Tired of that afternoon energy crash?

Mar 1, 2016
3 min read

One of the most common complaints I get in my practice is that pesky 3 pm energy crash. Nearly everyone gets it and yet no one seems to understand why. It's not a coincidence that the majority of the American population seems to share this annoying mid day slump. What is the common theme amongst most of these people?

The answer usually lies in their choice of breakfast food or lack of breakfast food. Not suprisingly, the average American either skips breakfast completely or relies on high carbohydrate, often processed food choices. This seemingly unimportant choice actually sets the stage for your blood sugar for the entire day, causing your energy and moods to go on an all day roller coaster ride.

You don't have to have a diagnosed blood sugar condition, such as diabetes or hypoglycemia, in order to be reaping the consequences of poorly managed blood sugar. Everyone is subject to the effects of blood sugar dysregulation. Let's examine this concept further so you can better understand how your body works.

When carbohydrates are consumed, the pancreas releases insulin in response to rising blood sugar levels. Insulin is the hormone responsible for getting sugar into your cells for energy and storage. Once the cells begin to absorb the sugar, glucose (sugar) levels begin to fall. Once blood sugar levels start to decline, the pancreas starts producing glucagon, a hormone responsible for releasing stored sugars in cells. Glucagon and insulin work cooperatively to maintain healthy glucose levels.

Factors that effect blood glucose

Factors that slow the release of glucose into the blood stream include eating plenty of fiber and high fiber carbohydrates (such as vegetables), and including fat and protein with your meals. This contradicts the standard American breakfast of pancakes with syrup, fruit, sugary breakfast cereals, toast, bagels, juice, or even low quality breakfast shakes. You can see why so many of us have problems. After a breakfast like that, the body spends the rest of the day trying to stabilize, manage, and chase sugar levels up and down.

When blood sugar is on the low side, you'll experience a dip in energy and perhaps a feeling of lethargy, anxiety, or depression. Often a mjor drop will occur mid afternoon, hence the aforementioned 3 pm energy drop.

Perhaps worse than eating a high carbohydrate breakfast is eating no breakfast at all. Why is eating breakfast so important to your health? “When you go to bed, your insulin level is flat—not too low, not too high,” says lead study author Rania Mekary, PhD, research associate at the Harvard University School of Public Health in the department of nutrition. "When you don’t ‘break the fast’ in the morning, your insulin level drops—so when you have lunch later in the day, it’s more likely to spike, then crash again."

Over time, this constant flux in insulin levels can cause your body to build up an insulin resistance, which can lead to type II diabetes and a whole bunch of uncomfortable symptoms. Fortunately, you can cut your risk significantly by sticking to a daily breakfast schedule.

Tips for healthy blood sugar:

Eat a high protein breakfast every day
Eat protein and fat with every meal
Avoid simple carbohydrates
Eat an abundance and variety of fresh green vegetables
Eat every 3-4 hours and DON'T skip meals
Exercise regularly -- this increases insulin sensitivity
Planning ahead is key

Breakfast ideas:

When trying to incorporate a healthy breakfast to your day, it will benefit you tremendously if you can redefine what breakfast looks like to you. As a society we are attached to a specific idea of breakfast and it's making us sick! Below I have outlined some healthy breakfast ideas:

Leftover dinner
Eggs, bacon, and veggies (see picture below)
Salad with sunflower seeds, avocado, chicken thighs, quinoa, peppers, and olive oil and vinegar
Prosciutto wrapped mini fritata muffins
Breakfast scramble with sauteed veggies and eggs
2 hard boiled eggs, 1 whole avocado, cucumber slices, 2 Tb hummus
Turkey or chicken rolled up in lettuce leaves with saurkraut, olives, avocado, sprouts, olive oil and salt and pepper
In a pinch, a high quality shake (I like this one)
Coffee and tea for breakfast don't cut it, sorry!

The old saying "breakfast is the most important meal of the day" may sound trite, but it's true! Struggling to get a healthy breakfast into your day? I can help. Contact me to setup an appointment.