Eating for Peak Productivity Doesn’t Mean Torturing Yourself
There are sane ways to avoid the dreaded food coma, nutrition experts say.
Illustration: Yann Bastard for Bloomberg Businessweek
No one ever sets out to eat a bag of Gummi Bears for lunch. But once you’ve eaten about nine, why not just commit, right? If that logic makes sense to you, it might be worth asking whether this routine is going to let you perform at your peak during the workday. Yes, you want consistency, but you also want “to keep your blood sugar even-keeled so that you can continue to work steadily,” says nutritionist Lisa Young, adjunct professor of nutrition at New York University and author of Finally Full, Finally Slim: 30 Days to Permanent Weight Loss One Portion at a Time. Talk to your doctor, of course, about what nutrition plan is right for you. Here’s one approach to eating that will help avoid cravings and food comas—that sluggish feeling that overwhelms you after a big meal:
How much should I eat?