How to avoid that afternoon crash – and lose weight!

Brian Johnson is an expert nutritionist from Houston and he has once again joined me at Fresh Box to talk about the benefits of different foods. This time, we talked about what foods you can eat to help you eliminate that afternoon crash and continue to accelerate fat loss. These are two things that most people have tried to accomplish at some point in their lives.

The Role of Water

The first thing that Brian points out is that the majority of us are actually dehydrated and how water is the number one most underused macronutrient that our body requires. The reason companies like, Monster and Starbucks remain in business is because people are looking for that jolt, but they aren’t staying hydrated. Keep in mind that different types of water do different things and have an affect on the different types of feelings that you get. For example, having alkaline water that is restructured helps transport oxygen more efficiently. When looking to eliminate your afternoon crash, drinking more water is the first thing you will want to do. Water also plays a significant factor in fat loss. To learn more about water, check out our previous blog, on “How drinking water can help you lose weight…”

Balance is Key

The next thing you can do is to have a balanced nutrition program, like the ones we create with our Custom Meal Plans. Most people end up skipping breakfast and wait until lunch, filling up on chunk food and coffee and expecting it to get them through the day at full speed. The best thing you can do is to get someone to help you create a nutrition program to balance out your proteins, carbs, fats and vegetable intake. This will help with the way you sleep, your energy level, how your hormones function, and your stress levels.

Blood Stabilizing Food

When you want to avoid that afternoon crash while simultaneously boosting your fat loss, avoid sugar and fruit, as this is not what will best serve you as they will raise your blood sugar levels. Here are some foods you can be eating that will help you avoid the crash, boost fat loss and help keep your blood sugar low:

• Sweet Potato – This is our favorite choice because it has a protein that is similar to egg protein, the most bioavailable, or perfect protein, that you can use. This protein digests very slow, so it is great for people with diabetes or blood sugar issues. This is such a great option that I am currently working on a book all about sweet potatoes and their benefits for health and fat loss.

• Beans – While eating beans are really great, it is important that men don’t eat more than two servings of per day, as they have phytoestrogens in them that will slow or lower your testosterone levels. While this isn’t the desirable for men, this makes beans great for women, especially those going through menopause, as it will raise your estrogen levels, which are being depleted as menopause hits. As always, pay attention to how you feel before and after eating so you know what is working for you.

• Vegetables, such as, brussel sprouts, cauliflower and broccoli: These vegetable are very nutrient rich and very calorically shy, so if you are wanting to drop body fat, with these vegetables you can easily do a little bit more protein. Not eating enough can be just as bad as eating too much and this is where my Custom Meal Plans can help you find that sweet spot, saving you time and energy.

Remember, water and staying hydrated is the key to avoiding that afternoon crash and accelerating fat loss and these three foods that are easily found at your local grocery store will help as well. Not only do they help you avoid the crash and lose weight, but they have many other benefits as well.

Brian is full of great information such as this, so if you want to hear more of what he has to say, let us know in the comments. Also, don’t forget to ask questions and we will work to answer them.