Five Food Tips to Fight Fatigue

You know the tell-tale signs: First your eyelids get droopy, then whatever's on your computer screen starts to swim around, and you feel glued to your chair. Yes, it's the afternoon slump. And for those who've had it everyday for years, it can seem hopeless. But there is hope. Try these five food tricks and see the difference it makes in your day.

Here's why:

• Not eating breakfast puts you at an energy deficit when you need the fuel the most.
• Sugar and carbohydrates alone will trigger an energy rush that quickly peters out.
• Carbohydrates combined with protein make for long-lasting energy.
• Fat and lots of calories will trigger serotonin production in your brain, making you more calm, almost sleepy.

2. Have one or two cups of coffee.

Here's why:

• The caffeine in coffee stimulates your whole system. One or two cups makes you a coffee achiever.
• Caffeine is also a serious drug, and consuming more than five cups a day can trigger withdrawal symptoms when you are not drinking it. People who drink lots of coffee often spend their days on an energy roller coaster, with extreme highs after coffee and deep lows as it wears off. Not only is this depressing, it's exhausting.

3. Make lunch light and protein-rich -- with choices like a low-fat turkey sandwich.

Here's why:

• Any meal over 1,000 calories will slow you down and make you drowsy. So heavy lunches can be your ruin.
• Too many carbohydrates without protein (pasta for example) will elevate serotonin levels in your brain, leaving you calm and sleepy for the afternoon. Too much fat will do the same thing.
• Lunch should be satisfying, you should feel lightly full afterwards. If you only eat salads with non-fat dressing, you're eating the equivalent of a fruit juice, without the sugar. Try adding some chick peas, or sunflower seeds for protein.

4. Snack on fruits, pretzels, fresh veggies, or granola between meals. Avoid sugar-rich candies or sweets. Here's why:

• Snacks are good for you. Eating small meals throughout the day gives you a steady supply of energy -- never too much, never too little.
• Sugar, which is supposed to be an "energy" food, actually slows you down. Not only does it raise serotonin levels in the brain, it also dumps into your system so fast that your body has to divert energy from other places just to process it.

5. Drink lots of water, even when you are not thirsty. Here's why:

• Dehydration, which is a lot more common than you might think, causes crankiness and fatigue.