不管是因為精神疲憊、睡眠不足,還是僅僅因為太陽落山變早,沒有人能夠避免一到下午三點大腦就昏昏沉沉。但是,也不必投降,從此意志力消沉,效率低下。從激素到心理健康,雖然有諸多因素起作用,但能量消耗當中有一部分是可控的。那就是吃下的食物。
你肯定聽說過食物就是燃料的說法。從字面上講這是真的,因為食物中含有熱量,熱量就是能量,但食物中微觀和宏觀營養的構成決定了最終是吃下還是放棄。你可以關注營養師阿曼達·霍爾澤,了解如何搭配早餐和午餐才能夠在晚餐前保持最佳能量。最大特色在哪?霍爾澤反對節食,主張不限制飲食,也不用嚴格遵守規則,關鍵在于選擇適合自身的可持續且富含營養的食物。將相關技巧和用餐理念結合,可以做到簡單又美味。
營養和能量基礎
了解食物為何以及如何影響身體能量有助于養成可持續的習慣。
目標是穩定血糖
PB2 Foods的營養師霍爾澤表示,能量水平與血糖關系十分密切。“很大程度上,血糖決定了一天中的能量。”她說。“為了保證穩定提供能量,就需要持續的血糖。最好血糖水平維持良好的模式,像起伏平緩的山丘,而不是高峰低谷交替。”確保多種營養元素平衡,多注意選擇慢消化血糖指數低的食物,盡可能避免血糖出現高峰和低谷。
多種營養元素平衡
霍爾澤指出,要確保在每頓飯和零食中,蛋白質、碳水化合物和脂肪這三種主要營養元素保持適當平衡。根據性別、活動水平、身高、體重、年齡等,每種營養元素推薦量各不相同,營養師或認證營養師以及醫生能夠幫助調整比例。不管怎么說,確保食物里的這三種營養都不缺少是一個很好的開始。
“蛋白質非常容易有飽腹感,可以讓人不餓。”霍爾澤說。“蛋白質是身體每個細胞和身體各種反應過程的基礎”,這就是為何每頓飯都需要有充足的蛋白質,比如希臘酸奶、雞蛋、火雞,甚至蛋白粉。
如果蛋白質是能量之火的木材,那么碳水化合物就是汽油。“身體首選的能量來源是葡萄糖,能夠從碳水化合物中獲得。”霍爾澤解釋道。理想情況下,“選擇纖維豐富的碳水化合物,有助于減緩消化”,從而保持飽腹感并避免血糖急劇變化。水果、蔬菜和全谷物都是很好的纖維來源。
最后,脂肪(特別是單不飽和脂肪和多不飽和脂肪)能夠“降低消化速度維持飽腹感,”霍爾澤說。可以嘗試橄欖油、牛油果、亞麻籽或奇亞籽。
時機也很重要
如果把保持能量當作目標,就要注意兩餐之間的間隔。霍爾澤說,還是因為最后都要看血糖。兩餐之間血糖自然下降,五個小時到七個小時或更長時間不吃東西就會耗盡儲備,結果下一頓飯可能吃得過多,導致血糖飆升。
“為避免血糖飆升,最好每餐間隔三個小時到四個小時,向身體穩定提供能量,更重要的是,源源不斷的碳水化合物和蛋白質能確保血糖全天穩定。”她說。
五種能量早餐
霍爾澤推薦以下可口早餐,幫助人們開啟成功的一天。
? 酸奶杯:將全脂希臘酸奶與花生醬粉(例如PB2或類似物)混合補充蛋白質,再加上全谷物和漿果提供高纖維碳水化合物。
? 冰沙:將冷凍香蕉、冷凍漿果和新鮮菠菜(均為高纖維食物)與蛋白粉和杏仁奶混合,是忙碌生活中營養均衡的好選擇。
? 素食煎蛋和牛油果吐司:將兩個雞蛋和兩個蛋白攪拌,混合切碎的蔬菜。雞蛋煮熟后加上一片吐司和半個牛油果,可以均衡獲得蛋白質、碳水化合物與健康脂肪。
? 隔夜燕麥:將傳統燕麥與一些奇亞籽混合增加纖維,一勺或兩勺花生醬粉和一塊希臘酸奶混合補充蛋白質。加入杏仁奶,靜置過夜,早上準備吃的時候加入新鮮漿果。
? 速食華夫餅:給冷凍華夫餅涂上花生醬,為快速經典的碳水化合物早餐添加蛋白質和脂肪。盤子里加兩顆煮熟的雞蛋,補充蛋白質。
五種能量午餐
不用吃可憐的沙拉。選擇霍爾澤推薦的營養午餐,讓人精力充沛。
? 火雞三明治:兩片全麥面包中間夾上火雞、奶酪和醬料。面包提供復合碳水化合物,熟肉提供蛋白質,奶酪中有一點脂肪。搭配的小胡蘿卜和黃瓜補充纖維。
? 雞肉凱撒沙拉包:將烤雞肉、爽脆的羅馬生菜和面包塊加少許凱撒醬攪拌,然后把沙拉包好。蛋白質、脂肪、纖維,都有了。
