Holistic nutrition: How to avoid the 3pm slump

I struggle with energy levels in the late afternoon when I’m working. Are there any changes I can make to my diet to avoid the 3pm slump?

There could be many reasons for an afternoon slump. Skipping breakfast and having a big meal for lunch is one of the common reasons. Like any other functional device, the human body requires fuel to function. Your digestive system needs energy to process the food you eat. If you skip your breakfast and eat a heavy lunch, how will your system process this food? If your body is working on reserves, it will function well for a while but when it reaches a threshold, it starts giving you warning signals in the form of tiredness. Breakfast is named after breaking your fast following a long sleep. Your body expects some food in the morning hours, which in turn gets converted into the fuel it requires to function during day.

A filling breakfast with sufficient protein and a healthy snack between lunch and breakfast are the key for steady energy levels during the day. Cheese, eggs, lean meat patties, milk, smoothies with milk and crushed nuts, porridge cooked in milk with crushed nuts, traditional or ethnic breakfasts with lentils can be part of your breakfast. Make sure you have healthy snacks like a mixed bowl of dried apricots, dried figs, dates, raisins, with some nuts and fresh fruits every day. You can also have a smoothie of avocado or papaya topped with nuts as a snack.

Avoid refined/starchy white flour-based lunch and opt for a balanced meal with wholegrain, vegetable and lean meat or fish in small portions. A large meal requires more resources to process, which will make you tired. But small frequent meals help maintain steady energy levels and a steady release of glucose.

Another reason could be insulin resistance, where you’re producing excess insulin, which in turn in the early stages can cause hypoglycaemia and sleepiness. The dietary solution is frequent small wholesome meals and low glycaemic foods, which means no cakes, no pastries, no pies, no muffins and no ice cream. You may require a health check and appropriate treatment if you suspect insulin resistance.

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