How to Spot Healthy High Energy Foods

By Monica Fraser -

Healthy high energy foods are on the top of everyone’s list today. More and more people are getting wise to the detrimental effects of eating junk food and foods that have high refined sugar content. While a sugar or caffeine rush might make you feel like a million bucks for a while, the effects of the rush soon wear off. What makes it worse is that these kinds of rushes have a grave negative impact on your health.

What’s The Difference?

When you live life on the go, it can be hard to make the switch from sugar and caffeine to high energy health foods. For one thing, sugar and caffeine can be highly addictive. It can be an uphill task trying to cut down on coffee and many people would rather not consider this option at all. Secondly, the rush from sugar and caffeine is almost instantaneous. You can feel a burst of energy almost immediately after intake- if you’re running low on sleep and are missing meals, it’s these kinds of fixes that keep you going.

However, the side-effects of having too much sugar and caffeine can be devastating. These two stimulants alone can wreak havoc on your heart, blood pressure, nervous system and almost every aspect of your overall physical and mental health. So, the health benefits of switching to healthy high energy foods seem obvious. But aren’t healthy, high-energy foods generally ’slower-working’ than sugar or caffeine? Can you really get a boost from a fruit juice? The answer is yes! In fact, you might be surprised at the kind of punch some of these health foods pack.

The Liquid Factor

It might seem strange to include liquids on a list of healthy high energy foods- but the truth is that things like fruit juices and even water are great for giving you an energy kick. Every time you move into high gear, you sweat and lose valuable salts, minerals and glucose. Drinking natural fruit juices and water doesn’t just re-hydrate you; it also replenishes all the sugars and minerals you burn up. This in turn will keep you on your toes as well as give you energy rushes that last a long time.

Fruits and vegetables are also great high energy foods which are much less expensive than a sugary treat or a high-caffeine coffee. Instead of opting for a coffee in the middle of the day, try having an apple or a couple of orange slices. This might be hard to do at first, but you will notice that you feel much lighter and refreshed after your fruit and veggie snack. Not only that, you won’t feel that ‘down’, heavy feeling that usually happens when your coffee kick wears off.

What many people don’t realize that it’s your meals that need to be high-energy, not your snacks! Make sure you have three, well-balanced meals each day that have lots of fruits, veggies and whole grains in it. Don’t skip meals- this is the first step to slipping down the path to bad nutrition. By taking healthy, high energy foods at mealtimes and not skipping meals, you will always be on top of the world.

Monica Fraser is the creator of http://www.HealthyGreenMoms.com where you will find “Simple Tips For A Healthy & Inspired Life”

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Irene Conlan has a master's degree in nursing, with a major in nursing administration and a minor in psychiatric nursing. She taught nursing at Arizona State University, served as Director of Nursing Administration at St. Luke's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix and served as Assistant Director of the Arizona Department of Health Services for the Division of Health Care Facilities and Emergency Medical Services. She is also a certified hypnotherapist with a practice in Scottsdale, AZ. She is an avid blogger and manages http://www.theselfimprovementblog.com http://www.theselfesteemblog.com http://www.thepositivepsychologyblog Irene lives in Scottsdale AZ and has two sons and three grandsons.

Irene has blogged 827 posts here.