Certain foods can actually help you get the things you want: a good night’s sleep, a big raise, a long-awaited pregnancy, and more. For the lowdown on the perfect fuel, we asked the experts for their secrets on what to eat to gear up for life’s little (and big) challenges.
Battling the sniffles
Best to eat: Warm fluids, plus garlic
Why: Liquids help by thinning mucus, easing a dry cough, and fending off dehydration due to fever, Heller says. “Garlic has disease-fighting compounds that can give your body a little boost,” she adds.
Try: A soup that has garlic or onions. Either can easily be added to chicken or vegetable broth.
Dreaming of sleep
Best to eat: Whole grains with protein
Why: If you toss and turn in bed, the right snack can help you unwind. Whole grains have carbohydrates that will increase the serotonin in your brain. Eating a meal with carbs, along with proteins that have the amino acid tryptophan, can help insomnia.
Try: A half-cup of whole-grain cereal with skim milk about an hour and a half before sleep. Other picks: hummus on a whole-wheat pita or a rice cake topped with tomato and a slice of turkey breast.
Trying to get pregnant
Best to eat: Complex carbs and protein, plus folic acid
Why: The carb-protein duo keeps insulin levels stable, and that helps fertility, says Jeremy Groll, MD, coauthor of Fertility Foods. “High insulin levels prohibit normal ovulation,” he says. Take a prenatal vitamin (ask your doctor), Dr. Groll advises, and fill up on foods rich in folic acid to reduce the risk of spinal-cord defects.
Try: A fruit smoothie with yogurt and protein powder. For folic acid, eat more asparagus, leafy greens, oranges, and fortified cereals.
Before a workout
Best to eat: Light snack with carbs and water
Why: A small bite a half-hour to an hour before a workout will give you staying power but won’t weigh you down. “It takes the edge off hunger and gives your body some calories,” says Judith J. Wurtman, PhD, author of Managing Your Mind and Mood Through Food.
Try: Yogurt and a few whole-grain crackers if you have an hour or more before the workout; half a banana or 6 ounces of orange juice if you have less time, because they turn into energy (glucose) faster.
Hitting the road
Best to eat: A low-calorie meal that travels well
Why: Since you’ll probably be sitting for hours in a car or plane, you don’t need a lot of calories. You may not be able to keep foods fresh either, so nonperishable, portable foods are also a smart bet. And a healthy snack will keep you away from fat-filled fast foods.
Try: A prepackaged green salad with chicken at the airport, or soup and a whole-wheat roll. For a short flight, shoot for a protein bar with about 15 grams of protein, Wurtman says. For a long road trip, Heller suggests trail mix made with whole-grain cereal, nuts, and dried fruit.
Asking for a raise
Best to eat: Lean protein and whole grains, plus caffeine
Why: You want to be alert and upbeat when you’re hitting up the boss. Protein foods have an amino acid, tyrosine, that helps increase mental alertness, and whole grains have been shown to improve energy, says nutritionist Samantha Heller, MS, RD. Also, caffeine improves attention and short-term memory. The effect is strongest if you down one to two 8-ounce cups at least 20 minutes (but no more than an hour) before your sit-down with the boss.
Try: An egg-white and spinach omelet, or a whole-wheat bagel with low-fat cream cheese and java.
Speaking to a crowd
Best to eat: A high-protein, low-fat meal
Why: It’s the perfect combo to help concentration and keep those butterflies in check. “Amino acids from the protein will not only help you with the ability to learn and recall information, but they’ll also enhance your ability to concentrate and stay alert,” Moore says. Combine chicken, fish, beef, or tofu with some veggies or whole grains, but go easy on the greens, which have fiber that can make you feel gassy or bloated.
Try: A lightly dressed tuna salad with whole-wheat bread or grilled chicken on a small bed of greens.
By Ziba Kashef; Photos by James Worrell
Comments (16)
“Whole grains with protein” is best to be alert with your boss AND make you drowsy for sleep?
JeramieH, I didn’t notice the dichotomy you pointed out. Can you tell me what you recently ate that made you so alert while reading this?
jermamieH, YOU are the one not alert enough. JeramieH is right… if you read it right, the section titled ‘asking for a raise’ IS suggesting that one eat whole grains and lean protein, just as the section entitled ‘dreaming of sleep’ suggests eating ‘whole grain with protein’. how can the same thing apply to both these situations? what, just adding caffeine makes one suitable for asking for a raise???
This is a classic case of nonsense opinions masquerading as “scientific fact.”
The entire premise of this article is flawed, not to mention the factual errors. For instance, the thought that eating Whole grains and carbs will put you to sleep or that protein will enhance your memory is simply not true.
This list is great for athletes and other nutrition-conscious people who think of food in terms of fuel/ energy, but, if you’re trying to get the average citizen to relate to it, you’re going to have to get way more specific than recapitulating the food pyramid in all these areas and then offering-up the occasional simple combo/recipe. The typical American is stuffing his/her face with processed food every darn day and more than 50% of his kind are medically obese. You don’t see a lot of whole grains, fruits/vegetables, and other great ingredients in the fridge/pantry of a U.S. home, folks. Kids are eating a lot of “microwave mom” or “microwave dad” foods: chicken nuggets, mac and cheese, etc. Carb rich and full of preservatives. Let’s dig a little deeper. This is written like it’s being published in People magazine or something.
I don’t know why, but you guys have clearly plagiarised my name!
It would be good to add recommendations for people dealing with cancer.
1) Foods do have multiple effects so Whole Grains are able to do both. They suggested Whole Grains with Lean Protein and Caffeine due to the Stimulant properties which counteract the drowsiness factor and keep you alert. Tryptophans are a “scientific fact” and “eating Whole grains and carbs will put you to sleep”. They are found in Dairy, Whole Grains, even Turkey. See Mayo Clinic article on this below.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/foods-that-help-you-sleep/AN01582
Perhaps there are less “factual errors” than you assumed?
show all foods
They’re just tips to help people eat in a more balanced way.
By the way M.D. You have to eat something like 10 whole turkeys to get enough tryptophan to fall asleep.
Ihave eaten 03 garlic from last 06 month my LDL Chelstrol was about 180ml.After using eat garlic before break fast now yesteday I have checked my chilostrol is 126ml and my Blood pressure is normal
JD, HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO EAT 10 WHOLE TURKEYS TO GET ENOUGH TRYPTOPHAN? I DON’T EAT 10 TURKEYS FOR THANKSGIVING & EVERYBODY FEELS SLEEPY AFTERWARD. MILK ALSO HAS THIS & CAN HELP W/A GOOD NIGHT SLEEP!
jermy is dumb, and the tryptophan is foudn in cookies, hi-c and liek all good things Tv dinners, dotn be ridiculous
Does anyone have any suggestions for food to eat before bedtime for a bi-polar? My husband is bi-polar and has a terrible time with sleep and waking up. He eats anything and everything in the middle of the night. Does the same whole grain/protein suggestion apply to him? What should he absolutely stay away from, except the obvious, i.e., caffeine, chocolate, etc.? Thanks for you help!
Hi Bobbi, it sounds like your husband is suffering from an actual medical disorder called Night-Eating Syndrome. I would google it and also discuss it with a psychiatrist. It has only been really studied in the last few years and I know that there are a lot of studies going on right now in the Boston area on it, since I see ads for night eating studies at Harvard and UMass all the time. Good luck.