Which Foods and Drinks Reduce Fatigue?

What Foods/Drink Reduces Fatigue?

Your body is fueled by whatever you nourish it with. The best way to ensure that you’re getting maximum energy from your food is to give your body the best foods possible.

There are many foods to fight fatigue so that you can feel more energetic and revitalized throughout the day. If you put sugary foods and drinks into your system, your body will feel less than up to the job of keeping you upbeat and productive.

Our bodies are mostly water. Drinking water, therefore, contributed to optimal functioning. In the traditional sense, it doesn’t give you energy through calories, but it facilitates energy regulation in the body.

There are also better drinks to fight fatigue than your local convenience store energy drinks. These are good at the moment, but the crash afterward, not so much. Here’s a brief list of the types of foods and drinks you can add to your diet to help you stop feeling sluggish:

Seeds and Nuts

Consuming seeds and nuts are a great food option to ward off fatigue and keep hunger at bay. Making seeds and nuts a staple of your diet can give you energy as well as much-needed nutrition.

You should try any of the following: cashews, hazelnuts, Brazil nuts, walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds, or pumpkin seeds. Raw unsalted versions of these nuts are the better options. Eat these as an ideal mid-afternoon snack.

Bananas

Bananas are renowned for being an excellent source of potassium, carbohydrates, and even fiber. This particular mix of fiber and carbohydrate can provide you with a source of energy that’s long-lasting.

Oatmeal

This staple of breakfast food has exceptional energy benefits, which can aid you in keeping your energy levels up. This is possible because it’s high in fiber and has a respectable dose of protein to boot. Furthermore, it’s the perfect dish to add an energizing topping such as nut butter, fruit, and seeds.

Additionally, oatmeal has a low glycemic index. In other words, this dish will not spike your blood sugar. Just be sure to check the ingredients of the oatmeal as some can be high in sugar and salt.

Kale and Other Dark Green Leafy Vegetables

The leafy green vegetable is rich in iron, antioxidants, and vitamins.

Your red blood cells contain iron, and this mineral is needed for transporting oxygen around the body for cells to use as energy. This is why having low levels of iron can result in a lack of energy.

Beans

Beans are an excellent source of fiber, and fiber takes longer for the body to digest, which helps you to feel fuller for longer. Beans are also chock full of magnesium which is responsible for helping the body to relax and restore energy.

Sweet Potatoes

You can get about 25 percent of your necessary potassium intake from sweet potatoes. Potassium is important because it encourages balanced electrolytes, which in turn helps us to stay hydrated.

Potassium can also lower your blood pressure, making you feel less stressed and more rejuvenated.

Dark Chocolate

This is probably one of the most beloved ways to boost your energy levels. Who doesn’t love chocolate in any form?

Dark chocolate is rich and has a lot less sugar compared to milk chocolate. So there’s not as much immediate energy available due to the lower sugar content, but the higher cocoa content proves beneficial still.

Cocoa has a high antioxidant count, which assists your cardiovascular system with pumping and transporting blood throughout the body. There’s fresh oxygen in this blood, making you feel more alert and attentive.

Watermelon

Coming up on the list are the drinks that make you feel more energized. Water is at the top of the list. So, it’s no surprise that watermelons, which are about 92 percent water, give us ultimate hydration when it comes to fruits and veggies. That not only staves off fatigue, but you get several other essential vitamins in the process.

Water

It’s a good idea to drink water throughout the day in and of soda, juice, energy drinks, and the like. It can make a huge difference in how you feel day-to-day if you replace that refined sugar with a cold glass of H₂O.

In addition to traditional hydration methods such as drinking water, another option to consider for effective hydration is IV hydration. IV hydration involves the administration of fluids directly into the veins, providing rapid and efficient rehydration. This method is particularly useful in cases where individuals are severely dehydrated or unable to consume fluids orally

Coffee

We know that coffee increases energy with as little as half a cup or a strong shot of espresso. While you might experience a dip after your energetic high, you’ll at least be more alert and productive in the moment.

Be mindful that you should consume coffee in moderation. Too much can lead to caffeine withdrawals, which would be counterproductive to your goal of getting more energy because withdrawals usually come with fatigue.

Green Tea

There’s still a little caffeine in green tea, but there are other benefits as well. Green tea has components that can help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. You might experience a more gradual increase in energy that sticks around than that spike and dip that comes from coffee.

Foods & Drinks to Stay Away From

There are some foods and drinks that will make you more fatigued if you eat them regularly.

Take foods with a high sugar content; you feel good immediately because it feels like a jolt of energy. Directly after the spike, however, you often feel more tired than before. The same with beverages like energy drinks or soda. Steer clear of these foods if you don’t want to feel like you’re dragging your feet throughout the day:

White bread
Baked goods
Foods that are high in sugar, such as honey and syrup
Soda
Junk food like potato chips, candy, popcorn, and so on

Final Thoughts

This list doesn’t contain all the foods to fight fatigue or the drinks you could use to keep that pep in your step. Nonetheless, it’s a good start, giving you an idea of the type of foods that you should go for when you want to stay active and upbeat instead of feeling groggy and lethargic.

Overall, a well-balanced diet should do the trick, as you need all nutrients and vitamins to work together so that you give your body all that it needs to thrive. Sustaining energy through nutrient-dense foods and drinks is the best way to go.