Assuming you are not simply sleep-deprived, the cause of your mid-afternoon slump is most likely eating too much saturated fat and/or too many carbohydrates. A meal that is high in carbohydrates, particularly processed carbohydrates (e.g. soda, sweets, pasta, white bread) quickly breaks down into glucose, causing your blood sugar to spike and give you a burst of energy. However, because your brain cannot handle so much sugar at once, it sends a signal to your pancreas to quickly release insulin. This rapidly drops your blood sugar below the levels your brain needs to function effectively, resulting in sluggishness.

The solution is to modify what you eat. You should first eliminate all saturated fats and processed carbohydrates. Also, never eat carbohydrates without including protein. As a rule, your lunch should include:

• a fist-sized portion of lean protein (e.g. chicken, turkey or salmon)
• a thumb sized serving of healthy fats/oils (e.g. extra virgin olive oil, avocado or raw nuts or seeds)
• no more than 1 serving of unprocessed carbohydrates (2 cups non-starchy vegetables, 1 cup fruit or 1 cup whole grains)

According to the American College of Sports Medicine, 72% of American’s calories are from sources that never existed in hunter-gatherer diets including refined sugar, artificial sweeteners, white flour, high fructose corn syrup, and shortening. Processed foods may be a basic reason why 1/3 of all cancer related deaths are nutrition related.

In 2000, Americans consumed on average 152 pounds of sugar or about 400 calories from sugar each day. That’s not too surprising when you consider a drink such as a 20 oz. Tropicana Twister contains 350 calories from sugar.

The typical American diet includes 63% more salt than what is recommended. This comes from processed foods, cooking and table salt. Only 10% of our intake comes from sodium found naturally in foods.

Were our bodies designed for this much sugar and salt? Or are people just not willing to acknowledge that modern food choices are main contributors to high blood pressure, stroke and cancer?