Feeling tired after the beginning of summer? How to eat more energetically? Here are 8 tips for you

Image from: freepik.com

After the beginning of summer, the weather is getting hotter and hotter. Many people will feel that their appetite is poor, their spirits are low, and they feel that they can't concentrate on doing anything. Many people can't help but ask: How can I eat to make myself in a better mental state?

01

Why no spirit??

Why do people lose energy after the beginning of summer? The main reasons for being in low spirits in summer are:

1. Dehydration and increased nutrient loss

After the beginning of summer, as the temperature rises, our body will sweat a lot to maintain normal body temperature. During the sweating process, the body will lose a lot of water and some nutrients, including minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, vitamin C and various B vitamins, as well as a small amount of protein and amino acids.

2. Poor nutrient absorption

Due to the high temperature, the skin sweats, causing more blood to flow to the body surface, and the blood supply to the digestive system is relatively reduced. When the weather is hot, the secretion of digestive juices decreases, our digestion and absorption ability becomes worse, and nutrient absorption also becomes worse.

3. Unbalanced diet

In addition, when the weather gets hot, people tend to get lazy and fail to eat three meals properly. They often make do with one meal, just to fill their stomachs, and fail to achieve a balanced diet. They also don't pay attention to drinking water in time.

4. Poor sleep

The weather is getting hotter, and my sleep quality is getting worse. Also, it is not cold at night, so I am more active at night, often having dinner with friends, going to bed late, and sleeping poorly. If this continues for a long time, my mental state will also deteriorate.

This series of reasons leads to a decrease in the supply of nutrients in our body, causing the body to be malnourished and have poor sleep, making it easier to feel listless.

02

How to eat for more energy?

Image from: freepik.com

1. Eat regularly

There is a chemical called orexin in our brain that can stimulate the brain and keep it awake. If the orexin level is low, people will feel sleepy and lack energy.

After we eat, our blood sugar will rise. When blood sugar rises, it will inhibit the secretion of orexin in the body. Many people feel sleepy after eating because their blood sugar rises and the secretion of orexin decreases.

Regulation of postprandial hormones. Image: CSCB-Wechat

If you eat irregularly, eat very little at one meal and feel hungry, your blood sugar level will drop. If your blood sugar level is too low, you will feel tired and irritable. If you eat too much at one meal, your blood sugar level will rise. If your blood sugar level is too high, it will inhibit the secretion of orexin in the body, and you will feel sleepy and lack energy.

If blood sugar is too high or too low, our mental state will not be good. Ideally, our blood sugar level can be maintained at a relatively stable state, continuously supplying energy to our brain, so that the brain can always maintain an efficient state of operation.

Regular meals and diets help our bodies maintain stable blood sugar levels. The Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022) recommends that three meals a day should be arranged reasonably, with regular times and quantities, without skipping meals, and eating regularly.

Image from: freepik.com

2. Avoid overeating

Some studies have shown that the satiety signal molecule cholecystokinin (CCK) secreted by the brain during meals will also activate the area of ​​the brain responsible for sleep. Therefore, if you eat too much or too full, you will be more likely to feel sleepy.

The Chinese Dietary Guidelines (2022) recommend that we should pay attention to eating in moderation and not overeating. Therefore, we should also pay attention to eating in moderation and not eat too much at every meal.

Image from: freepik.com

3. Eat more whole grains and whole grains

In the summer, many people want to keep things simple and eat white porridge, white noodles and other refined staple foods. However, refined staple foods lose a lot of nutrients during processing, and refined grains contain almost only starch and no dietary fiber. They digest very quickly and are also digested very quickly after eating, which is very detrimental to the stability of blood sugar.

Compared with refined grains, whole grains contain more dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Eating more whole grains can help stabilize blood sugar and reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

In order to keep in good spirits, it is recommended that you do not always eat white rice and white steamed bread as your staple food. It is best to eat more whole grains, coarse grains and miscellaneous beans.

Image from: freepik.com

4. Drink enough water in time

The temperature is high in summer and people sweat a lot, so the body loses a lot of water, as well as some vitamins, minerals, etc.

Dehydration occurs when the body loses too much fluid. Dehydration can cause a number of unpleasant symptoms, including dry mouth, dizziness, fatigue, and more.

It is recommended that you pay attention to drinking water at ordinary times, and you can drink water in small amounts and multiple times. The Chinese Residents' Dietary Guidelines (2022) recommend that in mild climates, adult men with low physical activity levels drink 1,700 ml of water per day, and adult women drink 1,500 ml of water per day. In summer, the temperature is high and sweating is more, so you might as well drink more.

In addition, it is recommended that you drink water or tea as much as possible, and drink less or no sugary drinks. Although sugary drinks taste good, they contain a lot of sugar, which can cause blood sugar levels to rise and fall quickly, making people feel tired and mentally fatigued. If you really feel that water is not tasty and has no taste, and you want to drink something sweet, you can choose sugar-free drinks made with sweeteners.

