We have all received the message that ‘Breakfast is the most important meal of the day’. It gets us through to lunch. But can a healthy, nutritionally balanced lunch help us conquer the dreaded, ninja-like 3pm Slump?
Doughnut and Coffee: A sugar + caffeine double whammy to
your energy and enthusiasm at afternoon coffee break…
It sneaks up on you right in the middle of something you have to get done before the end of the day. And lays waste to your energy and enthusiasm. You probably reach for something sugary. But that’s a HUGE mistake…
It’s real
“The mid-afternoon crash isn’t just an illusion, it’s a widespread workplace reality, and Factor is on a mission to help Canadians overcome it,” the official news release proclaims. “New research conduct-ed by Factor reveals that 94 percent of employed Canadians experience a mid-afternoon energy dip, and 77 percent say it disrupts their pro-ductivity.”
Unqualified confirmation and damning condemnation of the dreaded 3pm Slump. That’s what Factor Meals calls it, anyway. And the ready-meals purveyor says the only real defence against it is a healthy lunch. Which is just the kind of thing Factor specializes in. No coincidence.
Root causes
Factor suggests that the mid-afternoon slump may have its roots in many contributing causes. “Skipped meals, carb-heavy lunches with little to no protein, long gaps between eating, and poor sleep could contribute to dips in energy that tend to show up mid-afternoon, making crashes feel almost inevitable.”
The good news is, the Slump is an easily treatable, entirely preventable affliction, with what Factor terms ‘more-balanced fueling earlier in the day’.
According to the factor survey…
Lunch habits may also be playing a role. A significant 82 percent of Canadians say they notice a difference in energy levels based on what they eat. But only 22 percent report choosing lunch with afternoon energy in mind.
Meanwhile, 59 percent say convenience, speed and cost take priority over nutrition when making midday meal decisions.
Human nature strikes, again!
What to eat…
Factor says it’s lunch-targeted ready meals are, “are thoughtfully balanced with protein and healthy fats to promote focus and fullness, fibre to help stabilize blood sugar, and complex carbohydrates for steady fuel.”
They’re also ‘made with fresh, high-quality ingredients and are free of hormones, antibiotics, GMOs, refined sugars, and preservatives’. All meats are pasture-raised and grass-fed.
My take
Sounds like what I’d make for my lunch – at home or to take to work.
It can be as simple as a suitable sized sandwich or two, on wholegrain bread, based on lean protein and topped with fresh veggies. A few squares of your fave real cheese and a handful of fresh fruit can round it out into a very healthy, substantial midday meal.
Another route you could explore would be using up leftovers from the night or nights before. Got a bowl of lentil or chickpea-based curry, or a fridge container of home-made chili just begging to be finished up? Add a handful of leftover chapatis or baked-not-fried corn ships, plus an apple or a handful of berries. And you’ve got another substantial, satisfying lunch.
Let your imagination take the lead. And banish forever all thoughts of the old, disaster-in-the-making, coffee-and-sugar afternoon break…
~ Maggie J.