6 Tips To Avoid The 3pm Slump

We’ve all been there, it’s 3pm and you’ve been productive all morning but you’re starting to feel slower, your eyelids are heavy and you’re ready for a nap. For many, the solution would be to grab a coffee or something sweet to give you that quick energy hit, however there are a few ways to prevent you getting the 3pm tiredness in the first place.

Nail your breakfast and lunch.

You’re probably wondering ‘what does my breakfast and lunch have to do with my tiredness of an afternoon?’ Often people will link the cause of the tiredness of what you’re doing in that exact moment, however the root cause to your tiredness could be what you did earlier in the day. Your breakfast and lunch set the tone for your energy levels for the rest of the day.

• Adding protein to your breakfast and lunch keeps you fuller for longer, therefore giving you long-lasting energy for the day, avoiding the afternoon crash. Ensure there is a good source of animal protein, such as chicken, beef, fish, turkey or yoghurt, or even a plant-based protein such as chickpeas, lentils, or beans.
• Add fat to your meals. Fat in the past had a bad rap, but it’s a very important part of a healthy diet, helping keep you fuller for longer and serving as a source of energy for the body. Consider adding a serve to your breakfast and lunch, with healthy types of fat including avocado, olives, cheese, nuts, seeds and olive oil.
• Include carbohydrates, they are the body’s main energy source, therefore very important for giving you, well… energy! Including carbohydrates like bread, pasta, cereal, oats, rice and fruit. Although, the type of carbohydrate is also important…

For energising breakfasts, try our high protein overnight oats recipe.

Choose energising carbohydrates.

Starting your day with too much sugar, from either added sugar or refined carbohydrate, can spike your blood sugar levels causing a crash in energy shortly after. Refined carbohydrates include muffins, white bread, pastries, or sugary cereals. Choosing wholegrain carbohydrates can provide lasting energy for the day. For example, at breakfast choosing wholemeal or grain bread, oats, bran cereal, natural muesli or fruit. For example, at lunch choosing wholemeal or grain bread, brown rice or wholemeal pasta.

Water. Water. Water

I know you overhear the phrase ‘drink more water’, but your brain needs to be adequately hydrated to function and be energised. Focus on drinking water throughout the whole day, especially getting enough of a morning. A strategy to get enough water would be to have a glass with breakfast, a glass with lunch, and two glasses between these meals (at a minimum).

Try our Fruit Infused Sparkling Water to keep you hydrated.

Meet your fruit + vegetable targets.

A diet rich in fruit and vegetables provides long-lasting energy as you provide your body the vitamins and minerals it needs to function at its best! When your body is functioning at its best, you’re full of energy and shouldn’t reach the end of the day feeling tired. No single fruit or vegetable provides ALL of the nutrients you need, so it’s important to eat a variety over the week. To get the variety, aim to include different colours in your meal, for example on a sandwich including tomato (red), carrot (orange) and spinach (green).

Manage your coffee intake.

Coffee contains caffeine which keeps you more awake and alert. Caffeine can remain in your body for up to 10 hours. Most people would reach for an afternoon coffee when they’re feeling tired (guilty!), while it may give you a short buzz, it also is likely to impact your sleep which will affect tomorrow’s energy levels. Aim to finish your last coffee about 10 hours before you plan to go to sleep.

Energy-boosting sunlight.

Our body has an internal clock to tell us when it’s time to be awake, and when it’s time to get ready for bed. Sitting inside and in front of a screen does us no favours for impacting this internal clock, making us feel sleepy. Taking the time to get outside in the fresh air and to get some sunlight helps our body understand it’s the time of the day to be awake and alert.

 

Need to make some more healthy eating changes?

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Head to our RECIPE VIDEO HUB – we have lots of healthy snack ideas you might want to try!

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