Feeling sluggish throughout the day? Finding your focus slipping at work? Can’t be bothered to get to your workout when the day is done? Well, that can of energy drink isn’t the best option to beat the dreaded slump. Sometimes the natural choice is the best one. With certain foods, you can stay energized throughout the day because of how they’re absorbed by your body. This blog will cover all the essentials about food, drink and energy.
Understand the glycemic index
Before we can get into the listing of food and green drink recommendations, it’s essential you understand the glycemic index. It’s an important index for anyone attempting a twenty-one-day cleanse, or any other adjustment to the number of carbs in their diet.
Let’s get back to basics. Your body is like an engine that needs fuel. We measure the power of this fuel in calories. Every calorie represents a little bit of energy provided to you. So you might think the answer is just to get as many calories as possible, right? Well, there’s a bit more complication here. Foods don’t just contain calories, after all. They also contain nutrients. We can divide nutrients into macronutrients and micronutrients.
Micronutrients are the things that your body needs in small amounts. You probably know about vitamins and minerals. If the macronutrients are the fuel your body needs, micronutrients are like the oil; they keep everything running that little bit better.
Macronutrients are what your body needs in bulk, and what you tend to be measuring. Indeed, we often worry about getting too many of these macronutrients. Worries about this is probably why you’re looking into things like twenty-one-day cleanses!
Macronutrients include proteins, fat, and carbohydrates. Even people who don’t know anything about nutrition have a general idea about carbs. You may be surprised to learn not all carbs are equal. Nutritionists often divide carbs into simple carbs and complex carbs. Simple carbs release their energy (calories, remember) faster into the body. This isn’t a benefit, however. Simple carbs release energy in short bursts, followed by the dreaded sugar crash.
Complex carbs take longer to digest. This means they give more sustainable energy over a longer period of time.
The glycemic index (GI) is used to measure how complex the carbs in food are. If a food has a high GI, it means it’s more likely to cause wild blood sugar fluctuations. Low GI foods are better at giving sustainable energy levels throughout the day.
Foods for energy
Now that we understand the basics of how food gives you energy, we can start to better identify foods that will be fantastic energy boosters. These foods are those with a low GI, as well as a nice blend of macronutrients and micronutrients. For best results, eat a balanced diet to help mix those complex carbs with an excellent selection of different nutrients.
Avocado
Very often, green is good when it comes to your food choices. People often think of leafy greens such as those found in green drinks. However, avocados are also an excellent food for boosting energy. Not only is it loaded with vitamins, but it also contains healthy fats. These help lower the GI and make them a great power food.
Beans
Too often we might overlook the humble bean. However, most kinds of beans bring a great one-two punch when it comes to providing long-lasting energy. They give a lot of the important macronutrient protein and the gut digests them at a slow and steady pace, giving you a regular injection of energy throughout the day.
Brown rice
Brown rice is going on this list to make a particular point about how small food choices can have significant impacts. While white rice and brown rice may be similar in some respects, brown rice has a much lower glycemic index and is filled with fiber. This makes it great for your digestive system, as well as being great for energy and lowering blood pressure.
Nuts
There are too many great nuts, seeds, drupes, and legumes to cover in just one blog. Let’s take the walnut as our poster child of this culinary food group. Walnuts are a great example of why it’s essential to understand the difference between calories and carbs.
Walnuts are considered, for their size, a high-calorie food. But because of their low GI, they provide energy in a sustainable way, without much risk of sugar spikes or weight gain. They’re also great for heart health!
Spinach
When it comes to the best in fruits and veggies, it’s hard to beat those leafy greens. There’s a reason we put things like kale and collard greens in our green drink after all! Spinach marks a good case study of the power of these leafy greens. The secret power of many of these leafy greens is that they contain a ton of iron, a vital micronutrient. Iron is essential in helping your blood carry oxygen around your body. This helps give you energy even during the most hectic of days.
Water
Alright, so water isn’t a food. But this list wouldn’t be complete without emphasizing the incredible power of hydration when it comes to maintaining your energy levels. Water can be considered the “final ingredient" that brings the rest of a healthy diet together. Water helps carry all of those vital nutrients around your body. It also helps regulate their intake into your bloodstream, giving you better control of your blood sugar levels. Drinking plenty of water is excellent for managing appetite, as it fills you up, leaving less room for those unhealthy options.
Keep energized with Chef V
Have you been snacking too much on foods with a high GI? Are you in a constant spiral of blood sugar crashes? Then it might be time to get your blood sugar back in order with our delicious green drinks.
This detox juice won’t just help you with your weight loss. Our low-sugar green drink can also help you get your blood sugars under control. Whether you’re going for a twenty-one-day cleanse, or just want some tasty green drink, Chef V has you covered.