Have HIGH Energy

Here's why. Your body uses food for energy by turning it into blood sugar, or glucose. Carbohydrates convert most easily into this ready-to-burn fuel, making them your macronutrient of choice for energy eating. The problem is that some simple carbohydrates, like sugar, tend to break down so fast that, after providing a short-lived burst of energy, they leave your blood sugar levels low, your energy inadequate, and your plans for the day unaccomplished. Complex carbohydrates, like grains, replace this spike-and-dip act with a steady energy supply that keeps you going at full throttle.

Striking the Optimal Energy Balance
You don't have to radically change your diet to ratchet up your energy levels. Chances are, you're already eating many of the foods best suited for daylong energy. It's simply a matter of eating them at the right time, in the right amounts, and in the right combinations.

What's the ideal mix? High (but not exclusively) carbohydrates, moderate protein, low (but not no) fat. Think of a turkey sandwich with low-fat mayo, a small serving of spaghetti and meatballs, or a bowl of chili.

Distribute your calories equally among breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A skimpy breakfast, a hurried lunch, and a huge evening feast is about the least energy-efficient eating schedule imaginable. "What do you need all those calories for if you're going to bed?" says Debra Wein, RD, cofounder of Sensible Nutrition Connection in Hingham, Massachusetts.

"Anybody who's ever done justice to a Thanksgiving dinner knows that you get tired when you overstuff," says Ann Grandjean, EdD, director of the International Center for Sports Nutrition in Omaha, Nebraska.

Never, ever skip a meal.
"Many women skip breakfast," Wein says. "And some may even skip lunch because they think it will help them lose weight." But by skipping breakfast or lunch--or both--not only are you depriving your body of calories just when it needs them the most, you're also likely to compensate with a lethargy-inducing pig-out when you do eat. So much for weight loss! "And if you keep skipping meals, the result over time is a general malaise," Wein says.

Eat five meals a day.
The experts favor adding a midmorning and midafternoon snack to your daily meal schedule, and downgrading your other three meals accordingly to keep your total calories where you want them. This mini-meal plan is a super energy booster because you're getting energy into your body right when you need it, you won't be going too long between meals, and you're less likely to overeat or undereat. "If you watch your portion size and take time for that midmorning and midafternoon snack, you'll be surprised at how positively your energy levels are affected," Whittle says.

Wein suggests the following energizing calorie allotments: If you're a fairly typical weight-watching woman, your calorie count per day will probably fall between 1,400 and 2,000. If you're at the higher number, shoot for 500 calories at breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with midmorning and midafternoon snacks at 250. If you're down at 1,400 total calories, your meals should be 400 calories each, with two 100-calorie snacks.

If you're overweight, slim down.
"Carrying around 10 or 20 pounds of excess weight in the form of body fat is like dragging an anchor," says Wayne Askew, PhD, professor of nutrition and director of the division of foods and nutrition at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. "The best way to feel energetic is to maintain a proper body weight for your height and frame size."

Forget crash-dieting.
It's pretty hard not to get enough calories in our food-privileged country, but lots of women go out of their way to do just that. Low-calorie diets--fewer than 1,200 calories a day, depending on your size--can sap your energy. For one thing, it's more challenging to get the nutrients you need once you go below 1,800 calories a day. And, though every woman has different calorie needs, consuming fewer than 10 calories per pound of body weight is clearly too low, Grandjean says. "The body compensates by going into a lower gear."

The Power Duo
Vitamins and minerals don't provide energy directly, but they're big-time players in processing energy. So if you don't get enough of them, you may find yourself waking up tired and staying that way. Lots of variety in fruits and vegetables is the best way to get the whole array of micronutrients, from vitamin A to zinc. But for energy, try these two strategies.

Drink lots of fresh orange juice.
Believe it or not, perhaps one out of three women isn't getting enough vitamin C, says Carol Johnston, PhD, assistant professor of food and nutrition in the family resources department at Arizona State University in Tempe. A shame, since women she studied who were low in vitamin C did much better on treadmill tests after they were given extra C daily. "They felt better and they had more energy," she says.

