5 reasons for your afternoon crash
That feeling where you just can’t keep your eyes open anymore. We’ve all felt it, you’re feeling fine then all of a sudden it hits you between 2-4pm. All you want is a coffee, sugar and a nap.
The good news is you can avoid this with some simple changes. Having consistent energy throughout the day comes down to your ability to keep your blood sugar stable and making sure you’re getting enough of the right nutrients. If you’re feeling, tired, Irritable, drained and brain fog. You could be on a blood sugar roller coaster of highs and lows.
If you experience this on a regular bases, this could lead to blood sugar issues like, hypoglycemia and insulin resistantance if it is never taken care of. Ask yourself if you’re doing the following, if not, start making the changes one at a time.
5 Reason for an Afternoon Crash
Skipping breakfast or not eating within 2 hours of waking up. Skipping breakfast stresses your adrenal glands which will effect your blood sugar.
Your breakfast is a blood sugar nightmare. The standard coffee and refined carbs (toast, cereal, bagel, granola bar, etc) is going to send your blood sugar through the roof, followed up by a crash. Instead have a high quality protein, good fat, carbs from fruit or vegetables, for example:
Smoothies with collagen protein powder, coconut milk, frozen berries.
A few eggs cooked in butter with spinach and 1/2 an avocado
Chia pudding topped with fresh fruit and nuts (this can be perepted the night before)
3. Your not drinking enough of the right type of water. How much water do you drink a day? We all should be consuming half of our body weight in ounces of pure water (ideally mineral rich water). Thirst can manifest as hunger, especially if you are not getting the trace minerals found in water. That gives your body what it really needs with enough energy to make it through the day. Try to drink clean water, filtered or mineral water. If your not drinking mineral rich water add a pinch of Himalayan pink salt or mineral drops to make sure your getting electrolytes.
4. Get outside in the sunshine to get vitamin D. Vitamin D helps to regulate your circadian rhythm, give you energy and increase your mood. Take a walk in the afternoon take in the fresh air and bnatural sunlight. Note: if you are all covered up and wearing sunblock you won’t get adaquate vitamin D. Take the hat off and roll up your sleeves!
5. Don’t skip meals and pack your snacks. Keep healthy snacks close so you don’t get to the point of wanting to eat anything and everything. When you are already tired it’s easier to reach for the closest burst of energy and it’s usually in the form of refined carbs or sugar. Instead have a snack mid morning, for example: hard boiled egg, a handful of nuts. Mid afternoon beef jerky, epic bats, 1/2 an avocado, chia pudding. All these snack are rich in protein or fat which will sustain your energy and blood sugar.
If you aren’t doing some of these, now is the time to be your own health advocate and figure out which culprit could be draining your energy. Which change can you commit to first?!
