Foods For Energy Boost!

An extreme feeling of sleepiness or lack of energy can be called fatigue. Many factors can lead to fatigue, including: stress, a medical disorder, strenuous exercise, or your diet. Often, it is the foods we choose that cause fatigue, but we can make better choices to improve our energy levels. By combining different energy foods, you can decrease the likelihood of experiencing fatigue.

Sweets or high GI (glycemic index) foods such as cookies, cakes, white rice, and white bread are all made from refined flour which falls into the category of processed foods. These grains are so heavily milled that all the nutrition has been crushed out of them. The only part that is left is the pure starch which is quickly absorbed into the body; causing blood sugar spikes. The temporary rush may make you feel as if you have a lot of energy, but it only lasts a short time and you will experience a sugar crash later. It’s a bad cycle to be on.

You have to have carbohydrates in your diet. There are different types of carbohydrates and some are very beneficial in regulating blood sugar levels. Whole grains are much better, they contain more fiber and will last longer in your system with less blood sugar spikes – for your information, these foods are classified as low GI (Glycemic Index).

Here’s something you should know: whole grain foods generally have a significantly lower GI than refined grain foods.

Eating frequent meals is one of the best ways to keep high energy levels throughout the day. Watching your food combinations will be a great help as well. Eating whole grains along with proteins can help prolong high energy.

Being even mildly dehydrated can leave you feeling tired and fatigued. Fruits are high in water-content and contain many nutrients; making them the perfect way to have a snack and get a great source of hydration.

Dairy products can be a great help also as they offer a lot of protein and good carbohydrates. In the morning or during the middle of the day, a bowl of oatmeal as a snack will offer great carbohydrates to provide you with some energy boost. Foods with a lot of fiber take longer to digest and therefore last much longer in your system. This means they release energy for a longer period of time: keeping you full for longer. These foods also help to keep blood sugar levels steady, hence your energy level will stay stable, instead of fluctuating. Foods like beans are a great source of fiber and protein, which has earned them the title of superfoods by many dieticians.

High protein foods like eggs are an excellent source of slow-releasing energy. Here are several excellent high-protein foods:

• Egg – an egg has 6 grams of protein along with iron and zinc. Eggs can also help regulate blood sugar levels while providing vitamin B which is well known for energy.
• Nuts have both fiber and protein. Combining them with eggs help to boost energy and sustains it steadily throughout the day. Bananas are a great source of potassium; which helps long term by fighting muscle fatigue.
• Mushrooms are little miracles when it comes to energy and nutrition. Vitamin B, (pantothenic acid, niacin, and riboflavin), is a good source of thiamin and vitamin B6. Aerobic energy production and protection of the mitochondria from damage are just two of the ways in which your system will benefit from riboflavin. Pantothenic acid fights fatigue from stress by helping the adrenal glands. And with its niacin content, the food you consume is turned into energy.

You can replace coffee with tea because tea contains Theatine which actually helps you stay alert. Of course, you also get and you get a little boost from the caffeine: about 30 to 50 mg per cup. This is about half that of coffee. Another secret wonder are chia seeds. These increasingly popular little seeds have a long history of improving performance and endurance. The big secret they are hiding is the wealth of nutrition they have. One tablespoon has 5 grams of fiber to stabilize blood sugar levels and omega 3 acids to help keep your heart healthy. Always avoid energy drinks as they are loaded with lots of sugar – this causes you to experience sugar crashes several hours later – and artificial sweeteners,which weaken the immune system over time.

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How to store food safely

 

 Proper storage of food reduces the risk of food poisoning. Follow these tips to ensure your food is always safe to eat.

Fridge storage

Some foods need to be kept in the fridge to help stop bacteria growing. These include foods with a "use-by" date, cooked foods and ready-to-eat foods, such as desserts and cooked meats.
Here's how to prevent bacteria from growing:

• Keep your fridge temperature at 5C or below. Most fridges are warmer than you think. 
• When preparing food, keep it out of the fridge for the shortest time possible.
• If you're having a buffet, keep the food refrigerated until you're ready to serve it.
• Cool down leftovers as quickly as possible (ideally within 90 minutes), store them in the fridge and eat them within two days.
• Store eggs in their box in the fridge.
• Never put open cans in the fridge, as the metal may transfer to the can's contents – place the contents in a storage container or covered bowl instead.

"Make sure food has cooled down before you put it in the fridge," says Philippa Hudson, senior lecturer in food safety at Bournemouth University.
"If the food is still hot, it will raise the temperature in the fridge, especially older models, which isn't safe as it can promote bacterial growth."
It is safe to let food cool completely before storing it in the fridge, so long as basic food hygiene is applied to avoid cross-contamination. When re-heating food, make sure to cook until steaming hot.
Clean your fridge regularly to ensure it remains hygienic and in good working condition.
"Food debris accumulates over time and can increase the risk of cross-contamination," says Hudson.

'Use-by' dates

No food lasts forever, however well it is stored. Most pre-packed foods carry either a "use-by" or a "best before" date.