? 雞肉蔬菜湯:無論是自制還是去外面買,這都是一頓均衡、溫暖的午餐,能夠滿足味蕾和抱怨的胃。如果能夠補充一片全谷物大蒜吐司,那自然更完美。
? 地中海沙拉:將黃瓜、西紅柿和洋蔥等富含纖維的蔬菜跟羊奶酪一同攪拌,再放上雞肉、蝦、三文魚或豆腐等優質蛋白。碳水可以選擇皮塔面包或鷹嘴豆泥加餅干。
? 鄉村奶酪吐司:美味、簡單、高蛋白、高纖維的午餐。兩片全麥吐司涂上買來的香蒜醬,加上農家奶酪、番茄片和一點香醋。(財富中文網)
譯者:梁宇
審校:夏林
不管是因為精神疲憊、睡眠不足,還是僅僅因為太陽落山變早,沒有人能夠避免一到下午三點大腦就昏昏沉沉。但是,也不必投降,從此意志力消沉,效率低下。從激素到心理健康,雖然有諸多因素起作用,但能量消耗當中有一部分是可控的。那就是吃下的食物。
你肯定聽說過食物就是燃料的說法。從字面上講這是真的,因為食物中含有熱量,熱量就是能量,但食物中微觀和宏觀營養的構成決定了最終是吃下還是放棄。你可以關注營養師阿曼達·霍爾澤,了解如何搭配早餐和午餐才能夠在晚餐前保持最佳能量。最大特色在哪?霍爾澤反對節食,主張不限制飲食,也不用嚴格遵守規則,關鍵在于選擇適合自身的可持續且富含營養的食物。將相關技巧和用餐理念結合,可以做到簡單又美味。
營養和能量基礎
了解食物為何以及如何影響身體能量有助于養成可持續的習慣。
目標是穩定血糖
PB2 Foods的營養師霍爾澤表示,能量水平與血糖關系十分密切。“很大程度上,血糖決定了一天中的能量。”她說。“為了保證穩定提供能量,就需要持續的血糖。最好血糖水平維持良好的模式,像起伏平緩的山丘,而不是高峰低谷交替。”確保多種營養元素平衡,多注意選擇慢消化血糖指數低的食物,盡可能避免血糖出現高峰和低谷。
多種營養元素平衡
霍爾澤指出,要確保在每頓飯和零食中,蛋白質、碳水化合物和脂肪這三種主要營養元素保持適當平衡。根據性別、活動水平、身高、體重、年齡等,每種營養元素推薦量各不相同,營養師或認證營養師以及醫生能夠幫助調整比例。不管怎么說,確保食物里的這三種營養都不缺少是一個很好的開始。
“蛋白質非常容易有飽腹感,可以讓人不餓。”霍爾澤說。“蛋白質是身體每個細胞和身體各種反應過程的基礎”,這就是為何每頓飯都需要有充足的蛋白質,比如希臘酸奶、雞蛋、火雞,甚至蛋白粉。
如果蛋白質是能量之火的木材,那么碳水化合物就是汽油。“身體首選的能量來源是葡萄糖,能夠從碳水化合物中獲得。”霍爾澤解釋道。理想情況下,“選擇纖維豐富的碳水化合物,有助于減緩消化”,從而保持飽腹感并避免血糖急劇變化。水果、蔬菜和全谷物都是很好的纖維來源。
最后,脂肪(特別是單不飽和脂肪和多不飽和脂肪)能夠“降低消化速度維持飽腹感,”霍爾澤說。可以嘗試橄欖油、牛油果、亞麻籽或奇亞籽。
時機也很重要
如果把保持能量當作目標,就要注意兩餐之間的間隔。霍爾澤說,還是因為最后都要看血糖。兩餐之間血糖自然下降,五個小時到七個小時或更長時間不吃東西就會耗盡儲備,結果下一頓飯可能吃得過多,導致血糖飆升。
“為避免血糖飆升,最好每餐間隔三個小時到四個小時,向身體穩定提供能量,更重要的是,源源不斷的碳水化合物和蛋白質能確保血糖全天穩定。”她說。
五種能量早餐
霍爾澤推薦以下可口早餐,幫助人們開啟成功的一天。
? 酸奶杯:將全脂希臘酸奶與花生醬粉(例如PB2或類似物)混合補充蛋白質,再加上全谷物和漿果提供高纖維碳水化合物。
? 冰沙:將冷凍香蕉、冷凍漿果和新鮮菠菜(均為高纖維食物)與蛋白粉和杏仁奶混合,是忙碌生活中營養均衡的好選擇。
? 素食煎蛋和牛油果吐司:將兩個雞蛋和兩個蛋白攪拌,混合切碎的蔬菜。雞蛋煮熟后加上一片吐司和半個牛油果,可以均衡獲得蛋白質、碳水化合物與健康脂肪。
? 隔夜燕麥:將傳統燕麥與一些奇亞籽混合增加纖維,一勺或兩勺花生醬粉和一塊希臘酸奶混合補充蛋白質。加入杏仁奶,靜置過夜,早上準備吃的時候加入新鮮漿果。
