Food and Fatigue
Many people use coffee or other caffeine containing foods to combat fatigue, however caffeine has some unwanted side-effects (see more about caffeine). There are many alternative food and exercise strategies that can help to combat fatigue.
There are many alternative food and exercise strategies that can help to combat fatigue. - Getting up from your desk at times during the day and moving briskly will help with blood movement and the fight against fatigue.
- Running or walking at lunch time can help to improve energy levels during the afternoon.
- Having a substantial breakfast is proven to improve concentration and attention span during the morning.
- Eating foods that have a low Glycemic Index (GI) will give more sustained energy for the few hours after meals.
- Having a mid morning or mid afternoon snack will lift blood sugar levels between meals to combat fatigue. Nutritious snack foods like yogurt or fruit are carbohydrates foods that give the body and the brain the energy they require.
- Avoiding large high fat meals at lunch can also reduce fatigue in the afternoon. After meals, blood is drawn away from the rest of the body to rush to the gastrointestinal system to help with distribution of nutrients during digestion of the food causing after lunch tiredness. This slump can be longer and more severe after high fat meals as they take longer to digest.
Related Pages
- Caffeine — Is it good or bad for us?
- Rating of Fatigue (ROF) — rating scale for measuring fatigue
- Breakfast — the most important meal of the day
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