Top 10 Foods That Boost Your Energy and Keep You Awake

Remaining alert isn’t just about nighttime rest. What you eat during the day makes a big difference too. While all foods provide you with energy, they don’t all provide you with healthy energy. Energy-boosting nutrients such as polyunsaturated fats and omega-3 fatty acids are readily available from dietary sources and will energize you all day long.

All Foods Provide Some Energy, But All Foods Don’t Offer Healthy Energy. Consider These Your Go-Tos!

Following are the best foods to keep you awake, attentive, alert, and energetic throughout the day. The good news is, many of them will look familiar to you so you can be sure to add more of them to your plate regularly.

#1. Whole Grains

Carbohydrates are converted into energy by your body. Whole grains take longer to break down than processed sugars (for example, white bread or white rice), providing you with a more stable energy source. Try eating oats, brown rice, barley, or rye. If you’d like to add something to your whole-grain toast, top it with banana slices and a little bit of nut butter.

#2. Citrus Fruits

Citrus enhances your alertness with its uplifting aroma. Once you have some fruit peeled and sliced, enjoy it. It is a lowglycemic index food with a lower impact on your blood sugar levels.

#3. Eggs

Eggs provide an abundance of choline in one self-contained package. An essential nutrient from the B vitamin group, choline is necessary for energy production in your cells and aids the nervous system.

#4. Salmon

This fish is filled with good fats – omega 3 and DHA. Salmon is a great source of protein. It is also chock full of B vitamins, which help turn the food you eat into energy.

#5. Lean Meats Such as Turkey

The protein in lean meats supplies you with a gradual energy release. Bear in mind that although turkey has a reputation for contributing to sleepiness (due to its tryptophan content), a small portion may offer your body a good source of steady fuel.

#6. Beans

Beans are packed with a range of B-vitamins. They also contain protein and complex carbohydrates, supplying you with sustained energy.

#7. Beets

Beets may help you concentrate, stop you from feeling drowsy, and supply your body with essential nutrients. These root vegetables are praised by health coach Lori Shemek as good for the brain during long or late working hours. According to Shemek, beets contain nitrates, which dilate the blood vessels, thereby increasing blood flow and the supply of oxygen to the brain and improving mental concentration and performance.

#8. Walnuts

Walnuts have very highconcentration of omega-3sand are calorically dense, making them excellent energy boosters.

#9. Peanuts

Peanuts make an ideal snackas long as youeat them in moderation. Thanks to their protein content, they are an excellent source of protein and are calorically dense, so they’re a good afternoon pick-up.

#10. Cocoa Flavanols

Cocoa flavanols are a phytonutrient found in cocoa. They help support healthy circulation making nitric oxide immediately available. When your circulation is optimized you feel more energized.

And a Few Energy-Boosting Drinks!

The following are some of the best drinks to keep you awake, attentive, alert, and energetic throughout the day.

#1. Water

Drinking water is essential, and having enough energy is just one reason why you need to drink plenty of it. If you’re feeling lethargic, you may be suffering from dehydration, and fatigue is a common symptom of dehydration. One way to start helping: Each day when you wake up, drink a glass of water.

#2. Coffee

It’s no secret that caffeine is a great pick-me-up that can aid your focus and alertness, and coffee is practically its spokesperson. However, avoid drinking too much coffee late in the day, because too much caffeine can interfere with your ability to get a good night’s sleep.

#3. Green Tea

If you’re looking for some caffeine but want to dial it back a little, choose green tea over coffee. It has roughly 35 milligrams, compared to approximately 100 milligrams in coffee, so green tea won’t give you as steep a crash when it wears off. It’s also packed with antioxidants.

When You Want to Feel the Opposite of Energetic

At the end of the day, you want to be mindful of what you eat so that you’re not inadvertently increasing your energy level when you want to be winding down and getting ready to fall asleep. You may not realize it, but what you eat in the evening could be causing you to have difficulty sleeping. So if you tend to suffer from insomnia, steer clear of these saboteurs, especially in the evening:

• Sugary foods
• Carbonated beverages
• Caffeinated drinks
• Alcohol

Other Types of Foods That Prevent a Good Night’s Sleep

Besides those notorious offenders, certain types of foods can wreak havoc on your sleep as well.

Spicy Foods

Foods that are hot or spicy can create an acidic environment in the digestive systemand can keep you awake. Limit the amount of spicy foods you consume late at night and instead opt for foods with milder temperatures and flavors,such as basil and sage, both of which mayhelp you sleep better, according to Kristin Kirkpatrick, a registered dietitian at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute.

Fried Foods

According to WebMD, high-fat meals, including the classic burgerand fries combo, may hinder your sleep because of gastrointestinal acidity. Rather than eating fried foods, opt for steamed, broiled, roasted, or sautéed vegetables to cut down on sugars, fats, calories, and sodium.

Heavy Meals

Sarah Remmer, a registered dietitian in Calgary, Canada, says that a big meal full of fat, fiber, and protein can require additional time to digest and may lead to stomachaches, which will keep you up.

Try Supplements for Energy and for Sleep

Even when you’re eating all right healthy foods, you sometimes may still feel a lack of energy. At those times, try an all-natural supplement such as RECHARGE HEALTH™ centered energy, which contains whole-food sourced ingredientsCoQ10, rhodiolarosea, Vitamin B-12 and goji berries, which are known to help increase energy. And when you have trouble sleeping, try RECHARGE HEALTH™ blissful sleep, a formulation made from Vitamin B6

Magnesium, lemon balm extract, hops extract, and other natural herbs that promote a good night’s rest. Always consult your doctor before you begin to take any supplements—even though they’re natural, they can still cause possible interactions with certain medications, so you want your doctor to give you the clear first.

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