Energise! Fighting fatigue with whole wheat foods

If you need to up your energy levels without indulging in high sugar or high-calorie foods, here's the way to go.

In the following pages, we bring you five reasons why whole wheat foods are your best option for a little pick-me-up in the middle or at the end of a strenuous day.

So steer clear of things that will pile on the pounds and go the healthy, energising route.

B Vitamins

B Vitamin-rich whole wheat snacks are highly energising and help fight fatigue by maintaining energy levels, stabilising blood sugar, improving sleep patterns, coordinating nerve and muscle activity, and boosting your mood.

Whole wheat snacks, being rich in good carbohydrates, also contain some tryptophan, an amino acid that helps produce serotonin in the brain.

Serotonin helps boost your mood and the fibre in whole wheat snacks helps slows down digestion, in turn controlling the flow of serotonin.

Snacks that combine whole grains with proteins are ideal when it comes to giving you energy for a long period of time.

For example, opt for a whole wheat sandwich with egg whites, or low fat cottage cheese.

There are several reasons why you should avoid simple carbohydrates and choose complex carbohydrates as snacks.

The main concern is that foods made of white bread, or sugar-rich desserts provide instant energy by spiking up the blood sugar levels, but this spike is also followed by a faster depletion of blood sugar, which leads to fatigue.

Whole wheat snacks contain complex carbohydrates, many B vitamins, fibre and minerals, all of which ensure that the carbohydrates are absorbed slowly by your body and thus control blood sugar levels and give gradual, lasting energy.