Beth We’re all familiar with the after-lunch brain fog, also known as the 3pm energy slump. Somehow it manages to make the day drag on and on leaving you to muddle through your tasks with a fuzzy brain and low energy. It’s a pesky thing that makes you want to put your head down on the desk and say “Ok, I am done let’s just go home.” Or just grab the closest bar of chocolate. Yup, you can relate right…? So how do we beat the 3pm slump?
Many of us, when we feeling low on energy, tend to grab a sugary something for an energy boost.
Unfortunately, this sugar boost is short-lived and it doesn’t take long until our hands are back in the cookie jar looking for the next fix.
Don’t fear, there is a reason for this up and down cycle.
How do we beat the 3pm slump?
Often our energy boost snacks are food like a chocolate bar, bag of crisps or biscuits to name a few. You know the highly processed food we can’t seem to stop eating?
What’s happened here is, the original wholesome plant, like wheat or sugar cane, has been broken down, and essential nutrients, like fiber, have been removed. All to make the tasty snack you munching. The thing is, when you take the whole plant and pick and choose the parts of it, things start to get a little out of balance.
Now, nature is a wonderful thing when we have a delicious apple or pear that’s naturally sweet, nature has balanced this out by including other nutrients and minerals.
This means that a whole fresh fruit includes things like fiber, which naturally slows down your digestion. It ensures that the sugar in the fruit slowly makes its way into your bloodstream. This works to prevent a sudden spike in your blood sugar levels. Which is 100% to our advantage.
Where as processed foods…
So, on the flip side. When you choose processed foods like muffins, croissants, white bread, sweets, and chocolates. Where only certain parts of the wholefoods make it into the snack. There is nothing in them that stops the sugar from being instantly absorbed onto your bloodstream. Which than skyrockets the sugar levels in your blood.
Ok now you’re asking how does this give me a 3pm energy slump? The thing is, your body strives to live in a consistent state of balance. This means that your system doesn’t like this sudden flood of sugar.
When this happens your body reacts immediately.
What your body does is it sends out a hormone called insulin which works hard to clear your bloodstream of sugar. It’s important to know that insulin is so effective in clearing out the sugar in your system that it leads to a drop in your blood sugar levels. Which then once again, leaves you feeling low on energy and ready to grab another choc chip muffin and start the cycle all over again. In short, this does NOT help you beat the 3pm slump.
So what should I be eating to beat the 3 pm slump?
So, as we learn more about this it becomes clear that your body doesn’t want to be in this fluctuating cycle of high and low sugar levels. It’s so disruptive. Therefore, it’s so important to create balance. This means, keeping your blood sugar levels, well, level.
How do we keep our bodies balanced?
I’m sure you’ve guessed it, we need to focus on eating foods that are as close to how nature made them as possible. Fresh, wholefoods that are packed with vitamins and nutrients as nature intended them.
Simply put, wholefoods are digested at a slower rate by your body as they include the fiber and nutrients your body needs to be happy healthy and thriving.
Simple swaps you can add into your day:
- An excellent switch is to start using wholewheat pasta or lentil pasta in place of white pasta.
- Another option is to choose to make your lunch with artisanal bread that is made with stone-ground flour, or sourdough bread. Check our delicious homemade brown bread recipe.
- Start your morning with a bowl of steel-cut oats or a green smoothie in place of sugar-laden store-bought cereals.
These simple changes will make the world of difference to your concentration levels and will help you beat the 3pm slump!
Try our budget-friendly bliss balls for a mid-day snack.
References
Healthline, 2020. Why refined Carbs are bad for you. Found at: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/why-refined-carbs-are-bad
Berzin, R. 2020. What does sugar do to your brain. Found at: https://www.parsleyhealth.com/blog/video/what-does-sugar-brain/
Healthwise, 2020. Found at: https://drflannery.com/5-reasons-for-brain-fog/#:~:text=Unstable%20blood%20sugar%20and%20brain%20fog&text=Blood%20sugar%20that%20is%20too,skipping%20meals%2C%20or%20chronic%20overeating.
