, and although it’s of the healthy variety, their fat-rich content causes our digestive system to work overtime, boosting hormones that create sleepy sensations.
To still enjoy nuts, package them yourself in normal portions, so you know when to stop nibbling.
Fat-free flavored yogurt
This is another example of how sugar-added foods drain us. Even though yogurt is healthy, a flavored variety can have us napping at our desks. Instead, opt for plain Greek yogurt packed with protein and add some real berries or nuts for lasting energy power.
Red wine
Although numerous studies exist praising its health benefits, wine can promote sleepiness. Even if you may feel tired, wine can actually disrupt your sleep, leaving you even more exhausted and groggy on the following day.
Avoid consuming wine a few hours prior to bed in order to achieve a restful sleep.
Coffee
Coffee is a beverage that many of us reach for to stay awake, but in the long run it can actually make us more tired. The problem is, many of us drink coffee at the wrong times of the day – and this scheduling error zaps our energy.
When we consume coffee first thing in the morning, that is when our cortisol is at its highest, and when we consume coffee after three, it has the potential to disrupt our sleep at night. If you want to get the most out of your daily coffee, have a cup between the hours of 10 am and 12 pm, when cortisol begins to tamper off.
If your diet consists of these foods and beverages, you may want to tweak it in order to promote energy instead of losing it.