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Check diet if your energy is lacking

By Jenny Sliger

Community Health Educator, Middletown Regional Hospital

Sunday, September 09, 2007

The next time you find yourself saying "I have no energy," ask this question: "What have I eaten today?"

Chances are you have not eaten enough, or you have not eaten the kind of foods that provide quality energy to meet your body's needs.

Extras

We tend to associate food only with something that pleases our taste buds and quiets our rumbling stomach. The old saying is true: You are what you eat.

Food really is the very stuff of which we are made. Calories provide energy, necessary for every single function of the body. But just as your car requires gas to function, it requires spark plugs to function well. Your body requires calories to function, but nutrients to function well.

The following foods are nutrient-dense without being calorie-dense. Just adding a few of these foods every day will boost your energy level while contributing to overall good health. So put these on your grocery list. You will be well on your way to enjoying quality foods that nourish, satisfy, and give you long-lasting energy.

Antioxidants

Help fight disease,

including cancer

Blueberries

Strawberries

Red peppers

Broccoli

High-fiber

Help maintain healthy cholesterol, colon, weight

Beans

Apples

Nuts

Oatmeal

Complex

carbohydrates

Fuels the brain, muscles

Whole grains

Oatmeal

Pasta

Fruits and vegetables

Omega 3 fats

Lowers unhealthy cholesterol; promotes heart health

Olive oil

Salmon

Walnuts

Avocado

Folic acid

Improved heart health; promotes gene structure

Asparagus

Fortified cereal

Pasta

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