Preventing Post-Lunch Sluggishness

Ever wonder why you feel tired and sluggish after lunch?

Sometimes, it seems that no matter what we eat, once we eat lunch, it’s all downhill until about 3 or 4:00. What’s with that?

All I know is that it’s quite annoying. I mean, we have things we have to get done in the early afternoon, and we need energy to do them!

How do we make the best of the situation? Here are 6 tips:

Make Lunch from Home

Even if we don’t eat very much when we go out to eat, we often feel tired because of all the salt that is put into food prepared in restaurants. Making lunch from home in the morning before you go to work, or using your lunch break to come home and enjoy leftovers from last night’s dinner can help eliminate this problem.  

Eat a Light Lunch

It can be difficult to strike a balance between eating too much and too little at lunch. Too much and we feel tired and sluggish; too little and we feel unfocused and brain-dead. Find the amount of food that makes you feel satisfied and energized without weighing you down.

Take a Brisk Walk

Consider using some of your lunch break to take a brisk walk in a local park or area near your workplace. If no parks are nearby, jog or walk up and down stairs a few times until you get your heart rate up.

Stay Hydrated

Drink plenty of water. Invest in a reusable water bottle that you can refill throughout the day. This is especially important if you exercise regularly or if you’re in the habit of eating out often. Staying hydrated will also keep your skin and hair healthy and contribute to a well-functioning digestive system.

Take a Stretch Break

When you get a few spare minutes, concentrate on stretching muscles that are not getting used while sitting---if you have a sedentary job. If you have an active job, you may want to take this time to sit down for a few minutes and relax your muscles while breathing deeply.

Listen to Music

If your job or schedule allows for it, try listening to music while you work. Depending on the kind of work you do, this can be an effective way to concentrate and enliven your mood.  

Hummus

Along with these tips, try incorporating the following recipe for hummus into your lunch routine. One of the great things about hummus is that it stores well in the fridge for a few days, so it can be made in advance.

Try using hummus to lighten up and add variety to your lunchbox. Use as a dip for veggies or pita bread, or as a spread for sandwiches.

1 can garbanzo beans, drained

½ large or 1 small lemon

1 large or 2 small cloves garlic

¼ cup tahini (sesame seed paste)

½ cup water

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon sea salt

¼ cup olive oil

Empty the drained can of garbanzo beans into the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade.

Squeeze the half or whole lemon into the food processor.

Press the garlic in a garlic press, or mince, and add to the processor.

Add the tahini, water, cayenne pepper, cumin, and sea salt.

Blend for about 30 seconds, until beans are completely mashed.

With the processor running, slowly add the olive oil and process until incorporated.

Empty the hummus into a bowl, sprinkle with extra cayenne pepper if desired, and enjoy with warm whole wheat pita bread or fresh vegetables.

How Can I Stick To My Health Goals for 2011?

In a sentence? Eat peanut butter, chew bubble gum, and use lots of super glue.

No, but seriously...let's have a real talk about this...

Ah, the new year. With it often come new goals.
What are your new health goals? Perhaps you want to start including more fruits and vegetables in your meals. Or, maybe you would like to work on eating a healthy breakfast each morning.

Or, possibly, you are like many of us, who, although we have every intention of setting health goals, simply put the task off.

Whether you are in the first category of goal-setters or you are intending to set goals, here are a few things to keep in mind that will help, not only with health-related goals, but any goals you set for yourself:

1. Brainstorm: What did you intend to accomplish last year but never did? Write all of these things down on a blank sheet of paper, regardless of their seeming “impossibility levels.” You should include at least 10-15 goals.

2. Eliminate: Choose 5 goals from your list---the 5 that you feel are the most realistic in your current situation. For example, if you have the goal of including more fruits and vegetables in your meals each day, you might want to start out by reaching smaller goals, such as eating fruit at breakfast. 

3. Make a Plan:  Next to each goal, write down the obstacles that could prevent you from reaching it. Then, write down all the positive results of reaching each goal. With the results in mind, you will be better prepared to face your expected challenges.

4. Daily Reminder: Copy your goals, as well as the obstacles and results of each goal on a chalkboard, whiteboard, decorative piece of paper, or typed and printed paper (whatever form motivates you the most when you look at it), and post them a bit above your eye level in whatever location you find effective---this could be your bathroom mirror, the fridge, or your desk. This way, you can look up to your goals each day and remind yourself why you are working so hard!

5. Follow Through: Be determined to follow through with your goals. If you need to, turn up the volume on your speakers and play “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor! Listen to it (or whatever song motivates you the most) and envision the satisfaction you will feel when you reach your goals. Can you see it? If you can’t, turn up the music and dance around a little bit!

6. Don’t Stop: You thought we were going to stop at five, didn’t you? Well, this is only the beginning. Once you reach your initial goals, you will receive something in addition to the benefits you wrote down. Your motivation will increase to the point where you want to set more goals. Keep repeating this process for the entire year and see where it will take you! You may be surprised to find out just how much you accomplish (so save those papers that you write your goals on!).

What's for Dinner?

Do you know what you’re having for dinner tonight? That’s what I thought.

Most of us are so busy that by the time we start thinking about the answer to this question, it is already too late to cook something or we are too tired to think about cooking something.

