The 4:00 Slump

The salad with grilled chicken has long-ago worn off, you're dragging a bit from the weekend, and you really need to finish up some emails and organize your evening. What you need is a protein/carbohydrate snack that will boost your energy levels, get rid of that late-afternoon fatigue, and increase your mood. A half of a turkey sandwich on a slice of whole grain bread, some lowfat string cheese and a few high-fiber crackers, or a handful of nuts and an apple sound pretty good right now. Protein takes energy to digest, boosting your metabolism and burning calories, and you can better focus on the work you have left to do. The healthy carbohydrate helps you absorb your food more slowly, so you keep your blood sugar stabilized while also increasing your energy levels, and your mood begins to pick up. By avoiding the chocolate bar or other sugary snack, you avoid the spike in your blood sugar followed by a crash that leaves you nodding off during that late afternoon meeting. The handful of nuts are a protein/fat combination that wards off diving into the chips and hot sauce as you walk in the door famished after your long day, and they have magnesium - an amino acid that converts sugar into energy (I know you remember this from last week...). A nonfat or lowfat piece of cheese increases fat-burning, which also increases metabolism, and that apple will stabilize your blood sugar and give you that little something sweet and crunchy that makes you feel like you want to throw on your workout clothes and get in a quick run before dinner. Who said Mondays have to drag on all day!! Melissa