Johnston suspects that the connection between vitamin C and how energetic you feel has to do with its role in producing carnitine, a molecule that helps your body burn fat for energy. "People likely have up to a 50 percent drop in muscle carnitine levels when they're vitamin C-depleted," she says.

Although 500 mg of C was used in the research, Johnston thinks 200 to 300 mg daily is enough for you to feel more energy, assuming that you were short on C. You can get that much without supplementing if you drink orange juice (one 8-ounce glass a day) and eat a diet high in vitamin C-rich foods. "But you have to do it every day," she says.

She suggests adding other vitamin C-rich foods each day. To hit the 200-300 mg a day, try these foods: kiwifruit (70 mg per fruit), raw red or green bell pepper (142 mg and 60 mg per 1/2 cup, respectively), broccoli (51 mg per 1/2 cup cooked), strawberries (49 mg per 1/2 cup), brussels sprouts (48 mg per 1/2 cup cooked), and cantaloupe (47 mg per 1/4 medium melon).

Be sure to get enough iron.
Iron is a must mineral for energy because of its role in transporting oxygen via red blood cells to wherever it's needed in the body. Too little iron creates a cascade of problems that end up lowering your metabolic rate--and your energy levels.

A lot of women aren't getting the 18 mg a day of iron they need in their diets. "And women who are deficient in iron often feel lethargic," Askew says.

A half-cup of soybeans contains 9 mg of iron; a half-cup of baked beans, 8 mg; a half-cup of spinach, 6 mg; 3 oz. of beef, 5 mg; and 3 oz of fried oysters, 6 mg.

If you suspect that mildly low iron (rather than serious anemia-level deficiencies) is slowing you down, you can also choose to eat lentils, tofu, and steamed clams. A small cut of lean beef with spinach and lentils, washed down with orange juice (for better absorption), would be a great iron-rich meal.



If you think that you are anemic or have significantly low iron levels, see your primary-care physician before taking iron supplements.

Power Breakfasts
"When you wake up in the morning, you've gone 6 to 8 hours without taking in any calories," Wein points out. "That is the time to wake up your body by providing it with the right kind of calories to burn for energy."

So if you skimp on breakfast, you run the risk of a lackluster morning, since your blood sugar will probably be low and stay low, depriving your brain of the glucose it needs. Here's how to eat a true power breakfast.

Hold the pancake syrup.
Sweet breakfasts are an energy disaster, since nothing plummets your blood sugar faster (after an initial boost) than concentrated forms of simple carbohydrates like corn or maple syrup. Pouring one of them over refined carbohydrates like white flour pancakes or waffles exaggerates the effect.

Whittle warns that any sweet topping with corn syrup in it--like the typical maple-flavored syrup or a lot of jellies--is an especially good bet to spike-and-dip your blood sugar to lethargic levels.

So try some healthier and more energizing alternatives, she suggests. Go for French toast made with whole grain bread and egg substitute, or use a whole grain flour like buckwheat in your pancake or waffle mix. Top them off with your favorite fruit instead of syrup. (The fructose in fruit is also a simple sugar, but it takes longer to digest, and the fiber in fruit helps slow the absorption of sugar, blunting the effect on blood sugar.)

Reach for some protein.
While fruit and whole grain cereal are fine morning choices, your breakfast carbohydrates still need to be balanced with some protein foods for more enduring energy, Whittle says. The fat-free milk or low-fat yogurt you add to the cereal will work. Or go for eggs or egg substitutes with an English muffin or a slice of whole grain toast.

Shoot for 3 g of fiber per serving.
Whole grains, unlike refined flour products, deliver energy laced with fiber, which slows down the digestion so that the energy is released over a longer period of time.

That's why whole grain, high-fiber cereals are an excellent breakfast selection for all-morning energy. "Look for one with at least 3 g of fiber per serving," Wein says. "Some have 8 g or more. Eat it with fat-free milk, and you have a perfect balance."

Stock up on oatmeal.
A fiber-packed whole grain cereal, oatmeal is your best breakfast choice for long-lasting energy, says William Evans, PhD, director of the nutrition, metabolism, and exercise laboratory at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences/Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Little Rock.

Evans fed a group of volunteers oatmeal and others another type of high-carbohydrate cereal and then put everybody on exercise bikes. "There's no doubt that eating oatmeal allowed both men and women to exercise for a significantly longer time," he says.

