Rachel Lukasavige is a Health Coach at Lukas Coaching. Visit www.lukascoaching.com/resources.htm for a ton of free tools to help you improve your health, finances, business, career & life!
www.lukascoaching.com
For more free columns and articles, visit www.lukascoaching.com/articles.htm
Do you find yourself lacking energy throughout the day, despite getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night? Many people report feeling fatigue, even though they do their best to get enough sleep. In fact, about 25% of Americans complain about being tired. One of the biggest culprits of fatigue is your diet - follow these three simple rules to invite more energy into your life.
#1 Never skip breakfast
When you wake up in the morning, your body has already gone for about 11 without eating. Think of your body as a fuel tank running on empty. Calories are the fuel needed to get you going, even if you do not feel like you need them. Although the food you eat for breakfast is important for your body, it is even more important as fuel for your brain. Most of the cells in your body store energy for those times when there is none coming in, but your brain cells need a constant supply of carbohydrates to function. Although breakfast is one of the most important meals, do not skip lunch or dinner either. When you start skipping meals, your body begins to conserve calories and your metabolism slows down - making you feel sluggish. An added bonus for eating breakfast is that you tend to eat less throughout the day, which lends itself to weight loss.
#2 Avoid large meals
Avoiding large meals is especially important at lunch time. It requires a lot of energy from your body to digest huge meals. Blood rushes to your gut, depleting the rest of your body of oxygen and nutrients. By eating several small meals more frequently, you can keep your energy level consistent. Try eating small meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with two snacks in between.
#3 Choose snacks wisely
When people feel sluggish they may think that they need a quick afternoon snack, and turn to pretzels and crackers that tend to be convenient and low-fat. The reason these are not wise choices is because they are carbohydrates that are broken down almost instantly, which gives you the same brief blood sugar spike that candy does. Choosing snacks wisely means eating those things that are high in fiber, protein, and healthy fats because they take longer to digest. When this happens, your metabolism evens out, which protects you from energy highs and lows. Great snack choices include nuts, fruit, yogurt, whole-wheat crackers with cheese, or vegetables with peanut butter.
One last tip is to stay away from caffeine and candy. Both of these things provide only a brief pick-me-up. While the answer to feeling fatigued may not lie solely in your diet, these tips are a great start.
- Related Videos
- Related Articles
- Ask / Related Q&A
- The Advantages Of A Raw Food Diet
- Raw Food Diet: Different Types and Their Health Benefits
- The Raw Food Diet
- Heal your Body With a Raw Food Diet
- Types of Raw Food Diet
- Baby Food Diet For Adults?
- Raw Food Diet: How Many Percent Raw Do We Have to Eat to be Considered a Raw Foodist?
- Feel Great With the Raw Food Diet




“GOOD” AND “BAD” FATS, AND HOW TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE
By: Michelle Perkins | 11/11/2009Most people are mislead into demonizing fat, but the truth is that there are "good fats" and "bad fats," and you need the good fats in your diet – your brain and your nervous system literally can't survive without them.
KICKING A JUNK FOOD HABIT
By: Michelle Perkins | 11/11/2009Junk food is one of the main things many dieters struggle against in their efforts to lose weight, and as tempting as they might sound, “all or nothing" diets don't work: You may feel like you never want to eat fast food again now, but chances are you will crave it at some point in the future. Instead of denying it to yourself entirely and then being disappointed in yourself when you don't live up to your own expectations, use these three strategies to control your fast-food cravings.
THE DANGERS OF “CRASH DIETS”
By: Michelle Perkins | 11/11/2009As much as we might like for there to be, there is unfortunately no such thing as "losing weight while you sleep" or any of the other dramatic promises commonly made by less-than-honest diet plans.
Common Diet Myths
By: Michelle Perkins | 11/11/2009When it comes to dieting for weight loss there are many ideas about selecting the right diet. Many diets sound like they are miracle workers with the ability to quickly and easily reduce your weight. Other diets are based on eating just one type of food. Some diets are based on eliminating certain foods from the diet. choosing a diet plan can be confusing especially for those without a medical background. Knowing the right diet for you make take lots of time and research.
