It’s 2pm. You woke up this morning riveting with energy and zeal for whatever the day might bring.
Now you’re tired, cranky and worst of all, unmotivated. Why do our batteries drain so quickly? Despite the obvious reasons: stress, fatigue and sitting for long hours – ultimately there’s not a whole lot we can do to change our mid-day energy slumps. Juicing, fasting, 6am yoga… all legitimate efforts but in the end there needs to be an easier solution that doesn’t require lengthy exercise or starvation. We at Turnkey Office Space have curated a ‘Productivity Menu’ of sorts, with a wide range of food groups to keep you wide-eyed and working hard!
Hard-Boiled Egg. Eggs are cheap, fast to boil and easy to store and keep fresh. Boil half a dozen on Sunday and you’re all set for a daily mid-day snack the rest of the week. An 11:30am egg is the perfect food to take the edge off your hunger and it’ll prevent you from overeating during lunch. Eggs contain a high amount of choline, a nutrient that aids with memory and mood balance. It also helps prevent brain inflammation. However, dieters beware, choline is only found in the yolk!
Karen Ansel, a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, recommends a surprising combo of chickpeas and green tea. She says, “Chickpeas are the ultimate food for brain function because they combine protein to keep you alert along with complex carbohydrates to fuel your brain. Because the carbs are digested slowly they give you a sustained energy release that keeps you energized and focused. Adding a little balsamic vinegar is the icing on the cake because it slows down carbohydrate digestion even more, prolonging that energy release. I’d then wash the whole thing down with a tall glass of iced green tea. Green tea contains the perfect combination of L-theanine, an amino acid shown to improve concentration and focus, as well as a small kick of caffeine, so it’s the ideal drink if you need to concentrate but don’t want the jitters of a cup of coffee.”
On a budget but want your daily dosage of vitamins and minerals? Look no further than Soylent, the latest hacker food to sweep the tech industry. Soylent is incredibly cheap drink to make, and all of the ingredients are available in bulk at your local health food store. Too busy to make it yourself? Pre-made one-month supply packages range from $255-300, which comes out to only $3 a meal!