Evans gives the credit for oatmeal's energy boost to its soluble fiber content. Much more than the insoluble fiber in, say, wheat bran, the soluble fiber in oatmeal slows down carbohydrate absorption, thus keeping your blood sugar levels more constant.

Both oat bran and rolled oats are high in soluble fiber, so on mornings when you don't feel like eating oatmeal, try oat bran muffins.

Ace Midmorning Meetings
Faced with an interminable meeting, it's all too easy to rely on the doughnut-Danish-bagel axis: low-fiber, protein-free, high-refined-carb foods that yo-yo your glucose levels. Instead, reach for steady-energy allies. Here are some suggestions from the experts.

A Peanut Butter Sandwich
Make it with whole wheat bread, and it will have the macronutrient mix that will keep your eyes open and your brain humming. That's because the fiber in the whole wheat and the protein (and fat) in the peanut butter will ration out the energy over time.

"Even if you'd like to add a little jelly, it's going to be absorbed slowly because of the peanuts, which have fat and fiber, so your blood sugar won't plummet," says Whittle.

Or, she says, prepare your own peanut butter crackers with natural peanut butter (without questionable hydrogenated trans fatty acids that resemble saturated fat) and crackers made from whole grain.

Another good option is peanut butter on apple slices. An apple is almost pure carbohydrate, with simple sugars, but the energy it provides will be metered over time by its own fiber and by the peanut butter.
Fruit and Cheese
Chop up half an apple (for carbohydrates) and mix it with 1 percent cottage cheese (for its protein and some fat), and bring it to work for balanced midmorning fortification, suggests Whittle. Equally healthy variations are low-fat cheese on whole grain bread or a small salad with tuna and chopped apples.

Vim in the Afternoon
Lunch should leave you invigorated, not asleep at your workstation. Make these adjustments to come back strong for the day's second act.

Take it easy.
Hefty lunches of 1,000 calories or more are proven energy sappers. "Portion size is key," says Whittle. "Most people overeat at lunch."

Pass on pure pasta.
Unless you're planning to run a marathon after lunch, it's probably not a good idea to overemphasize pasta or any other refined carbohydrate at lunchtime. "Susceptibility to grogginess after a high-carbohydrate lunch is more common in women than men, and in people over 40," Grandjean says.

Better carb choices are fiber-rich whole grain bread, brown rice, and beans or lentils instead of white bread, white rice, or white pasta. "Just making those choices is going to balance your blood sugar levels and benefit your energy," Wein says.

Push the protein.
Along with choosing fiber-rich unrefined complex carbohydrates, the next best thing you can do to ramp up your afternoon energy levels is to offset your lunch carbohydrates with a high-protein food, Whittle says. Excellent midday protein choices are soy burgers, seafood, tuna, turkey, or cottage cheese.

Build a high-energy salad.
"Just a salad" is a common lunch request by weight-watching women, but a plateful of not much more than lettuce hardly qualifies as energy food even for rabbits. "A typical lunch should be 400 to 500 calories, so salads usually just aren't enough," Wein says. "You'll never be satisfied after a 150-calorie lettuce salad, so you won't stick to your meal plan over the long run."

Instead, she suggests making your own lunch salads with energy in mind. "Choose dark leafy greens, which are higher in nutrients and fiber," she says. "Add a variety of colorful vegetables such as carrots, peppers, and broccoli. And always include a low-fat source of protein such as chickpeas or grilled chicken to round it out."

Power Up for Lunchtime Workouts
If you're going to be exercising at lunchtime, make your midmorning snack higher in carbohydrates than you otherwise would. If you exercise after work, up the carbohydrate content of your midafternoon snack. "Those carbohydrates an hour or so before exercising will serve directly as energy to burn for your workout," Wein says. It is also a great way to provide energy to your muscles during your workout, she adds.

You could have a half-cup of raisins (115 g carb), a half-cup of tropical trail mix (92 g), 10 pretzels (48 g) or an 8 oz cup of low fat yogurt (43 g).

And eat your next meal soon after you finish your workout. Exercise itself lowers blood sugar, so enjoying a balanced meal afterward will help stabilize glucose levels and keep you going for the rest of the day.

