Eat for Maximum Productivity While Avoiding Food Comas and Cravings - Bloomberg

No one ever sets out to eat a bag of Gummi Bears for lunch. But once you’ve eaten about nine, why not just commit, right? If that logic makes sense to you, it might be worth asking whether this routine is going to let you perform at your peak during the workday. Yes, you want consistency, but you also want “to keep your blood sugar even-keeled so that you can continue to work steadily,” says nutritionist Lisa Young, adjunct professor of nutrition at New York University and author of Finally Full, Finally Slim: 30 Days to Permanent Weight Loss One Portion at a Time. Talk to your doctor, of course, about what nutrition plan is right for you. Here’s one approach to eating that will help avoid cravings and food comas—that sluggish feeling that overwhelms you after a big meal:

How much should I eat?

“You need to supply the brain and body with all the essentials, but no excess,” says Zhaoping Li, chief of clinical nutrition at the University of California at Los Angeles. Too much food forces your body’s resources toward digestion, not key cognitive functioning. But “if you’re hungry, you’re not going to be able to concentrate, or you’re going to become hangry or tired,” Li says. “You don’t want to be salivating over chicken Parmesan.”

What should I eat?

Li says each meal should include:

• High-quality protein. Think eggs, chicken breast, seafood, nuts, low-fat dairy, fish, and beans.
• Vegetables. Cooked and raw. “If you just eat them raw, a lot of nutrients are not available,” she says, adding that more than half of your plate should be fruits and vegetables and that, ideally, there’d be three colors of veggies. “That will make sure you get enough vitamins and minerals.”
• Whole grains. “Most of us working in the office don’t need much starch at all, particularly women—you’re just going to gain weight,” Li says. But if you need a piece of bread to feel satiated, eat the bread.

Can’t I just skip lunch?

No. “No one is too busy to at least grab a yogurt or something light,” Young says. You want three structured meals a day, plus snacks. She suggests taking your time with lunch, sitting down with your food for a half-hour or so. “If you’re not really a breakfast eater, you don’t have to,” Young says.

What about snacks?

Pair carbohydrates with a healthy fat and/or protein, such as an apple with peanut butter, or avocado on whole grain crackers, says Young. If you’re salivating for, say, candy, keep a small bowl nearby and take one serving. “That way you know how much you’re having, you can enjoy it, and you don’t have a lot of room to overeat,” she says.

What should I avoid?

• Anything with more than a couple of grams of added sugar. “You want to limit things that are going to cause spikes,” says Young.
• Big meals. “A steak lunch will have you ready to nap,” she says.
• Guilt. If you overeat, just move on. “First you think, ‘Why did I eat that? I shouldn’t have eaten that.’ And then your mind starts not concentrating on the work, and focusing on your mistakes,” says Young.

What’s the biggest mistake people make?

Not drinking enough water. “Sometimes,” Young says, “you think you’re hungry, but really you’re thirsty.”

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Eat for Maximum Productivity While Avoiding Food Comas and Cravings - Bloomberg
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