Food is Fuel -Use it to Boost Your Energy

My office is the Eden of Fast Food. A place where Ronald McDonald reigns supreme. Everyday, someone eats some form of fast food at their desk. I try to stay away from partaking in the fast food love fest.  Occasionally I will chip in and gets some sushi or indian food on a Friday, but I can count the times that I have ordered a hamburger and fries on one hand, in the 3 1/2 years that I have worked there.

That said, I am still affected by the smells that permeate around my desk. Initially, it smells really yummy….and the cravings set in. After about 5 minutes though – I am really glad that I haven’t had any, because I usually get a headache from the smell. There is a reason why offices have lunch rooms – I just wish my coworkers would use ours.

A proper diet is really important for having energy and definitely important for maintaining it. Fast food can be a quick fix, but you will find that you will feel much worse, 40 minutes after eating than you did before.

When researching the kinds of food that I should be eating, not only to feel energized (the energy drink I posted a couple of days ago, works really well by the way), but to keep my mood elevated. I came across this article published in Mental Floss (my favorite magazine – which has a really cool blog) – it came via Men’s Health.

Here are the tips they cover – with some of my thoughts.

Stay alert With Protein – do you get an afternoon crash? Make sure you have some protein at lunch time. I am trying to cut back on all kinds of meat right now, but there are lots of options. I am a big fan of edamame and peanut butter and banana sandwiches (not together) – there are healthier options, but I have a hard time giving up PB&B. I don’t eat it more than once a week though. Put some chicken on top of your salad, or countless other things that you can do. Don’t know much about healthful eating? – b5media has some blogs that can help you – stop by either Veggie Chic or Eating Fabulous for some good ideas.

Kill stress with foods rich in magnesium – magnesium is so good for people with chronic fatigue syndrome. Not only does it help with stress and many other things – but it gives you energy!!!!

Fat-free carbs fight insomnia – they must have written this especially for me! They recommend a bit of popcorn right before bed – with little or no fat (that means no butter, unless you can stop at just a smidgen). I am going to try this tonight, and see if it helps.

Get happy with fish- a study in Finland, proved that people who eat fish are 31 percent less likely to suffer from depression. That’s a good reason to order sushi….mmmm sushi, my favorite. If you don’t like sushi, you can grill salmon, or tuna, or trout, or whatever you desire – its all good for you.

Remember the antioxidants – these come in the forms of fruits and vegetables. If you don’t eat these everyday, your brain will start to erode. And no one wants that to happen. I like being smart….(it makes me feel superior to the rest of the people in my life – shhhh).

*Thanks to Mental Floss and Men’s Health for the great tips!

**Picture Source – Flickr
I just love that the McDonald’s bag says “Put litter in its place”- because that’s exactly where their food belongs- in the trash!