Proper Food Balance Will Keep You Off Energy Roller Coaster

Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom with 2.3 kids or a bustling business person, you need plenty of energy to maximize your day.

Food is the necessary fuel to optimally power your brain and muscles. If you understand how food acts as a fuel source, you’ll be better able to rocket through your day without having a 3 o’clock I-gotta-take-a-nap feeling.

A person can experience an energy roller coaster ride throughout the day without a proper balance of carbohydrate, protein and fat. The key to fueling is moderation, which I define as a balance of these three at each meal.

Carbohydrates - like bread, pasta, potatoes, tortillas, rice, crackers, fruits and vegetables - supply short-range energy. They quickly metabolize from a food state to a usable fuel source. Protein and fats take longer to process into usable fuel and therefore supply a slower release of energy throughout the day. When combined with a carbohydrate source, protein and fat give you extra energy.

Protein provides midrange fuel. Sources include chicken and turkey (skinless), lean red meat, fish, seafood, lean pork, egg whites (the yolk has the fat), low-fat yogurt, cottage cheese, milk and legumes (beans and peas). Vegetarian sources of protein include tofu, tempeh, meatless burgers and seitan (wheat gluten).

Fats are long-range fuel sources that supply beneficial fat-soluble vitamins that nonfat foods lack. Include some vegetable fat sources like peanut butter, nuts, seeds, avocados, olives, olive oil, salad dressing with canola oil, and other monounsaturated and polyunsaturated oils, such as sesame, soybean and safflower.

Fats break down in the body as short- and long-chain fats. The short chains are absorbed for quick energy. Long-chain fats are wrapped in a protein coat (called a chylomicron) in the intestinal wall and shipped into the lymph system to be time-released into the bloodstream hours later. If you don’t eat fat, then you miss out on energy released over time.

Because we are trained to avoid fat, experiment with eating a little of it to see if you experience a difference in energy levels. As an example, let’s look at a healthy, balanced breakfast. Breakfast is the cornerstone of your day; it allows your body to raise its metabolism and ship needed nutrients to every cell in your body.

Preparing a meal is a lot like building a campfire. Your activity level, frame size, metabolism and any medical conditions will determine how many fuel sources to include. A meal should last about three to four hours before you’re hungry again. Any longer or shorter means you’re not building your campfire properly.

First gather some small kindling and paper: these are your quick-burning fuels, called complex carbohydrates. Choose one or two complex carbohydrates, such as 1/3 to 1/2 cup dry oatmeal; 3-6 tablespoons cream of wheat; 1/2-1 cup cereal (look for one with less than 6 grams of sugar per 1 ounce serving); 1-2 slices toast; 1/2-1 bagel; 1/2-1 banana; 1-2 slices melon, or 1/2 grapefruit.

Add one or two low-fat or nonfat protein sources: 1/4-1/2 cup cottage cheese; 4-8 ounces yogurt; 2-4 egg whites or 1/4-1/2 cup egg substitute; 1-2 ounces lean ham; 1/4-1/2 cup beans, or 2-4 ounces tofu.

Finally, add some long-range fuel - fat - to your metabolic campfire. One of the easiest ways to include a little fat is to use a low-fat protein source rather than a nonfat one. If you’re using nonfat protein sources, then choose one or two fat sources, such as 1-2 teaspoons peanut butter, 1/2-1 teaspoon olive oil (to scramble egg whites) or 2-6 almonds. If you don’t have heart disease, you can use an occasional egg yolk or 1/2-1 teaspoon butter.

Remember, fat is a very concentrated fuel source with 9 calories per gram, whereas carbohydrate and protein have 4 calories per gram. Rather than completely avoid it, handle it with caution, like any good camper would tend a fire.

Many people say that they’re never hungry for breakfast. That’s because they’ve eaten too much food the night before; blood sugar levels are too high for their bodies to sense hunger. Just for a day or two, try starting your day with breakfast (if you already do, congratulations!)

You should now have a better understanding of how your food supplies short-, mid- and long-range energy levels. Avoiding protein and fat sources will leave you feeling unsatisfied, most likely craving sweets, and nowhere near your optimal energy potential for your life and for your health.

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The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Craig T. Hunt The Spokesman-Review