Eat Out – Eat Fit - Restaurant Eating on a Diet
By: Michelle Perkins | 11/11/2009Dieting can be stressful especially when you want to eat with friends and family members. Dieting doesn't mean that you need to stay home and it doesn't mean that you need to eat a salad. The key to restaurant eating while on a diet is eating in moderation and making healthy choices.
Foods to Avoid While on a Diet
By: Michelle Perkins | 11/11/2009When you're on a weight loss diet there are some important guidelines to follow. It's important to eat healthy foods and maintain good nutrition. Never starve yourself but always provide yourself with proper vitamins and nutrients. Keep in mind that the healthiest way to lose weight is generally to eat smaller portions of healthy foods and increase your level of exercise. Here are some tips for foods to avoid while you're on a diet.
How to Find a Diet That Works
By: Michelle Perkins | 11/11/2009Millions of people struggle with excess weight trying to find a diet that works for them. Losing weight can be a long and difficult process. The reason is because weight gain and weight loss is very complex. Every individual has his or her own specific reasons for gaining weight and will need to find a method of losing weight that works. What works well for some may not work for others. Finding a weight loss diet that works takes some effort and some trial and error.
Snack Tips for Hungry Dieters
By: Michelle Perkins | 11/11/2009Dieting is often very difficult. When you diet you are actually making lifestyle changes that will last a lifetime. Snacking and dieting may not seem as though they go together. However everyone has the need to snack from time to time. Snacking is a good way to get additional nutrition and keep up your energy levels between meals. Instead of avoiding snacks dieters should find healthy snack foods that they can allow themselves to eat.
Low Fat Isn't Always Good
By: Rachel Lukasavige | 15/09/2008 | NutritionWe are bombarded daily with low fat food options: from low fat cookies and chips, to low fat ice cream, baked goods, and even candy.
Who Influences You?
By: Rachel Lukasavige | 15/09/2008 | Mental HealthThe people we are closest to, and spend the most time with, influence who we are; that should come as no surprise. But your friends may have much more of an impact on your health than you realized. If you struggle to lose weight, or want to gain insight into your health, start by taking a look at your closest friends.
Where Does Your Food Come From?
By: Rachel Lukasavige | 15/09/2008 | NutritionLife without a car really limits your options for grocery shopping, especially in the winter. The thing that I love about being in Boston in the spring and summer are all the farmers markets that suddenly pop up throughout the city.
Is Your Fuel Gauge on Empty
By: Rachel Lukasavige | 15/09/2008 | NutritionDo you find yourself lacking energy throughout the day, despite getting 7-9 hours of sleep each night? Many people report feeling fatigue, even though they do their best to get enough sleep.
The Surprising Benefit of Potassium
By: Rachel Lukasavige | 06/08/2008 | NutritionThe number of Americans with high blood pressure continues to climb every year. The American Heart Association estimates that currently, one third of U.S. adults over age 20 have high blood pressure. Incorporating more potassium in your diet may be the key to lowering it.
Debt is More Than a Pain in the Neck
By: Rachel Lukasavige | 29/07/2008 | Stress ManagementI am not unique in the fact that there are several sources of stress in my life. It is easy to push stressful events to the side and not think twice about how our life is really impacted by them. It isn’t usually until we start getting headaches, backaches, not sleeping well, or at worse suffering a nervous breakdown that we acknowledge just how much stress is affecting us.
Food Label Confusion
By: Rachel Lukasavige | 23/07/2008 | NutritionI went grocery shopping last weekend, as I usually do, and planned to pick up tortillas for my lunches during the week. The first thing I do with tortillas is check to make sure they are whole grain. The second thing I do is make sure each serving is low in calories.
You are What You Eat
By: Rachel Lukasavige | 08/07/2008 | NutritionI recently read an article about how many whole foods have a pattern that resembles a body organ or physiological function. The similarities between the food and organ signal the benefit that food provides. Basically saying, you are what you eat.