Image from: freepik.com

5. Try not to drink alcohol, or drink less

Because the weather is hot, many people like to drink a little. But for the sake of good spirits, I suggest that you try not to drink, and if you really want to drink, don't drink too much.

Because after drinking, the human body needs water to clear the alcohol from the blood, which will cause the body to become further dehydrated. As mentioned earlier, dehydration can make a person's spirit worse.

Moreover, alcohol can cause cerebral vasoconstriction, reduce blood flow, cause cerebral cortex hypoxia, distraction, reduced memory and judgment, and make people depressed. There is a disease called alcoholic encephalopathy, which can cause dizziness, headache, nausea, limb numbness, and anxiety.

If you get drunk, the effects of alcohol on your brain and nervous system will last for a long time. Even the next day, many people will still have headaches and dizziness, and their mental state will not be much better.

Therefore, it is recommended that you try not to drink alcohol. If you really want to drink, the amount of alcohol you drink per day should not exceed 15g.

Image from: freepik.com

6. Exercise more and avoid long periods of sitting

Proper exercise can improve people's mental state. Research results show that if the human body sits still for more than two hours, it will affect blood circulation and blood sugar control, which in turn affects the mental state. Therefore, after actively exercising, many people find that not only their physical condition is better, but also their spirit is refreshed, and the drowsiness disappears unconsciously.

It is recommended that you do not sit still for long periods of time when working at a desk in the office, studying at school, or after meals, let alone lying down. It is recommended that you maintain daily physical activity, do moderate-intensity physical activity at least 5 days a week, and accumulate more than 150 minutes; active physical activity is best 6,000 steps a day. For example, you can do some light physical activity, such as walking, one hour after lunch; reduce sedentary time when working or studying, and get up and move every hour; in addition, you can try resistance muscle training 2-3 times a week.

Image from: freepik.com

7. Get enough sleep and avoid staying up late

Sufficient sleep is the basis of good spirits. If you often stay up late playing games or watching TV series, and you don't get enough sleep or have a bad sleep, you will easily become listless. It is recommended that you must ensure sufficient sleep, preferably 7-8 hours a day, and stay up late less to play games or watch TV series.

Image from: freepik.com

8. Coffee and Tea

If you still feel low, there is one last resort – coffee and tea.

Coffee and tea contain caffeine, and I don't need to say much about caffeine. Everyone knows that it can refresh you because it has a central nervous system stimulant effect. So, if you always feel out of spirits and sleepy, and nothing you do works, you can try drinking coffee.

Currently, the scientific community believes that healthy adults should consume no more than 210 to 400 mg of caffeine per day. For example, a medium cup of American coffee (about 355 ml) is about 1 to 2 cups per day. As long as you don't drink a lot, you don't have to worry too much about the side effects of caffeine intake.

However, we need to remind everyone that if you have problems such as insomnia or sleep disorders, try not to drink coffee, or drink less coffee. It is best not to drink coffee in the afternoon or before going to bed.

References

1. Wang Jinbao, Wang Jianlin, Shao Baoping. Orexin regulates glucose metabolism[J]. Journal of Animal Nutrition, 2013, 25(11): 2520-2528.

2. Toor B, Ray LB, Pozzobon A, Fogel SM. Sleep, Orexin and Cognition. Front Neurol Neurosci. 2021;45:38-51.

3. Li SB, de Lecea L. The hypocretin (orexin) system: from a neural circuitry perspective. Neuropharmacology. 2020 May 1;167:107993.

4. Sakurai T. The neural circuit of orexin (hypocretin): maintaining sleep and wakefulness. Nat Rev Neurosci. 2007 Mar;8(3):171-81.

5. Chinese Nutrition Society. Dietary Guidelines for Chinese Residents (2022)[M]. 1st edition. People's Medical Publishing House, 2022.

6. Shi Huilin, Zhang Jianfa, Feng Ping, et al. Research progress on cholecystokinin and food intake regulation[J]. Chinese Journal of Behavioral Medical Science, 2003, 12(2): 239-240.

7. Szelényi Z. Cholecystokinin: role in thermoregulation and other aspects of energetics. Clin Chim Acta. 2010 Mar;411(5-6):329-35.

8. Szelényi Z. Cholecystokinin and thermoregulation--a minireview. Peptides. 2001 Aug;22(8):1245-50.

9. China Science and Technology Information Exchange Center for Food and Health, Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Scientific Research Institute of National Grain and Material Reserves Administration, et al. Scientific consensus on whole grains and health (2021) [J]. Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2021, 55(12): 1383-1386.

10. Chinese Medical Doctor Association Neurology Branch Brain and Spinal Cord Injury Committee. Chinese expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of chronic alcoholic encephalopathy[J]. Chinese Journal of Neurology, 2018, 17(1): 2-9.

11. Kexin Food and Nutrition Information Exchange Center, Institute of Nutrition and Health, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Health Communication Branch of Chinese Association of Preventive Medicine, etc. Scientific consensus on coffee and health[J]. Chinese Journal of Preventive Medicine, 2018, 52(11): 1115-1116.