5 Foods to Go From Sleepy to Supercharged

Do you wake up feeling tired, or refreshed? The quality of your diet and how often you’re refueling throughout the day can effect how well you bounce back from a poor night’s sleep.

When you’re fatigued, you often crave ultra-processed snacks, such as chips, sweets and fried foods. The reason you crave these foods is because your body is looking for a quick fix of energy. Although these foods can provide you with a short-term energy burst, they can cause your energy levels to come crashing down later, making you feel worse than before.

Minimally-processed and nutrient-dense foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, contain more essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to help you counteract fatigue and provide long-lasting energy that can get you through the day.

Almonds

Almonds are high in protein, fibre and unsaturated fats, as well as B vitamins, which help your body to convert food into energy. Try adding almonds to a salad or trail mix, or eat them solo as a snack between meals.

 

 

Kale

This green wonder is an amazing plant-based source of iron, which helps to carry oxygen around your body – a vital component of energy production. Kale is also loaded with heaps of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that help you feel your best on drowsy days.

 

Avocado

Avocados are full of fibre, which helps to stabilise blood sugar levels and avoid varied blood sugar spikes and crashes, which can make you feel lethargic. Avocados are also full of unsaturated fats, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that help to slow your digestion, providing slow-releasing energy throughout the day.

 

 

Brown Rice

Complex carbohydrates (like brown rice) are high in fibre and contain many more nutrients than simple carbohydrates (like white flour, white rice and white pasta). The hull (the hard, protective covering) of brown rice is especially loaded with fibre and nutrients that provide slow-release energy throughout the day.

 

Hemp Seeds

Hemp seeds are high in protein, unsaturated fats, and fibre to help stabilise blood sugar levels and improve your gut health to keep you feeling fuller for longer, thus providing more energy. You can incorporate hemp seeds into your diet by sprinkling them over yoghurt or cereal, adding them to smoothies, or sprinkling them into a salad.

 

We have created a recipe that includes all FIVE of these foods! Check out our Chicken Poke Bowl for the ultimate lunchtime supercharger!