Beat Afternoon Slump
As any woman knows, the workday doesn't end when you leave the office. After-hours errands, or what have you, put extended demands on your stamina. A midafternoon snack can help see you through. Plus, you won't get home so hungry that you inhale the first thing that you get your hands on, or overeat at dinner.

The ideal midafternoon snack consists of the same mix of components as a good breakfast or midmorning snack: a mini-meal that includes protein and some fat as well as carbohydrates--say, the other half of a turkey sandwich, or a couple more peanut butter crackers.

Eat to Beat the Heat
If you notice that you tire more easily in the summer, heat itself isn't necessarily to blame. "Dehydration is what makes you tired," Grandjean says. That's because your body will keep its cells hydrated at all costs, she says, so if you don't replace water lost through perspiration, it will simply take water out of the circulating blood, reducing your blood volume. "As your blood volume goes down, your heart has to work a little harder," she says. "Your body adapts to that by slowing down, and that affects your general feeling of vitality." So your daily 8 or 9 glasses of water become more important on hot days, and, in fact, may not be enough on some days.

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have lost count of the number of workouts that have been cut short by new fitness buddies who don't eat smart. The scenario typically goes something like this: My food-deprived buddy and I go for a run. Only a mile or two out, my friend starts to complain that she isn't feeling well. "I guess today's not going to be a good run. I should probably turn back."

"Did you eat anything before the run?" I ask.

"I ate plenty. I had a bagel for breakfast."

"That's it?"

"What do you mean, 'That's it?' I usually don't eat breakfast at all."

At that point, I know that my would-be running mate has a lot to learn before she will be able to keep up.

There are plenty of runners, walkers, cyclists, swimmers, and other fitness enthusiasts out there making the same mistake of dieting and upping mileage at the same time. I'm here to tell you that unless you eat right before exercising, you'll never have a good day. Your workouts will always be cut short with complaints of light-headedness, fatigue, and nausea.

Here's a list of great pre-workout snacks that you should eat 2 hours before your next run, bike ride, walk, or swim:


6 ounces vegetable juice and 1/2 cup dried apricots


High-carbohydrate energy bar (look for one with 40 grams of carbohydrate and fewer than 3 grams of fat)


One piece whole grain pita topped with 3 tablespoons fruit spread


One glass sports drink and 1 cup ready-to-eat, whole grain breakfast cereal mixed with 1 Tbsp of raisins


One package instant oatmeal made with 4 ounces vanilla soy milk or fat-free milk with a dash of cinnamon and sugar


One toasted plain bagel with 2 teaspoons jam, a banana, 1/2 cup cooked rice sprinkled with cinnamon, and 8 ounces sports drink


1 1/2-ounce box of raisins


Two mini bagels spread with low-fat cream cheese mixed with 2 Tbsp dried cherries


6 ounces applesauce poured over three 3-inch squares of cornbread and topped with 2 Tbsp raisins


One cup sliced banana in vanilla yogurt


10 chocolate animal crackers and a glass of cranberry juice


One cup cooked pasta tossed with 1/2 cup dried cranberries and 2 tablespoons honey

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Locked in the spiny red fruits of the prickly pear cactus (Opuntia ficusindica) may be the best friend your workout ever had. A French research scientist, Gilles Gutierrez, has established that professional athletes can work out longer and harder using his patented prickly pear extract. Even more important, the herb sped their recoveries from strenuous exercise. Prickly pear appears to accelerate the production of the body's natural restorative compounds.

His discovery doesn't come out of left field. Prickly pear has traditionally been used to promote healing--specifically, as a treatment for inflammatory skin diseases, eye inflammation, intestinal tract inflammation (dysentery), urinary tract inflammation, burns, and joint or muscle inflammation. Interestingly, several different cultures have used prickly pear for chronic joint and muscle complaints, including arthritis and fibromyalgia as well as strains, sprains, and breaks.

Now, science has validated these uses. In lab tests using rats, the extract inhibited experimentally induced joint inflammation and chronic joint inflammation, and it significantly increased wound healing.

