How familiar is this?
You’ve had your lunch break and plan on returning to your routine, convinced you’ll power through the remainder of the day. Instead, at about 3 p.m., attention wanders, eyes start drooping, and suddenly focusing on anything more than a nap seems impossible!
Welcome to the afternoon slump. The main culprits include lack of quality sleep the night prior, blood sugar extremes from lunch, and rebound caffeine withdrawal. These late-in-the-day energy lags, while common, can be prevented. Try these tips:
1. Pare down the size of your morning Joe. Too much caffeine can exhaust your adrenal glands and contribute to fatigue by the afternoon.
2. Add protein to your lunch for satiation power. Top salad greens with some diced egg, beans or chickpeas, turkey breast, or cubed chicken to give yourself that protein fix.
3. Get moving. Take a brisk walk or find the staircase in your office building to take on some flights and get your blood pumping.
4. Drink some water, plain or with an added slice of lemon or lime to perk you up.
5. Pre-empt a blood sugar slump. Plan for an afternoon snack – such as fresh fruit and trail mix with nuts.
(Of course, if your energy dips are around for more than a few weeks, it’s worth conversing with your medical provider).
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Download this Garlic and Parmesan Roasted edamame recipe to try as an afternoon snack!