Do you feel fatigued, tired and lethargic throughout the day? Sometimes, even after having two-three cups of coffee during the day, we can’t shake off the drowsiness and lack of energy in our body. And battled against a never-ending list of chores, lack of sleep and an energy-deprived body, one experiences a downfall in the quality of one’s lifestyle.
Research reveals that if your body is lacking energy, chances are your diet is unhealthy and it is depriving you of all the essential nutrients that will fill you up with energy. It’s time for you to re-examine your diet, and ask yourself, is that carb-filled donut or oily meatball spaghetti dish a healthy option for lunch?
You see, unhealthy fats and carbs disrupt your digestive process, reduce your sleep quality, and mess around with your blood sugar levels. And all this deprives your body of the energy it needs to stay active, focused and energetic.
Remember, your daily diet is at the root of every problem your physical and mental health has to combat against. So, we’ve compiled a list of 8 everyday items that are unhealthy and engulf us with bouts of exhaustion and fatigue.
Here, take a look:
1. Red Wine
Research reveals that drinking wine before going to bed has disrupting effects on your sleep cycle, and in most cases, it cause fatigue and lethargy the next day. If you’re planning on drinking one or two glasses just to make sure to sleep quickly and soundly, remind yourself that this is just going to reduce your sleep cycle, and jolt you awake after plenty of tossing and turning. Besides, liquor always dehydrates your body, and this leads to a lack of concentration and bouts of fatigue.
If you really want to have a drink, don’t take it right before going to bed. Instead, take it at least 3 hours before you sleep. Wine is a good drink to accompany your lunch, or even dinner for that matter. However, make sure you drink at least one glass of water for every drink that you toss down.
2. Veggie Chips
Before you pick out an ultra-processed pack of veggie chips, remind yourself that picking out a label that says veggie written on it doesn’t mean you’re enriching your body with nutrients that come from vegetables. You see, these crunchy and excessively salty “veggie” chips are usually made with refined carbs, basically potato starch, which will make you fatigued and lazy if you eat too much of it.
And if you really want veggie chips so why not make some yourself? Just chop up some sweet potatoes, carrots, beetroot, or beets, and enjoy them with a freshly-made bowl of hummus for a snack that is filling and energizing. These veggies will fill you up with fiber and protein.
3. Coffee
If you’re experiencing sleeplessness or if your sleep quality has decreased alarmingly, chances are your coffee addiction has gotten out of hand. You see, you need a cup of coffee early in the morning to curb down your cortisol levels, a stress hormone that is raging through your body when you wake up, and give you an energetic boost. However, when you enjoy the same cup of coffee after 3 in the evening, it disrupts your sleep cycle.
Research reveals that individuals who consume coffee within or less than 6 hours before sleeping then to experience a reduction their sleep duration and quality.
4. Energy Bars
Even though some brands do contain a tiny amount of minerals and vitamins, however, most energy bars are packed with added sugars and preservatives that horribly mess up your body’s energy levels. Avoid eating them for a snack, and limit their consumption for pre-workout snack to power you up.
You see, energy bars are all packed with brown rice syrup, a sugary ingredient that messes with your blood sugar levels, and makes the supposedly healthy energy bar nothing less than an ordinary candy bar loaded with sugars.
Instead of store-bought energy bars, why not make some homemade energy bars with natural food? Keep your ingredients minimum, like crushed nuts with fresh homemade fruit jam, and be sure not to add any sweetening ingredient whatsoever. Remember, if you really want an energy bar to energize your body, make sure it contains plenty of protein and fiber.
5. Oatmeal
A bowl of plain oatmeal is a great breakfast option because it will brim you up with heaps of energy to start your day. But, if you’re not being wise about the toppings, and lathering breakfast platter with heaps of flavoured packages, chocolate or maple syrup, you’re consuming lots of added sugars. You see, even ¼ cup of maple syrup, which is basically less than a drizzle to cover up one pancake, contains 50g sugar, which is a huge amount.
Such breakfast items can swallow up all your energy, and cause your body to crash later during the day. Worse, it can also cause a quick blood sugar spike that will leave you exhausted and fatigued. So instead of these unhealthy choices, make a healthy one with plain oatmeal, and for a crunchily delicious topping, toss in some nuts, chia seeds of peanut butter.
These items will enrich your body with protein and healthy fats that will energize your body, and lower your body’s blood sugar sensitivity.
6. Fruit Smoothies
If you’re buying an artificial packaged fruit smoothie, for instance Jamba Juice’s Mega Mango, keep in mind that it packs up a whopping 52g of sugar, and not a single trace of fiber, protein or healthy fats. And most of the times, we make the same mistake at home when we don’t add up good sources of protein and healthy fats into your smoothie blends.
You can make the perfect nutrient-rich smoothies at home by blending in some fresh fruits and veggies that are packed with healthy fats and proteins, for instance spinach, avocado, apples, nut butters and much more.
7. Fat-Free Flavored Yogurt
You can enjoy flavoured yogurt without having to spend money of containers of fat-free organic flavoured yogurt brands, which contain a whopping 35g of sugar just so you know. The trick is to flavour up your yogurt with fresh fruits and crunchy toppings.
Replace flavoured yogurt varieties with Greek Yogurt, which contains heaps of protein that will help stabilize your blood sugar, and pair with fresh fruits and nuts. Berries would make an excellent topping choice, as they pack an insane amount of fiber and antioxidants, and envelop your mouth with sweetness without raising the calorie bar.
8. Nuts
Nuts are a very healthy snack, but like all good things, there’s a downfall as well. You see, nuts are so tiny and crunchy, they are extremely easy to overeat, and this fills you up so much you become fatigued and lanky. Research reveals that since nuts are packed with fat, albeit healthy for the body, but when overeaten, they tend to exert pressure on your digestive system.
In most cases, devouring too many nuts also triggers certain hormones that arouse sleepiness, and keep you tired and drowsy all day.
So, in order to make sure that doesn’t happen, limit your snack bags or portion servings to no more than ¼ cup of nuts every day. And if you want to make sure the snack fills you up without piling up calories and fats in your body, toss in some berries or apples to pack your body with heaps of fiber and antioxidants.