I've used the extract, sold under the name Prepair, and have recommended it to other athletic baby boomers. It seems that after using it, we had increased energy and recovered more rapidly from our workouts. What's more, our weak spots--bad lower backs, trick knees, and achy necks--seemed less painful.

Prickly pear is nontoxic and has no known safety problems, even when it is taken in large quantities. Be sure to follow the manufacturer's instructions on the packaging for the correct dose information and when to take it.

Prepair is the most widely studied prickly pear extract. To order it call Perfect Equation Inc. at (800) 720-2970; or order it from their Web site. Or, try a delectable daily teaspoon or two of Prickly Pear Cactus Jelly from Juniper Ridge. Order by calling in the US only (800) 205-9499, or via their Web site.
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The right foods--from whole grains and antioxidant-rich vegetables to dairy and protein--not only help you work out at your full potential but also ensure that you have enough energy left over to get through the rest of the day. Here are 7 power-eating strategies that make a difference.

1. Eat a whole grain, high-fiber carb 1 hour before exercising.
When you exercise, your muscles burn glycogen--basically, stored carbohydrates. "It's like the bread inside your muscle cells," says Kristin Reimers, RD, associate director of the International Center for Sports Nutrition in Omaha, NE. Proof that carbs will keep you going comes from a study at Pennsylvania State University. Women who ate high-fiber breakfast cereals 45 minutes before exercising were able to cycle for 16% longer than women who just drank water or who ate low-fiber cereals.


2. Have some protein after your workouts.
Leucine--an essential amino acid found in all protein--helps muscle rebuild itself after the stress of exercising. You need about 1/2 g of protein per pound of body weight each day if you don't work out. For a 135-pound woman, that's 54 g of protein--the amount found in 1 cup of yogurt, a veggie burger, 1/4 cup of tuna, and 3 oz of chicken.

If you're a moderate exerciser (you exercise to stay in shape or for recreation), you'll need about another 41 g of protein to meet the recommended 0.7 g of protein per pound of body weight. This amount can be found in about 1/4 pound (4.5 oz) of chicken or about 2 cups of soybeans.


3. Get 40% of your carb calories from complex carbs.
Forty percent of your carbohydrate calories should come from complex carbohydrates such as whole grain breads and pastas and fruit. You can mix and match the remaining 60% of carb calories from other sources. "Athletes fail to realize that carbohydrates also occur in vegetables and dairy products, and thus they consume more starches than they need to," says Kristine L. Clark, PhD, RD, director of sports nutrition at the Center for Sports Medicine at Penn State.


4. Consume enough "good fats."
Fat is an essential nutrient for good health, helping you absorb vitamins and fueling brain function. The latest research shows that fat may also increase your endurance and boost your immune system. When researchers at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo had nine female soccer players eat 2.7 oz of peanuts every day for a week--or 450 calories of fat--the women ran nearly 1 mile longer than when they ate their usual fare. When an extra 450 calories of carbs was substituted, there was no change in how far the women ran.

If you eat 2,000 calories a day, you should be consuming up to 56 g of fat--which is about 11 teaspoons--from all food sources. The preferred form is olive or canola oil; very little should come from butter, shortening, and meat.
5. Pay attention to your calcium intake.
Drink a glass of low-fat milk, or eat another source of dairy, with every meal. Aim for about 1,000 mg of calcium daily if you're 50 or younger, 1,500 mg if you're older--even if you exercise. While weight-bearing exercise is important for strong bones, it's only going to build the bones that you are using the most, says Priscilla Clarkson, PhD, professor of exercise science at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. So if you're a runner, your leg bones will be stronger.

But what about the bones in your arms and back--which aren't getting such a strong workout? That's where the calcium comes in. Calcium-poor diets can lead to stress fractures and osteoporosis and may also be a cause of muscle cramps, since the mineral plays an essential role in muscle contraction.


6. Load up on antioxidants and phytonutrients.
Animal studies suggest that exercise-induced free-radical increases may be a necessary step toward improving performance. But too many free radicals can also damage muscle tissues.

To rid your body of the excess, you need antioxidants such as beta-carotene and vitamins C and E. An impressive array of antioxidant plant substances known as phytonutrients deliver these nutrients and more.

