4pm Tiredness and Your Cravings

It’s a common phenomenon, and it’s partly due to our go-go-go lifestyle that expects us to have high energy all day (which is very unnatural) andpartly because we expect too much fromour lunch.

Breakfast only needs to keep us full forthree or four hours, but lunch has to takeus from noon until 6pm or later!

Enter, the 4pm crash/craving cycle.

We have a natural blood sugar and cortisoldip in the late afternoon. Our blood sugaris heading down because lunch was manyhours ago and our cortisol naturally headsdownhill in the afternoon to make surewe’re ready to sleep at night. These twohormonal issues team up to suck the windright out of you.

If you make it through your day without asugar/caffeine treat, then the drive homemay be extra tiring. Once you get home andstart making dinner it can be very temptingto nibble on this or that to quash thathunger. The temptation to open up thecupboard and devour everything can bevery, very real…

You know how all of the main roads are litteredwith fast food restaurants? They loveyour 4pm crash because they know you’ll betoo tired to cook dinner. Don’t let the fastfood restaurants win!

If you’ve felt this way, and especially if youfeel this way often, then I’ve got fantasticnews for you. There is a very easy solutionto this very common problem.

With one caveat: if you’re in a later stageof adrenal fatigue and instead of feelingexhausted you feel like all of the energyhas been sucked out of you at 4pm…well,these tips will help, but they won’t bringyou back to your old self right away; there’sother healing to be done.

My three simple tips to eliminate your 4pm tired cravings

1. Balance your blood sugar with breakfast.Breakfast plays a key role in your afternoonenergy. A great breakfast (meaning, onethat works for your unique body) = steady

energy all day. A not-so-great breakfast =energy ups and downs.

The key to finding your perfect breakfastis experimentation. Try different breakfastsand see which type your body loves. Like:

High protein breakfast: try eggs, asmoothie, or yogurt with berries;

Carb-lovin’ breakfast: try steel-cut oats, muesli, or wholegrain toast with nut butter;

Or a mix of the two: try eggs with toast, or yogurt with muesli.

You might be surprised by what your body likes! If you love it and feel satisfied all morning, then you’ve found your perfect breakfast!

2. Have a high energy snack around 4pm. This is the simplest and most effective thing you can do to keep your energy steady. And it’s very easy. Just eat an apple at 4pm, or any fruit or veggie. A piece of fruit is a perfectly packed piece of sweet energy goodness. It will give you exactly what you need to pull your blood sugar up while also giving you a boost of energy. If you don’t love fruit, try a few pieces of dark chocolate, or a handful of nuts. Just have something to eat around 4pm.

3. Respect your energy in the afternoon. This one might be a bit more difficult for you depending on your day/work schedule.

Remember, your cortisol (the source of your energy) naturally starts its journey down after lunch so you can sleep at night…but it’s trouble if you’ve got lots on your to-do list. It makes that second or third cup of coffee very tempting.

But, if you can plan your day a little differently and respect your gradually decreasing cortisol, then you may find yourself needing less caffeine and sleeping better at night.

THE 4PM CRASH/ CRAVING CYCLE

7AM Slept in. Coffee is all I have time for today!

12PM Not much time for a break today. Grabbed a sandwich from my fave place down the street. Yum! Now to crush some deadlines.

4PM Phew, what a day! I’m exhausted but there’s still an hour to go and lunch was ages ago! Thank goodness for the stash of chocolate in my desk and some more coffee!

5PM Finally heading home. Boy, I do not feel like making dinner tonight and I’m pretty sure there’s nothing in the fridge... I guess it’s drive thru to the rescue!

My strategy

This is what I do: cortisol climbs up in the morning, so I plan any tasks that need lots of energy, creativity, or courage for around mid-morning. It’s the time of the day that I feel lots of “I can do this!” running through my veins. In the afternoon, I spend my time getting the lower energy (but still important) tasks done, like emails, editing articles, planning, meetings, etc. This way of planning my day has really helped keep my energy steady in the afternoon. Try out a few of these ideas and kick those afternoon sugar cravings to the curb!

LISA KILGOUR, rhn is Nature’s Fare Markets’ Registered Holistic Nutritionist. She is Board Certified in Practical Holistic Nutrition and provides free half hour one-on-one nutrition consultations in our stores. Check out the appointment schedule on page four and book your free appointment in-store today or online at naturesfare.com.

Learn more: lisakilgour.com