? 速食華夫餅:給冷凍華夫餅涂上花生醬,為快速經典的碳水化合物早餐添加蛋白質和脂肪。盤子里加兩顆煮熟的雞蛋,補充蛋白質。
五種能量午餐
不用吃可憐的沙拉。選擇霍爾澤推薦的營養午餐,讓人精力充沛。
? 火雞三明治:兩片全麥面包中間夾上火雞、奶酪和醬料。面包提供復合碳水化合物,熟肉提供蛋白質,奶酪中有一點脂肪。搭配的小胡蘿卜和黃瓜補充纖維。
? 雞肉凱撒沙拉包:將烤雞肉、爽脆的羅馬生菜和面包塊加少許凱撒醬攪拌,然后把沙拉包好。蛋白質、脂肪、纖維,都有了。
? 雞肉蔬菜湯:無論是自制還是去外面買,這都是一頓均衡、溫暖的午餐,能夠滿足味蕾和抱怨的胃。如果能夠補充一片全谷物大蒜吐司,那自然更完美。
? 地中海沙拉:將黃瓜、西紅柿和洋蔥等富含纖維的蔬菜跟羊奶酪一同攪拌,再放上雞肉、蝦、三文魚或豆腐等優質蛋白。碳水可以選擇皮塔面包或鷹嘴豆泥加餅干。
? 鄉村奶酪吐司:美味、簡單、高蛋白、高纖維的午餐。兩片全麥吐司涂上買來的香蒜醬,加上農家奶酪、番茄片和一點香醋。(財富中文網)
譯者:梁宇
審校:夏林
Whether it’s mental burnout, lack of sleep, or just the early-setting sun, no one is safe from the mid-afternoon brain fog that sets in like clockwork. But, you don’t have to let it win—and kill your vibes and productivity to boot. While lots of factors are at play—from hormones to mental health—there is one piece to this energy-draining equation you do have some control over. And that’s what you eat.
You’ve heard the saying that food is fuel. That quite literally is true in that food has calories and calories are energy, but it’s the makeup of the micro and macro nutrients in those foods that make the difference between you crushing it or crashing. Here, registered dietitian Amanda Holtzer reveals how to hack your breakfast and lunch eats to have the best chance at maintaining your energy until dinner. The best part? Holtzer is all about an anti-diet, unrestrictive way of eating that isn’t about following rules, but rather about sustainable, nutritious choices that work for you. Incorporating these tricks and meal ideas is both easy and delicious.
Nutrition and energy basics
Understanding why and how food impacts your energy-levels can help you create sustainable habits.
