Four Foods To Energize Your Lifestyle

Do you ever look at your To-Do List for the day and just yawn, thinking about how nice it would be to go back to bed? Do you find yourself tapped of energy by mid-day? Do you ever wonder why other friends and colleagues have so much pep? If so, you’re not unlike a lot of guys who struggle to balance their career, relationship, and workout. The #1 complaint of these fellas is a lack of energy…simply not enough gas in the tank to deal with all of the issues that arise on a day-to-day basis. Certainly your overall health and sleep patterns could be the root cause of this energy deficit, but your diet is a more likely culprit. Unfortunately, people tend to eat the same foods everyday, and they’re often the wrong food choices in the first place. The lack of variety and nutrients can be a real buzz kill to your energy level. To remedy the situation, we decided to give you the low-down on five excellent choices that will have you working and playing hard in no time.

1. Bananas:

   Serving Size: 1 small
   Calories: 90
   Carbohydrate: 23 grams
   Protein: 1 gram
   Fat: 0 grams

   Description: Chiquita has always said that bananas are, quite possibly, the world’s perfect food. Well, we definitely know they’re an excellent source of carbohydrates, our preferred fuel during intense activities. As a result, bananas are ideal during prolonged exercise and during the post-workout period to help replenish muscle glycogen. They also provide numerous vitamins and minerals, not to mention fiber.

   Best time to eat them: Bananas, like most fruit, seem to fit best with breakfast, but they can be eaten with lunch or as a snack item as well. The lack of macronutrient balance with this particular choice isn’t really an issue since it’s often combined with other foods that contain protein and/or fat.

   What to eat them with: Peanut butter or hot or cold breakfast cereal

   What they’re good for: Bananas are a great way to increase your dietary potassium, which helps to decrease blood pressure, maintain fluid balance and protect against atherosclerosis. They also contain pectin, a soluble fiber that can normalize bowel movements and ease constipation.

2. Low-fat Yogurt:

   Serving Size: 8 ounces
   Calories: 150
   Carbohydrate: 18 grams
   Protein: 12 grams
   Fat: 3.5 grams

   Description: For a balanced energy boost, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better option than yogurt. The carbohydrate to protein ratio is excellent, which makes it a great post-workout choice regardless of your chosen activity. The protein and small amount of fat equate to longer-lasting energy as well. Plus, you can’t beat the convenience.

   Best time to eat it: Yogurt is another food that seems to fit well at breakfast, though again, it works very well as a snack too.

   What to eat it with: Yogurt can be eaten all by itself, but if you have the urge, try some granola, nuts, wheat germ or flaxseed for some added taste and crunch.

   What it’s good for: Yogurt is clearly an excellent calcium source, which is vital for optimal bone health. It also provides a healthy dose of probiotics, the live bacterial cultures that confer a number of beneficial effects on the body. One of the most obvious benefits comes in the form of an enhanced immune system, as well as improved gastrointestinal function.

3. Edamame:

   Serving Size: ½ cup
   Calories: 90
   Carbohydrate: 7 grams
   Protein: 7.5 grams
   Fat: 4 grams

   Description: When people think of legumes, a whole variety of beans come to mind. Edamame, those tasty, little soybeans in the pod, are often forgotten however. Soybeans are actually one of the most researched, healthful foods on the planet and have been grown in China for over 3,000 years. You can see from the nutrient breakdown that they are even more balanced than yogurt from a macronutrient standpoint. Unfortunately, they haven’t gained much popularity here in the United States, but for the sake of your health, hopefully that’s about to change.

   Best time to eat it: Edamame makes for a very balanced snack, with ample carbohydrates, protein, fat and fiber. You can eat it cold or warm, depending on where you are in your day. It’s also often served as an appetizer at sushi restaurants, so cook some up before indulging in your own homemade stir-fry dinner.

   What to eat it with: Edamame is great with just a tinge of salt added to it. Otherwise, just pop ‘em in your mouth or try adding them into a salad of your choosing.

   What it’s good for: Edamame contains a number of beneficial nutrients—almost too many to mention. They’re a great source of iron, omega-3 fatty acids, phosphorus, magnesium and fiber, not to mention several trace minerals. They also contain isoflavones, weakly estrogenic compounds that offer numerous health benefits. Soybeans have shown favorable effects on blood pressure, cholesterol, platelet aggregation, bone health, menopausal symptoms and various other health conditions. New research is continually emerging on this powerful, health-promoting food.

4. 4 Coffee:

   Serving Size: 8 ounces
   Calories: 2 calories
   Carbohydrate: 0 grams
   Protein: 0 grams
   Fat: 0 grams

   Description: Coffee is one of the most consumed beverages in the world, and it certainly has a reputation as an energy drink. Most people consume it in the morning for its stimulant effects, providing that quick “pick me up” when it’s needed most. Coffee’s energizing properties come from its effects on the sympathetic nervous system, which cause a cascade of events that result in both physiological and psychological benefits.

   Best time to drink it: Coffee is clearly a morning beverage, but as everyone knows, Starbucks isn’t open from 5-9am only. Depending on how caffeine naïve you are, you could get away with drinking this stuff until late at night, without it affecting your sleep habits. Everybody is different though, so be cautious, or you might be up watching 80’s re-runs all night long.

   What to drink it with: Coffee fits into any breakfast meal plan, but others seem to enjoy it with desserts. Don’t be surprised if you’re asked to start brewing as the sweets make their entrance at your next party.

   What it’s good for: Coffee has been studied extensively, initially as a result of its supposed health risks. Now, much more research has focused on its potential health benefits, including reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, heart disease, type II diabetes, cirrhosis of the liver and gout. In addition, the antioxidant tannins in coffee help to prevent free radical damage and caffeine provides the stimulant effects and resultant energy boost.