Afternoon is a critical moment of the day for many people. At this time, around 3 p.m., we start to feel carried away, we feel sleepy, we have no energy and strength to work, we find ourselves unable to concentrate. This is due to the body's desperate need for energy-boosting nutrients such as he althy proteins, fats and fiber.
If you started your day with a cup of coffee or oatmeal with milk, it will keep you going until lunch. After that, the power will start to abruptly leave you.
The same applies if you ate mostly carbohydrates for lunch. A serving of diet vegetable salad will take care of your waistline, but it will "drink" your energy pretty quickly. This is because carbohydrates cause a sudden spike in blood sugar levels, which makes us feel alert and energetic. However, this effect lasts for 2-3 hours, after which the body needs to recharge again.
But even if you eat a hearty breakfast and combine carbohydrates with protein at lunch, as the rule of he althy eating says, you can still fall into the trap of sleepiness and exhaustion in the afternoon.
Eating raises the body's internal temperature. While the body digests the food taken, the metabolism raises the degrees for some time. After 3-4 hours, when the processing is finished, the temperature drops again. This signals the brain to release melatonin, a sleep hormone that makes us feel tired and sleepy.
If you can't lie down, you're at work and have more tasks to do, try recharging with some useful afternoon snacks in combination with a 10-15 minute walk outside.
Here are good sample afternoon snacks containing a combination of carbohydrates and protein within approximately 200 to 300 calories per serving:
