Health, Wellness and Fitness for People & Pets JUNE 2015 | Page 25
"Susceptibility to grogginess after a highcarbohydrate lunch is more common in women than
men, and in people over 40," Grandjean says. Better carb choices are fiberrich whole grain
bread, brown rice, and beans or lentils instead of white bread, white rice, or white pasta.
● Push the protein.
Along with choosing fiberrich unrefined complex carbohydrates, the next
best thing you can do to ramp up your afternoon energy levels is to offset your lunch
carbohydrates with a highprotein food, Whittle says. Excellent midday protein choices are soy
burgers, seafood, tuna, turkey, or cottage cheese.
● Build a highenergy salad.
"Just a salad" is a common lunch request by weightwatching
women, but a plateful of not much more than lettuce hardly qualifies as energy food even for
rabbits. "A typical lunch should be 400 to 500 calories, so salads usually just aren't enough,"
Wein says. Instead, she suggests making your own lunch salads with energy in mind. "Choose
dark leafy greens, which are higher in nutrients and fiber," she says. "Add a variety of colorful
vegetables such as carrots, peppers, and broccoli. And always include a lowfat source of
protein such as chickpeas or grilled chicken to round it out."
Power Up For Lunchtime Workouts
If you're going to be exercising at lunchtime, make your midmorning snack higher in carbohydrates
than you otherwise would. If you exercise after work, up the carbohydrate content of your
midafternoon snack. "Those carbohydrates an hour or so before exercising will serve directly as
energy to burn for your workout," Wein says. It is also a great way to provide energy to your muscles
during your workout, she adds.
You could have a halfcup of raisins (115 g carb), a halfcup of tropical trail mix (92 g), 10 pretzels (48
g) or an 8 oz cup of lowfat yogurt (43 g).
And eat your next meal soon after you finish your workout. Exercise itself lowers blood sugar, so
enjoying a balanced meal afterward will help stabilize glucose levels and keep you going for the rest of
the day. (Need some lunchtime workout ideas? Check out
Noontime Burn And Firm
.)
Beat Afternoon Slump
As any woman knows, the workday doesn't end when you leave the office. Afterhours errands, or
what have you, put extended demands on your stamina. A midafternoon snack can help see you