All Night Diet

Monday, October 30, 2006 at 02:16pm by Gina Laverde in Health

Pulling an All �Nighter? Well chances are that you soon will be. What entrepreneur can get away with eight hours of sleep EVERY night?

For most of us: the All-Nighter is an inevitable nightmare. We get tired, restless, bored and jealous of our sleeping roommates.

I�m not so proud to say that I�ve been awake since 2 a.m. But I�m not tired and I don�t owe it ALL to coffee. But diet can be the deal breaker between you and your pillow. If you load up on sugar and caffeine � eventually the pillow will win.

Here are some tips (that have worked to keep me alert most of the time) � for eating your way though a nightly work-a-thon.

Hydrate: Yes, you need lots of water. Stay consistently hydrated throughout the day. Take drinks in a comfortable moderation. There�s no exact proof that you need 8 glasses. Drinking too much will just leave you feeling bloated. But, as you get older � your body doesn�t always let you know when you�re thirsty. Stay away from sugar and caffeine. Even limit juice as it MAY cause sudden rises and falls of your blood sugar and mess with energy levels.

Eat: Eat often and in small amounts. Don�t ignore hunger pangs just because you think eating will slow you down. It�s good to snack on healthy treats like fruit and cereal. In fact, when I�m really struggling to stay awake, and I�m hungry�I always go for breakfast food. It may not be my favorite, but the combo of whole grains and fresh fruits helps keep the metabolism balanced (I advise against eating fruit alone without some sort of grain � the blood sugar thing again).

Peppermint: You know those little star light mints they give you at restaurants? I know I said no sugar, but.. peppermint helps wake up the senses and can be a good way of satisfying your candy craving. I suppose you can find something a bit more natural. Although peppermint tea has consistently put me to sleep, so I prefer the candy.

Stretch: Stand on the balls of your feet, stretch your arms over your head and roll your palms upward. Hold it for a few seconds. Release and repeat. This helps blood flow circulate, and is also a great way to relieve your back and shoulders from tension.

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