It's 3pm at work and my eyelids are heavy. My concentration is slipping and I'm already reaching for another cup of coffee. The afternoon slump is so common that many working adults accept it as an inevitable part of the day. Yet, it does not have to be. Health experts said that the culprits are the small, everyday habits that quietly drain our energy – from what we eat for lunch and what we do during downtime to when we exercise. The good news is, these habits are well within our control, a family doctor assured me.
Dr Wong Siu Kwan, a general practitioner at Amber Family Clinic, said that being productive comes down to making mindful choices and using our resources, such as time and energy, to achieve our goals efficiently.Therefore, sustainable changes to our daily routines can make it easier to stay more alert, focused and productive throughout the day – not just at work, but also in pursuing our health, relationships and personal goals, she added.Now that I know small choices add up, let's look at how food, exercise and screen use can sap or sustain our energy. DON'T LET LUNCH SLOW YOU DOWNFighting to stay awake after a carb-heavy lunch and a sweet drink? This midday "food coma" – known medically as postprandial somnolence – refers to the heavy, sluggish feeling people experience after eating, nutritionist Annabelle Johnson said.Since blood flow and metabolic activity shift toward digestion, meals high in refined carbohydrates (white rice, instant noodles, pizza dough) and sugar can make the slump even worse by causing a rapid spike in blood glucose, followed by a sharp dip. "That dip is what leaves you groggy and reaching for coffee by 3pm," she explained. Mr Sebastian Ng, a 30-year-old wealth planning manager, knows the feeling all too well.When he first started working as a financial adviser at 24, he was eating "about three-and-a-half meals every day”, often ordering an economical rice set with extra rice – a habit he had carried since his teenage years."I felt very groggy and sleepy after almost every meal due to the volume of food that I was eating," he said. "At work, it was harder to finish up what I needed to do for the day, or even prepare to go for the next appointment."He tried cutting all carbohydrates from his meals, but that proved too drastic and unsustainable."Even though I no longer had food coma, my overall energy levels dropped," he recalled, eventually settling on taking two meals a day – lunch and dinner – with carbohydrates in one meal. "This helps me manage my daily calorie intake, while keeping my energy levels normal." Indeed, eliminating carbohydrates entirely is not the answer, Ms Johnson stressed.Instead, she recommended pairing carbs with protein, fibre and healthy fats in a balanced ratio to slow down the rise in blood sugar and provide steadier energy. "At the hawker centre, that might mean choosing more steamed or boiled vegetables and tofu items for a yong tau foo meal. Or asking for less rice and more greens and protein at the economical rice stall," she suggested. She also advised against taking sweet drinks alongside a starchy meal, which can make food coma worse, and that switching to water or drinks without sugar "helps enormously".