Here you will find a few suggestions on how make dinnertime a success, instead of an irritating and stressful chore.

      ·         Start thinking about dinners at the beginning of the week

      On Monday, come up with five meal plans for the week. Get creative inspiration by looking    through cooking magazines like Bon Appetite.

 ·        Write a detailed grocery list

       Take note of all the ingredients you will need to make the week’s recipes. Keep in mind that some of the leftovers, like rice or steamed veggies, can be re-presented the next night in a new dish---so you may not need to buy many different items for every night of the week.

      ·         Take inventory before leaving the house

       Double-check your grocery list to make sure you haven’t missed anything or that you don’t already have something that was on the list. Also, consider what fresh ingredients you could buy that would go well with pantry items that you already have---such as canned beans, rice, or pasta.

      ·         Prepare a dish or two in advance

             If you fix lunch at home some days, consider making one dinner dish at lunchtime. Then you have one less thing to think about until dinner, and you can simply re-heat it (if necessary) when the time comes.

      ·         Ask for suggestions from family members

      Take suggestions from your spouse or children. Find out what dishes they enjoy the most, and do your best to include them in your meal plans. Then, on the night’s you make these dishes, recruit your family to help you out in the kitchen. Not only will they will learn how to make their favorite recipes, but dinner will get on the table more quickly. 

Do you have a favorite "busy weeknight" recipe that uses less than 10 ingredients? Please share this recipe with us in the comments of this post!

Note: If you think you don’t have time to share the recipe, it’s probably too complicated. I’m talking about one of those recipes you know off the top of your head that takes all of about 30 seconds to type out. 

Because I wouldn't ask you to do anything I wouldn't do myself, here is one of MY favorite go-to dinner recipes, and it only uses 7 ingredients: 

Punjabi Chole

1 Punjabi Chole spice packet*

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

¼ chopped fresh ginger

½ cup chopped white or red onion

2 diced plum tomatoes

¼ cup chopped cilantro

Optional chopped green chilies

Heat oil in a pan over medium heat for 1 minute.

Add ginger, ¼ cup chopped onions (half the onion), 1 tomato, and green chili (if using).

Let simmer for 1 minute. Add chick peas and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes.

Then add spice packet and continue stirring for 2-3 minutes.

Mix in remaining chopped onion and tomatoes, and stir until combined.

Remove from heat and serve with cilantro and brown rice, as shown in the above picture. J

*Can be purchased at local health-food store. This recipe is taken from Arora Creations Authentic Indian Spice Blends packet. 

Getting that Green, Curly Stuff into Your Diet

K-A-L-E:

That green curly stuff you see on the side of the produce isle.

Considered by some to be a four letter word.

There are those who cringe at the very thought of anything green and those who leap with untold joy when their local farmer’s market carries organic produce.

If you are reading this article….

There is at least a chance that you share the feelings of one of the two groups described above.

But since you are here---either because you LOVE kale or because you WANT to love kale, here are 5 ways you can incorporate this super-food into your diet.

·         SMOTHIE: Add a rib of kale to your pre- or post-workout smoothie (recipe below).

·         OMELETTE: Chopp into small pieces, sauté, and add to a veggie omelet.

·         PASTA: Sautee with olive oil and garlic and toss with spaghetti and roasted shrimp.

·         SALAD: Toss chopped kale in balsamic vinaigrette with slices red onion, garbanzo beans, romaine lettuce, and avocado.

·         CHIPS: After removing stems, toss leaves in olive oil and seasoned salt and bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes.  

Kale Smoothie

If you’re like me, you’re one of those morning people who likes to check as much off your list as early as possible. Why not check “eat vegetables” off your list in the morning? It will set the tone for the rest of the day’s choices---especially when it comes to making healthy meal choices.

2 oranges*

1 large banana

1-2 kale leaves

1 cup ice

1 cup water

Peel oranges and banana and place in blender with the ice and water. Blend on the ice crush setting until completely pulverized.

Add kale, one leaf at a time (or, if you prefer a sweeter drink, add only one leaf) and liquefy.

Poor into a large glass and enjoy the greenness! J

*Note to chef: You may want to split this with someone if it is your first time drinking a kale smoothie. It’s nice to use the buddy system when drinking veggies---especially kale. Don't let this scare you, though. My little brother loves this smoothie---we drink one together every morning. 

*For a variation, add fresh or frozen blueberries and/or soy or regular yogurt. (See picture below)

(How) Do You Break-Fast?

How do you break your fast? When do you break your fast? Before lunch time, I hope?

Faced with countless tasks upon awakening, many forgo breakfast with the thought that they will save time and calories. We’ve ALL done it…

But the truth is: we make time for what’s important to us. So could we really squeeze out 10 or 15 minutes in the morning to prepare and eat breakfast? Probably.

But why should we? Unless we realize the benefits of doing so, there is little hope that we will add breakfast to our routine.

Three important reasons for eating breakfast:

1. Energy---a healthy breakfast will awaken your mind and body, helping you to keep alert through the morning.

2. Weight loss---eating something earlier in the day will prevent you from eating too much or the wrong things later in the day.

3. Performance---fueled with a nutritious breakfast, you will be equipped to take on the challenges you face at work or school.