9 Foods and Drinks That are Killing Your Energy

1. ALCOHOL

A glass of wine the night before can be enough to tire you out the next day. And while a drink or two might make you tired, don’t expect to get a great night’s sleep after consuming a lot of it: Your body processing the alcohol will prevent it from going into a deep sleep, and lack of quality sleep certainly won’t help your energy level the next day.

2. BAGELS

Breads made with refined flour contain a lot of carbohydrates but not much in the way of fiber, which helps to convert those carbs into a steady stream of energy. So, instead of feeling energized, you crash. Bagels, which tend to be big, dense, bready, and made with refined flour, are one of the worst things to eat for breakfast if you want to have a productive day.

3. CAFFEINE

It may seem counter-intuitive, but caffeine can actually tire you out. As opposed to foods that actually give our bodies energy on a molecular level, caffeine is just a chemical stimulant; it makes us feel alert, but once that buzz wears off we’re right back where we started, or even more tired because of the (real) energy we used up during the caffeine high.

4. CEREAL

A big bowl of cereal is loaded with carbohydrates, which will cause you to crash. And the news is even worse if the cereal is sugary: Sugar releases insulin in your body, and insulin in turn releases the amino acid tryptophan in the brain, which puts you to sleep.

5. CHERRY

Cherries (and cherry juice) are very high in naturally occurring melatonin, so you might want to save them for a nighttime snack.

6. SAUSAGES

f you eat sausages for breakfast or a burger for lunch, your body will devote its energy to breaking it down, rather than powering your afternoon. Breaking down fatty meats requires a lot of energy, so stick with lean protein or salmon, which is high in focus-improving omega-3 fatty acids.

7. JUICE

Fruit juice, even all-natural fruit juice, is high in sugar but contains none of the fiber that’s found in whole fruit. If you drink an eight-ounce glass of juice in one fell swoop, it’ll cause an instant insulin spike that will have you crashing in no time.

8. MUFFINS AND PASTRIES

Like sugary cereals, muffins, doughnuts, and other pastries are an unplanned nap in the making. They’re high in both sugar and refined flour and low in any real nutrients, so, after your blood sugar and insulin levels spike, you’ll experience a carb crash.

9. OATMEAL

Oatmeal will give you a burst of energy to start your day, but it’s also loaded with carbohydrates (a big bowl of oatmeal can contain as many carbs as a bagel), and, if you add lots of sugar (or honey, which is high in sleep-inducing glucose), it can lead to to a serious afternoon crash.

Courtesy: TheDailyMeal