Aim for stable blood sugar
Your energy level and your blood sugar go hand in hand, says Holtzer, who is also a staff dietitian for PB2 Foods. “Blood sugar very much determines where your energy is throughout the day,” she says. “In order to have consistent energy, you want to have consistent blood sugar. You want your blood sugar to follow this nice pattern of gentle, rolling hills, not high spikes and low dips.” The balance of macronutrients, particularly emphasizing slow-digesting foods that are low on the Glycemic Index, keeps those highs and lows to a minimum.
Balance your macros
You want to ensure you have a proper balance of all three major macronutrients—protein, carbs, and fat—at every meal and snack, says Holtzer. The recommended amounts of each vary and depend on multiple factors including your sex, activity level, height, weight, age, and more, and a dietitian or certified nutritionist along with your doctor can help fine-tune those ratios for your body. Still, aiming to simply get all three on your plate is a great place to start.
“Protein is very satiating; it keeps you full,” says Holtzer. “Protein is the building block of every single cell and process in the body,” which is why you want to make sure you have a good source of protein, such as Greek yogurt, eggs, turkey, or even protein powder, at every meal.
If protein is the log on the energy fire, carbs are the gasoline. “The body’s preferred source of energy is glucose, which you get from carbs,” explains Holtzer. Ideally, “those carbs would be filled with fiber, which helps slow down digestion,” which maintains fullness and reduces sharp blood sugar shifts. Fruits, veggies, and whole grains are all good sources of fiber.
Finally, fats (particularly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats) are helpful for “slow digestion and satiation,” says Holtzer. Try olive oil, avocados, flaxseed, or chia seeds.
Timing matters, too
You’ll want to pay attention to how long you’re going between meals if energy maintenance is the goal. Again, that’s because it all comes down to blood sugar, says Holtzer. Blood sugar naturally declines between meals, but going five to seven hours or more without eating will deplete those reserves so much that you’re more likely to overeat at your next meal, causing a sugar spike.
“To combat that, it’s better to eat every three to four hours so that you’re giving your body this constant stream of energy, and more importantly, this constant stream of carbs and protein to keep your blood sugar stable throughout the day,” she says.
5 energy-sustaining breakfasts
Set your day up for success with these satisfying breakfasts recommended by Holtzer.
? Loaded yogurt bowl: Mix full-fat Greek yogurt with powdered peanut butter, such as PB2 or similar, for some , then top with whole-grain cereal and berries for high-fiber carbs.
? Smoothie: Blend frozen banana, frozen berries, and fresh spinach (all high-fiber options) with protein powder and almond milk for a well-balanced on-the-move choice.
? Veggie omelet and avocado toast: Whisk two eggs and two egg whites together and mix with a handful of chopped veggies of your choosing. Serve the cooked eggs with a slice of toast with half an avocado to balance out the protein and carbs with a healthy fat.
? Overnight oats: Mix old-fashioned oats with some chia seeds for an extra dose of fiber, a scoop or two of powdered peanut butter and a dollop of Greek yogurt for some protein. Add almond milk, let this sit overnight, then add fresh berries on top when you’re ready to eat in the morning.
? Quick waffles: Spread peanut butter over a freezer waffle to add protein and fat to a quick and classic, carby breakfast. Add two hard-boiled eggs to your plate for even more protein.
5 energy-sustaining lunches
No sad salads around here. Keep your energy high with these macro-packed lunches from Holtzer.
? Turkey sandwich: Stack turkey, cheese, and the condiment of your choice between two slices of whole-grain bread. That’s complex carbs from the bread, protein from the deli meat, and a little fat from the cheese. Baby carrots and cucumbers on the side add fiber.
? Chicken Caesar salad wrap: Toss grilled chicken, crunchy Romaine lettuce, and croutons with a dollop of Caesar dressing before securing the salad in a wrap. Protein, fats, and fiber—check, check, and check.
? Chicken and vegetable soup: Whether homemade or store-bought this bowl is a balanced, warming lunch that will satisfy your tastebuds and a grumbling stomach. A slice of whole-grain garlic toast is the perfect complement.
? Mediterranean salad: Toss fiber-filled veggies including cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions with feta cheese, then top with a lean protein such as chicken, shrimp, salmon or tofu. Bring a carb into the mix with a side of pita bread or hummus and crackers.
? Cottage cheese toast: This viral recipe idea is a delicious, easy, high-protein, high-fiber lunch. Smear store-bought pesto on two slices of whole-grain toast, top with cottage cheese, sliced tomato, and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.