12 foods that give energy

Many people associate food with pleasure, but the most essential function is to fill us with energy and the nutrients that our body needs to function every day. For this reason, the most vital aspect of any healthy diet, be it to lose weight or not, is to consume foods of rich and nutritious calories. In this way, we will not need to overeat to feel satiated and ready to face the day.

Our bodies need food to be able to perform at 100% of their capacities. If you feel exhausted or feel like you don’t have enough energy to exercise, study, or work, you may need to incorporate ingredients into your diet that give you an immediate energy boost. At Healthzigzag, we recommend the best foods that provide energy, as well as tips, so that you never run out of batteries on a day-to-day basis.

What foods give energy?

How do you know which foods give energy? All meals, to a greater or lesser extent, provide us with energy to keep all metabolic processes active and to strengthen the body’s systems. However, many of them contain empty calories that lack many of the nutrients necessary for the body, so it is essential to maintain a diet as balanced as varied.

In general, the foods that are responsible for giving us more energy have proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals vital for the proper functioning of the blood, bones, and muscles, such as iron and potassium.

For the effects of these foods to be maximized, it is also necessary to reduce the consumption of other foods that impair vitality and defenses, such as sugar, alcohol, or caffeine.

Banana

Bananas provide a large amount of potassium, a mineral that helps balance the body’s water and strengthen muscles. Also, potassium is essential to meet your vital needs, giving you all the energy the body requires throughout the day. It is one of the best anti-fatigue foods, as exhaustion is often linked to low potassium levels.

Therefore, if you are looking to incorporate energy-giving foods to train, one piece of banana a day will contribute to maintaining a healthy life and replenishing the glycogen lost during physical exercise. Related to this, we recommend you read Does banana constipate?

Nuts

There are plenty of foods that give energy, but if you’re looking for a genuinely natural snack, nuts are tiny energy capsules with high nutrient content. Nuts provide:

• Fatty acids are essential to the body.
• Featured source of protein.
• Satiating and antioxidant power.

Despite being a product with high caloric content, it is one of the foods that give immediate energy. Among the multitude of nuts, in Healthzigzag, we recommend the consumption of walnuts, cashews, almonds, and pistachios because they contain vitamin E, potassium, iron, and Omega-3 fatty acids.

Read Also

• Health Benefits Of Eating Walnuts And Side Effects
• 9 Proven Health Benefits Of Almonds
• Properties And Benefits Of Pistachios

 Seeds

Flaxseeds (a vegetable used to obtain oil and flour) and sunflower seeds are rich in Omega 6 and Omega 9. Also, they contain nutrients that provide energy to the body, such as vitamin B, folic acid, and iron.

Taking a handful of these seeds, you will feel less fatigued, and you will be consuming some of the best foods that give energy and vitality to the body.

Eggs

One of the foods with more protein is the egg. Consuming one will provide you with 30% of the amount you need per day of this macronutrient, which is responsible for transporting nutrients through the blood vessels and for the proper functioning of the muscles. We recommend you to go through our other article How much protein in an egg?

Therefore, at Healthzigzag, we recommend that you eat eggs due to the enormous versatility it offers in the kitchen (omelets, scrambled eggs, or egg whites) and its enormous impact on physical recovery after playing sports.

Oats

This food is rich in complex carbohydrates and contains phosphorus, calcium, iron, and lecithin. Therefore, oats are slow to digest, which helps provide more energy throughout the day.

Besides, its fiber content gives it high satiating power that enables you to eat less and lose weight. It also helps lower cholesterol and balances glucose levels in the body. These last two properties are essential for maintaining brain and nervous system health, so consuming oats improves concentration and is one of the best energy-giving foods to study.

Spinach

Spinach is a highly recommended vegetable in sports diets. Containing high levels of potassium, iron, and magnesium, it is one of the energy-giving foods for running and exercising. They are also antioxidants and provide vitamins K and B, facilitating digestion and optimal muscle performance. You can read in detail about 10 Proven health benefits of eating spinach.

Spinach is ideal for losing weight, since it contains very few calories, one more reason for you to introduce it into your diet.

Garlic

Inulin, a satiating fiber that facilitates iron absorption, is found in garlic. That is why this food is essential in a diet to prevent fatigue and anemia. Besides, it helps improve blood circulation and reduce cholesterol levels.

At Healthzigzag, we recommend that you eat raw garlic so that your body takes advantage of all its medicinal benefits. If you cook it, you will be losing much of its effectiveness.

Water

Water is essential to absorb all the nutrients that provide energy. Thus, it is imperative that you drink enough to allow the meals that give you the strength to work effectively in the body. Before everything, you should know How Much Water Should You Drink?

Figs

This food provides a large number of healthy carbohydrates that are quickly converted into energy. It also contains folic acid and calcium, that is, necessary nutrients for strengthening bones. Consuming several units will facilitate the recovery process of the muscles.

Pure chocolate

Chocolate consumption is excellent to maintain physical and mental energy since it provides iron, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins A, B1, B2 and E. Also, it helps to improve mood and motivation, but it will only be healthy if you eat it pure. If it contains milk, you will be eating empty fats, and much of its benefits will disappear.

Learn more about the properties of chocolate in our article, Benefits of dark chocolate.

Watercress

Another energy-giving food is watercress. It contains high values ​​of vitamin C and minerals (especially iodine and iron). The consumption of this vegetable reduces fatigue if you take an approximate amount of 50 to 100 raw grams daily. You can introduce it in dishes as an accompaniment or in salads to take advantage of all the benefits of watercress.

Dates

This fruit provides a good dose of energy to the body: 10 units contain 275 calories. Also, it is rich in vitamin B, trace elements and minerals, contributing to the cellular absorption of sugar and acting as a refreshing food. We recommend you read our article about 5 Proven Health Benefits Of Dates.

Tips for more energy

Some foods give energy by nature due to the nutrients present in its composition. Still, food is not the only way to increase your vitality. At Healthzigzag we give you the following tips so you can always perform at the best level:

• Meditate: the frenetic rhythm of the daily routine prevents you from stopping and reflecting. Take time to think, organize, and clarify your ideas. In this way, you will optimize the energy used for each task and reduce stress levels.
• Sleep at night: It seems obvious, but it is more important than you think. Respecting the body’s circadian rhythm helps to have more energy during the day. Taking advantage of morning sunlight is also positive for the organization.
• Exercise regularly: making enormous efforts on time will exhaust you. Muscle recovery will be slower, so it is preferable to perform activities that you can accomplish most of the week without causing enormous fatigue.
• Maintain a proper diet: do not skip any of the daily meals, do not trust your diet exclusively to supplements or believe in the power of ‘superfoods.’
• Don’t abuse sweets: empty fats and the enormous amount of sugars they contain can be excessively harmful. It also prevents excessive consumption of caffeine, as it sometimes negatively influences energy levels.
• Drink water to stay hydrated – otherwise, concentration and physical performance decrease. Published By Healthzigzag.com