Heather Rockwood is a food science junior and Mustang Daily food columnist.
Companies have once again come to Cal Poly in an effort to recruit students for newly opened positions at the spring job fair in Chumash Auditorium. Students will dress to impress and put their best foot forward. Many will even secure an interview with their hopeful future employer.
A quick meet and greet is short enough that students can grit their teeth and still have a positive first impression — even on an empty stomach — but as the day continues and the rigor of the interviews increases, students will need more than just a candy bar or caffeine jolt to keep up with any company’s expectations. Many people pay special attention to sleeping and regular exercise for adding energy into their everyday routine, but all too many tend to overlook the all-too-important factor diet has on their energy levels.
If you find yourself getting plenty of sleep (a recommended seven to nine hours a night), a healthy amount of exercise (recommended 150 minutes moderate intensity active work a week) and you are still drained by 3:30 p.m., perhaps it is time to start looking at your diet and what role foods are playing in your energy needs.
The first and most important step is eating breakfast. The name itself really reveals its importance. By eating breakfast you are breaking the “fast” of not eating since dinner.
When your body wakes up in the morning it is either empty or near empty of calories and should be replenished quickly or not only your body, but also your brain, will suffer the disadvantage of running on empty. Almost everyone knows the anxiety created by driving a car on empty — will I make it to the next gas station or will I be walking a red can of fuel back to my car alongside the road? Our bodies are not too different from a car, in that both need fuel. Skipping breakfast is far more detrimental than you may think.
When choosing breakfast foods it is important to look for foods high in fiber, rich in protein and full of complex carbohydrates. These foods will last the longest in your system by providing sustained energy until your next meal. Some good breakfast choices include: eggs, oatmeal, fresh fruit (especially bananas), whole grain toast and skim milk.
Another key tip to keep in mind when eating for energy is to frequently eat small meals and not overeat at any one meal. By constantly providing the body calories throughout the day, you prevent a pattern of uncontrolled energy highs and lows. A large meal (aka overeating) will sit heavy in your stomach and draw blood into your stomach. The rush of blood to the stomach demands more energy help in digestion and depletes other areas of the body from oxygen and nutrients, thus zapping much more useful energy than necessary. The mistake of overeating has a high possibility of leading you into overeating again because you might skip the next meal in an attempt to compensate for previously overeating. In short, don’t fall into the trap of a few large meals, but instead, encourage multiple mini-meals throughout the day.
If the thought of a “mini-meal” seems too time consuming stick to three main meals a day and sprinkle in a few snacks. Stay away from refined snacks, such as pretzels and crackers, which although low in fat, are broken down almost immediately and do not offer sustained energy. The breakdown of these snacks is similar to the rapid blood sugar increase seen after consuming candy and other high-sugar snacks.
Examples of better alternative snacks, which are still quick and almost effortless to prepare, would be dried fruits, low-fat yogurts and small handfuls of nuts — almonds are the most nutrient-dense (a ratio to describe the amount of nutrients provided compared to the amount of calories present in the food) nut, but a variety of nuts are just behind it in nutrient density, so choose the nut you are most likely to purchase and enjoy eating.
The last key element to keep energy levels up is to stay hydrated. Sometimes, we mistakenly take our bodies’ cues for needing water as a cue to eat — this can cause more issues with overeating and excess energy being diverted to digestion in the stomach. Remember to keep hydrated with a reusable water bottle throughout the day — especially as the sunny weather of spring and summer arrive.
You have gotten your sleeping habits as close to regular as classes will allow, you are living an active college life and now with one final touch involving your diet, you can adjust your energy level to its peak and keep it sustained throughout the day. With all this in order, and a new you that is ready to conquer anything and everything, you are ready to head into that final interview, show off your Poly professionalism and get those companies excited about hiring you.