A lot of people sit at desks. It’s a bit silly to state, since it sounds so mundane, but it’s true. If you’re an intern, a student, a teacher, or are part of any other type of work that requires being near a computer for awhile, you probably sit at a desk for hours at a time.
That’s not terrible. After all, the exact opposite would be staying on your feet for hours at a time and that hurts. Still, sitting at a desk has its downsides, for both your health and your work performance. Due to a current internship experience, I’ve witnessed first hand how easily exhaustion can hit after morning coffee or how lethargic one can grow after lack of movement. The science of the body is a tricky thing to master, but hopefully, the following foods just might do the trick.
The first thing to remember, though, is not everyone can prepare meals beforehand and even more so, waiting until midday to eat lunch doesn’t work for everyone. So this list will not be containing full meals of any kind. They’re things you can throw into a container, buy at a corner store, prepare at work, or grab right before you leave the house. Those are the really superfoods, right?
Now, let’s make our list:
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Green tea
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Popcorn
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Bananas
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Walnuts
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Peanut Butter
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Lemon water
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Almonds
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Berries
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Dark chocolate
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Edamame
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Yogurt
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Coffee
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Pistachios
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Hummus
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Pineapple
A very interesting list, but wait a moment, I have my reasons. In an Eat This, Not That article, green tea, pineapple, nuts, and berries were included in a list of slimming foods that you should eat if you sit all day. This is a pet peeve of mine, but the term “slimming” doesn’t fit well with me. Let’s refer to this list as wake-up foods, because in a basic sense, that is what they are.
In a Woman’s Day slideshow, edamame, almonds, bananas, and yogurt, were part of a list of foods that increase your energy. Everything on this list makes your body work harder or wake-up, even if you’re already awake and moving. They also contain heavy amounts of protein or fiber, two things that will keep your body active while you’re keeping still in a chair. Lemon water is filled with electrolytes and coffee will aid your metabolism, just don’t drink to much of it; if you’re ever craving a third or fourth cup, go straight for the green tea instead.
Dark chocolate—Yay! What a fantastic surprise!—is filled with nutrients and gives you an energy boost, but it holds the same limit as coffee. Too much is no good. All you need is a few small squares (let’s say, two rows off a Hershey bar) and it’ll get you through the rest of your afternoon, or you could add it to yogurtor your morning cereal! Chocolate is great with everything.
As far as berries go, some—like blueberries, that help with digestion—have more benefits than others, but they’re all great for energy boosting, so pick your favorite.
Well, that’s all this writer’s got for you desk-life today. Have fun being as energized and focused as possible.