You can buy phytonutrients as supplements, but they may work better when consumed as food, says Robert Wildman, PhD, RD, assistant professor of nutrition at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Eating the "new food group" of phytonutrients--including fruit, greens, tomatoes, and dark yellow vegetables--is especially important for regular exercisers.


7. Drink plenty of water.
On average, women drink nearly 5 cups of liquids a day. You need a minimum of 9 if you do nothing more strenuous than point the remote control--and at least another 4 if you are doing any kind of exercise, for a total of 13 cups. The extra fluid replaces water lost in sweat, which helps cool the body during exercise. If exercise leaves you dehydrated, it takes longer for nutrients to be transported to and from your muscles, and your performance suffers as a result. A good rule of thumb is to take in 5 to 12 oz of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes while exercising. To be safe, keep drinking--even after your thirst is quenched.
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A number of factors can conspire to make you find an excuse to not exercise. Physical hunger is the most common culprit, which is why I suggest to fitness enthusiasts that they snack on mini meals every few hours rather than eat two or three large meals a day. Other factors that mainly affect your brain's energy can cause a dip in motivation as well.

Here are some food tips and strategies to keep your energy up and your motivation in motion.

Make breakfast happen.
Skipping breakfast, the most important meal of the day, can leave you feeling muddleheaded both at work and during your workout. Many studies on children have shown that when they miss breakfast, they falter in reading, memory, and other cognitive skills. It appears that the brain is sensitive to short-term deficits in fuel and nutrient supply.

Going all night without food and then skipping breakfast may cause your blood sugar levels to dip, which can bring on light-headedness. And since sugar in the form of glucose is your brain's primary fuel source, it's no wonder that your memory and other thinking powers go downhill when you're running on empty.

Ready-to-eat breakfast cereal, fruit, and milk make for a great start. Or try unconventional breakfast items such as leftover pizza or a casserole. If you're in a hurry, take along a container of yogurt, a piece of fruit, and a whole grain roll, or try a ready-made pita wrap (available in your supermarket's deli section). Or throw fresh berries, low-fat ice cream, and milk in a blender, then grab a cup of this super fruit smoothie in one hand, your briefcase in the other, and go.

Wake up with water.
A cold splash of water in the face has always been a reliable wake-up call, but drinking water can energize and refresh you even more. Between 55 and 60 percent of your body is composed of water, most of it residing in your cells, where it allows for essential chemical reactions like the breakdown of carbohydrates for brain fuel. In fact, your brain is more than 70 percent water by weight, and if this percentage dips below a critical level, you'll feel listless, dull, and headachy.

Brain dehydration can easily happen even without the added stress of exercise. Dry indoor air causes fluid loss that you may not be aware of; combined with too little water intake and too many caffeinated beverages, this gradual dehydration can leave you with a brain-drain headache by late afternoon.

Keep yourself energized by starting off your morning with an 8-ounce glass of plain water before your morning coffee. Keep a bottle of water handy, drinking 1 to 2 quarts throughout the day. According to the USDA, most people in the United States drink only one-quarter of their fluid needs as plain water; they get the rest from coffee, soda, and food. For a clear head, reach for the clear stuff.

Snack on raisins.
Raisins (along with apples, nuts, and parsley) are a great source of the mineral boron, which plays a role in brain function, perhaps combating drowsiness. In a series of studies performed by the USDA, healthy men and women ate diets low in boron for several weeks. Another group ate the same foods but took a boron supplement. Both groups took a battery of tests that assessed brain functions such as brain wave activity and cognitive skills, including memory, attention, and manual dexterity.

Compared with those in the supplement group, the subjects on the boron-deficient diet showed slowed brain activity, indicating drowsiness. Researchers also noted deterioration in cognitive skills among the low-boron group. The USDA researchers gave the study subjects 3 to 4 milligrams of boron, a dosage equivalent to that found in about 3 ounces of raisins and 1 ounce of almonds.

Toss a few raisins and nuts into your cereal and salads and keep some snack-size boxes or packets in your desk for afternoon grazing.

Munch on Brazil nuts and tuna.
Brazil nuts and tuna are two of the best food sources of selenium, a mineral that not only serves as an antioxidant but also may boost mood, lift spirits, and contribute to feelings of clearheadedness.

