By Harriet Mallinson | Published on June 27, 2017
It happens to the best of us. We arrive at the office ready to face the day but by the time it gets to about 4pm our energy has waned dramatically.
For some people this may be due to thyroid gland problems, which can be treated with medication. Low energy, unfortunately, cannot be cured with pills.
Dr Sally Norton, weight loss and health expert, explains why you’re suffering from an evening slump mid-afternoon or early evening and how you can address the issue.
What’s getting you down?
Bad night’s kip
If we have slept badly the night before, we may manage to struggle through the following morning but get slower and slower come the afternoon.
Sugar comedown
If we have eaten badly during the morning and rely on sugary snacks or quick-release processed carbs at lunch, our blood sugar will drop mid-afternoon leaving us feeling tired and listless. Not great for a productive afternoon.
Lunchtime indulgence
It’s not just the content but the volume we eat at lunch. A large meal needs digesting – and our blood supply is diverted to our gut to help – leaving us feeling lethargic.
Lack of sunshine
Studies show that our energy levels respond to natural light. Not surprising really as we weren’t designed to be nocturnal animals. By mid-afternoon, if we have been indoors in front of computer screens and under fluorescent lighting we may be feeling a loss of energy.
Wrong temperature
Stuffy, over-warm homes and offices may contribute to our general weariness – partly due to dehydration.
Not enough movement
By mid-afternoon / early evening some of us have spent many hours sat in a chair, our muscles stiff, our back aching, our eyes under strain – hardly a recipe for energy.
Natural rhythm
A mid-afternoon slump seems to be programmed into our natural diurnal rhythm. Some cultures just embrace it – think of the Mediterranean siesta – but others try to resist that natural urge to sleep off lunch.
– RELATED: 11 Foods To Increase Your Energy –
What can you do about it?
Now you know what causes your own energy slump, help yourself to a personal prescription! Dr Sally recommend choosing more than one cure from the list and taking the prescriptions daily for best results.
The eat well cure
Ditch the sugary cereal which gives you a sugar dip and munchies at 11 o’clock. Choose a high protein egg breakfast instead or a bowl of hearty oats with a berry topping to give you slow release energy all morning.
At lunch, choose protein again, for instance, a tuna sandwich on wholegrain bread is a good choice. Choose sugar-free snacks like a handful of almonds which are great for heart health, as well as avoiding the sugar dips.
The drink clever cure
Steer clear of the breakfast juice – it’s little more than sugar, after all. Caffeine is fine in moderation – proven to give you a welcome energy boost and may have other health benefits too. But avoid it after lunch or it will affect your sleep and leave you more tired the next day.
Drinking at lunchtime is a sure-fire way to feel in need of an afternoon snooze. But even drinking at night doesn’t help. You may feel as though you crashed out and slept all night but your sleep quality will have been worse.
The sleep better cure
Talking of sleep, many of us are getting an hour’s less sleep per night than we used to. Thinking we can make up our sleep debt with a lie-in at the weekends isn’t true, I’m afraid, so make sure you get 7-9 hours a night to preserve your energy.
Steer clear of screens in the evening – the blue light plays havoc with melatonin. And don’t over-heat your bedroom. 16-18 degrees is apparently just right for shut-eye.
The move more cure
Nothing energises us like exercise. Particularly outdoors in the fresh air. Not only do we feel better at the time, but keeping our weight under control means we have less bulk to shift around – and that leaves us with more energy for other things.
Harriet is Editor of MACROS and perfectly capable of eating an entire log of goat’s cheese in one sitting.
