Do you know what to eat for all-day energy? A few key ingredients are all that separate a meal that fires you up from one that leaves you dragging. We show you how to make smart choices

Natural Health, August, 2003 by Linda Knittel

CERTAIN MEALS, EVEN SEEMINGLY HEALTHY ones, can actually drain you of energy. Your body runs on blood sugar, and it needs a steady supply. The right amount energizes you, while too much or too little makes your energy plummet. Common mistakes, like eating too many carbohydrates at breakfast, force your body to work very hard to balance your blood sugar and this process leaves your body sapped, says Elyssa Hurlbut, R.D., a nutritionist in New York City. But it's surprisingly easy to transform an energy-draining meal or snack into a powerhouse. Here's how.

Breakfast

ENERGY SAPPING

INSTANT OATMEAL saps your energy, especially if you drizzle it with honey and add fruit like a banana, which scores high on the glycemic index (a ranking of how quickly foods raise your blood sugar). Straight sugar tops the index at 100, and a ranking of 40 is considered moderate, says nutritionist Melissa Diane Smith of Tucson, Ariz. So it's no surprise that HONEY (at 58) and a BANANA (at 62) can trigger a rapid rise in blood sugar followed by a crash and midmorning fatigue.

QUICK-COOKING OATS have lost some of their insulin-regulating fiber, so they won't keep you going as long as the rolled or old-fashioned variety.

COFFEE reduces the effectiveness of insulin, a hormone that helps regulate your blood sugar, new studies show.

Sweetening your cereal with HONEY can make you sleepy.

ENERGY BOOSTING

Choose rolled or old-fashioned oats. Fiber-rich, they slow the release of sugars into your blood, giving you a steadier stream of energy. Add a bit of protein and fat, like a handful of ALMOND SLIVERS, to increase the energizing effect. Top it all off with 1/4 teaspoon of CINNAMON. Researchers say this spice may make your body more sensitive to insulin and better able to balance your blood sugar.

GREEN and BLACK TEA actually help your insulin regulate your blood sugar more effectively.

BLUEBERRIES (as well as peaches and plums) rank low on the glycemic index so they don't trigger blood sugar spikes.

Lunch

ENERGY SAPPING

This SALAD won't sustain you for long: it contains only carbohydrate-laden vegetables and croutons, no protein, and little fat. Baked goods like the ROLL and CROUTONS--which are made with white flour and lack fiber will cause a spike in your blood sugar level and insulin production. You'll feel weary soon after eating.

Low-fat CREAMY DRESSINGS may contain hefty amounts of the sweeteners that elevate your blood sugar.

FRUIT JUICE acts like liquid candy in your body because it lacks the blood-sugar-regulating fiber found in whole fruits.

ENERGY BOOSTING

Topping nutrient-dense SPINACH with a hard-boiled EGG, half an AVOCADO, and an olive oil and vinegar dressing provides enough protein and healthy fat to keep you going for hours. The fiber and protein in a half-cup of HUMMUS will give you the same energy boost as a roll, without the subsequent crash.

A single EGG contains 6 g of protein, which slows the rate that sugars from the meal are released into your blood.

Opt for fiber-rich HUMMUS instead of a roll.

The monounsaturated fats in half an AVOCADO boost the effectiveness of blood-sugar-balancing insulin.

Morning Snack

ENERGY SAPPING

RAISINS make your blood sugar level skyrocket; they're virtually all sugar. Your body releases insulin to shuttle all that sugar out of your blood and into storage, leaving your blood sugar low again and your energy even lower.

ENERGY BOOSTING

The best snacks include some protein and fat. Add 1/4 cup of MACADAMIA NUTS (a great source of both) to 1/4 cup RAISINS to even out your blood sugar and energy levels and satisfy your midmorning hunger.

Afternoon Snack

ENERGY SAPPING

PRETZELS contain less fat and fewer calories than chips, but they're nothing more than fast-burning carbs that set you off on a blood sugar roller coaster. They lack fiber and slow-burning protein, so you'll fade before dinner.

ENERGY BOOSTING

EDAMAME, or soybeans, contain a balance of carbs, protein, and good fat, so your body burns them slowly and you avoid an afternoon slump. Find them in natural food stores, Asian markets, and some supermarkets.

Dinner

ENERGY SAPPING

Weighing in at 91 on the glycemic index, instant WHITE RICE raises your blood sugar faster than almost any other grain. And there's too much here. Starchy foods Should take up only a quarter of your plate, lean protein another quarter, and the rest should be filled with vegetables, says Kathleen Putnam, R.D., a nutritionist in Seattle. This meal lacks protein and healthy fats, so you'll be famished and fatigued soon after dinner.

Two cups of RICE is too large a portion of starchy food.

There are too few VEGETABLES here. For steady energy, veggies should take up half your plate.

Most prepackaged stir-fry SAUCES contain a large amount of blood-sugar-raising sweeteners.

Dinner

ENERGY BOOSTING

BROWN RICE releases its sugar slowly; its glycemic rank is far lower than white rice. To keep yourself from dozing after dinner, add protein-packed SHRIMP and slow-burning cruciferous vegetables like BROCCOLI and CAULIFLOWER, and top it all off with a drizzle of sesame oil instead of a sugar-filled prepackaged sauce.