• "Use-by" dates appear on foods that go off quite quickly. It can be dangerous to eat foods past this date.
• "Best before" dates are for foods with a longer life. They show how long the food will be at its best quality.

"Food can look and smell fine even after its use-by date," says Hudson. "But that doesn't mean it's safe to eat. It could still be contaminated."

Storing meat

It's particularly important to store meat safely in the fridge to stop bacteria from spreading and avoid food poisoning.

• Store raw meat and poultry in clean, sealed containers on the bottom shelf of the fridge, so they can't touch or drip onto other food.
• Follow any storage instructions on the label and don't eat meat after its use-by date.
• Keep cooked meat separate from raw meat.

Freezing and defrosting

It's safe to freeze meat and fish as long as you:

• freeze it before the use-by date
• defrost meat and fish thoroughly before cooking – lots of liquid will come out as meat thaws, so stand it in a bowl to stop bacteria in the juice spreading to other things
• defrost meat and fish in a microwave if you intend to cook it straight away, or put it in the fridge to thaw so it doesn't get too warm
• cook food until it's piping hot all the way through

"Make sure the meat is properly wrapped in the freezer or it might get freezer burn, which will make it tough and inedible," says Hudson.
"Date and label meat in the freezer and eat it within 24 hours of defrosting. Don't keep food in a freezer indefinitely. Always have a good idea of what's in your fridge and freezer."

Re-freezing

Never re-freeze raw meat (including poultry) or fish that has been defrosted. It is possible to re-freeze cooked meat once, as long as it has been cooled before going into the freezer. If in doubt, don't re-freeze.
Frozen raw foods can be defrosted once and stored in the fridge for up to two days before they need to be cooked or thrown away. To reduce wastage, divide the meal into portions before freezing and then just defrost what you need.
Cooked food that has been frozen and removed from the freezer must be reheated and eaten immediately once fully defrosted. When defrosted, food should be reheated only once, because the more times you cool and reheat food, the higher the risk of food poisoning. Bacteria can grow and multiply when food is cooled too slowly, and might survive if food isn't reheated properly. 
When reheating food, make sure it is heated until it reaches a temperature of 70C for two minutes, so that it is steaming hot throughout.
Foods stored in the freezer, such as ice cream and frozen desserts, should not be returned to the freezer once they have started to thaw. Only take out of the freezer what you intend to use for that meal.

Re-using bags

With more and more people re-using carrier bags, whether for environmental reasons or to avoid paying for new ones, the following tips will help prevent bacteria spreading to ready-to-eat food:

• Keep raw meat and fish separate from ready-to-eat foods in separate bags. 
• If you use re-useable bags, keep one or two just for use with raw meat and fish and don't use the same bags for ready-to-eat foods.
• Re-useable bags (and single-use carrier bags) should be disposed of if there are spillages of raw meat juices.

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Healthy Foods

Healthy Foods That Are Making You Fat

Let’s face it: It’s a challenge to eat well and sort through the reams of various diets out there.  Even the best of us cannot always deny the gleam of a shiny glazed donut or the crunch of a perfectly salted potato chip.

But what if some of the so-called “healthy foods” we’ve been told to eat all these years are actually saboteurs to our already strict and restrictive diets, causing frustration and unsightly weight gain?

This is precisely the subject of a fascinating book, THE PLAN, by Lyn-Genet Recitas, who purports that there are “healthy foods” that cause a negative response in our bodies, causing us to gain bloat and weight.

Here are some of the usual suspects (tell me if you are not as shocked as I was!)

• OATMEAL – I almost cried when I read this. I love oatmeal and was eating it every other day. However, I did notice my stomach always felt unwell and nauseous after I ate it. Turns out, 85% of people are reactive to oatmeal. It only helps to reduce cholesterol if this is a “friendly” food your body can digest, otherwise, it will negatively impact your health or even raise your cholesterol!
• SALMON – Superfood? Not necessarily. Again, this omega rich food has an 85% reactivity rate.
• Upset you’ll have to give up all these yummy, healthy foods? It gets worse…Check out the rest of the list of highly reactive foods (this is just a sample – there are many more!!!)
• ASPARAGUS
• TOMATO SAUCE
• TOFU
• BLACK BEANS
• TURKEY
• SHRIMP
• GREEK YOGURT
• CAULIFLOWER
• SUSHI

Sufficed to say this list has dramatically whittled my already restrictive diet down to zero.

But why are these foods potentially so bad for you?

The problem? INFLAMMATION.

Yes, Recitas writes that these foods may be healthy in a vacuum, but combined with our unique body chemistry, they can be quite toxic.  And doctors are starting to acknowledge that inflammation is the underlying cause behind all disease and health issues.

She outlines a plan with a 3-day cleanse (almost like an elimination diet) to rebalance your body and then slowly re-introduce foods in a controlled manner to monitor your weight and body response.

I highly recommend reading this book for more information.  Even if just for the theory or concept behind it.  I can tell you my belly bloat has been significantly reduced over the last year once I determined which healthy foods were actually causing my body to have an inflammatory response and I’ve adjusted my lifestyle accordingly

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