USDA researchers tracked the effects of varying selenium intakes on men's mood profiles for 15 weeks. Half of the men in the study consumed 40 percent of the recommended daily selenium requirement, while the other half took in about 350 percent.

When researchers tested the moods of both groups, the high-selenium group felt more elated than depressed, more energetic than tired, more clearheaded than confused, and more confident than unsure.

But before you rush out and buy a selenium supplement, be aware that this mineral is highly toxic in large doses. Stick to no more than 400 micrograms, or five to seven times the daily requirement (which is 55 micrograms), and talk to your doctor before supplementing with that amount. Better yet, concentrate on getting selenium in your diet. In addition to tuna and nuts, other good food sources include chicken, turkey, lean beef, and whole grain bread and cereals.

Lighten up at lunch.
You probably know from experience that loading up at lunch can leave you feeling sleepy in the afternoon. That's because food in your digestive tract diverts blood away from other parts of your body, leaving you with that sluggish feeling. Studies show that big meals (1,000 calories or more) at midday cause more drowsiness than lunches half that size. If you feel sleepy following even a light lunch, try adding some protein the next day.

Fill up on fiber.
If you feel de-energized and hungry when your meal wears off, try adding some fiber to your fare. Pectin, a type of water-soluble fiber found in fruits such as apples and oranges, has been shown to help people feel full longer by delaying emptying of the stomach. When people swallowed a 5-gram dose of pectin (extracted from apples) with their meal, they felt full for up to 4 hours. An added benefit is that pectin also helps lower blood cholesterol levels.

Snack intelligently.
If you're just plain tired, eating a small snack can perk you up. Keep these snacks high in nutrient-packed, carbohydrate-rich foods and light on calories (stay under 200). If the snack is crunchy, really hot, or really cold, it will help wake up your senses. Here are some healthful examples:


One frozen fruit bar


8 ounces of drinkable fruit-flavored yogurt mixed with 4 ounces of club soda


One ready-to-eat cereal bar like Nutri-Grain tossed in the microwave for less than a minute and then spread with 1 tablespoon fat-free cream cheese


One sorbet "sandwich" (3 tablespoons strawberry sorbet wedged between two caramel corn rice cakes)


One small package of precut veggies with reduced-fat dip

Avoid a java jag.
Drinking a cup or two of coffee improves feelings of alertness and clearheadedness and may even bolster your performance on monotonous tasks such as typing or filing. But moderate use of this pick-me-up can easily brew into a caffeine habit that may actually zap your energy and cause fatigue. People who perpetually have a cup of coffee, tea, or cola in their hands have developed a dependency. Without a steady allotment of the stimulant throughout the day, they feel tired, irritable, and even headachy (a symptom of withdrawal). In short, they're caffeine junkies.

If you view coffee or other caffeinated beverages as a life source without which you can't function, try phasing caffeine out a little at a time to regain your own natural energy. Start your "detox" by cutting one-fifth of your typical daily caffeine intake for a few weeks. You may experience fatigue or headaches for a day or two as your body goes through withdrawal. When you've adjusted to this amount, continue gradually cutting back. Once you're down to a cup or two in the morning, you can decide whether you want to eliminate caffeine altogether.

Ditch the diet.
According to research, people who cut calories to slim down perform poorly on tests of memory and mental processing. One study compared the mental performances of people on weight-reducing diets to the performances of those who weren't dieting. The researchers likened the slowed mental performance seen in dieters to being intoxicated by alcohol.

While some researchers argue that poor mental performance stems from an inadequate flow of energy to the brain, the researchers who did the study theorize that the results of the study reflect dieters' feelings of anxiety. When dieting, most people start obsessing over the foods that they are trying not to eat as well as worrying about the success of their dieting efforts. This type of distraction affects mental processing capacity. The effects were more serious in dieters who weren't losing weight than in those who were, supporting the theory that anxiety may play a role in undermining mental performance.

If you're limiting your calories to lose weight, avoid radical dieting, which is sure to leave you feeling drained. The best route to weight loss is to boost your activity level to burn more calories while simultaneously making small adjustments to your eating habits. You have better things to do than worry about your next meal.
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