By Ganymede
Eat for Alertness
Cravings, hunger, and overeating result from skipping meals or not eating on a schedule. This kind of eating leads to peaks and lows in your energy levels.
Take the time to stop for breaks and do your best to eat your meals and snacks at the same time every day or night.
Besides eating regularly, you should try to eat foods that release energy slowly, choose foods carefully to keep up your energy at work.
If you want more energy, look at your diet and make sure you're following these basic guidelines:
Drink lots of water - Dehydration can lead to fatigue.
Be careful with caffeine - One or two caffeinated drinks per day like coffee or tea can boost your energy and mental alertness, but more than six caffeinated drinks per day may make you anxious, irritable, and negatively affect your performance.
Eat breakfast - Food boosts your metabolism and gives your body energy to burn. Choose a complex-carbohydrate breakfast like porridge or whole grain bread.
Don't skip meals - Going without food for too long allows blood sugar levels to dip. Try to eat regularly to maintain your energy levels throughout the day.
Don't crash diet - Low calorie diets or diets that severely restrict carbohydrates don't contain enough energy for your body's needs. The typical crash diet also deprives the body of vitamins, minerals, and trace elements.
Eat a healthy diet - Increase the amount of fruit, vegetables, whole grain foods, low fat dairy products and lean protein in your diet. Reduce the amount of high fat, high sugar, and high salt foods.
Eat iron rich foods - Women, in particular, are prone to iron-deficiency (anaemia). Make sure your diet includes iron rich foods such as lean meat, fish, and greens.
If you have any questions regarding the topics covered in our Fatigue series, please don't hesitate to get in touch with our HSEQ team on 0333 011 2048 who will offer you support and guidance.