In the morning we usually leave the house with just a coffee and little else. By dint of our own energy - pure adrenaline - we start the day: children, transport, work … If we have time, we have a bite at midmorning. And at mealtime we even say that we are hardly hungry, and we may not even eat enough then.
Sold out reserves
So we arrived in the middle of the afternoon with a lot of energy spent and many things still ahead. At that moment, the nutritional reserves that our body uses begin to be somewhat depleted due to lack of sufficient nutrition and the feeling of fatigue appears on the one hand, and appetite on the other. We literally feel starving.
To the limit
Until that moment we have shot adrenaline and cortisol to properly maintain our blood glucose level . They are stress hormones, they make us "pull the car" almost automatically, but they have a limit.
Sugar ups and downs
Throughout the day we have been making small sugar peaks (thanks to adrenaline, cortisol, glucagon and the little we have eaten), but quickly followed by drops in blood sugar –slight hypoglycemia–. And that makes us feel more tired and somewhat irritable.
And the evening comes
After half a day, when the level of stress that we endure decreases somewhat, the demands of the body rise. You need to eat what you have not eaten yet and satisfy some unmet needs throughout the working day, such as something that gives pleasure, some whim that reduces tension, etc.
Low serotonin
This is coupled with the fact that in the afternoon our level of serotonin - the "wellness hormone" - can also drop to low levels. This causes our behavior to be more compulsive. We need chocolate or some pastries to feel good and regain the feeling of well-being.
To avoid binges in the afternoon …
Rearrange your diet:
- Breakfast should represent 25% of your daily calories. If you are not very hungry first thing in the morning or eat late, have a snack in the middle of the morning.
- Food is 35-40% of total calories. Better before 3pm.
- The snack does not have to be eliminated. It helps us not to go to dinner starving and to keep sugar levels stable. The trick is to snack properly.
- Eat a light dinner (25-30% of total calories) and early, to facilitate sleep afterwards. This is what you should have for dinner and what not so that neither your figure nor your dream suffer.
Do physical activity:
- Contrary to what many people believe, exercising does not tire, but rather brings vitality. Do it regularly.
Get adequate rest:
- Sleep between 7 and 8 hours a day.
- If you can, take a 20 minute nap.
Keep regular hours:
- Try to always eat your meals at the same time, without major changes on the weekends.
- And the same for sleeping hours.
And sign up for the foods that help you get through the day
If you feel more irritable, sleep poorly, are intolerant to changes and stress, you may have low levels of tryptophan, the precursor to serotonin. Elevating them will help you get through the day better.
- Dark chocolate. An ounce of dark chocolate after each meal will help you raise your tryptophan level.
- Walnuts And other nuts and seeds, such as sunflower or pumpkin, add tryptophan to your meals.
- Cheese. And also milk or other dairy products contain this serotonin precursor.
- Turkey. Include it in your dinners to get a good night's sleep and wake up in a good mood.
And if you have more questions about what you eat, take a look at all the articles in the nutrition office.
