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Five Essential Foods To Fight Fatigue And Boost Your Work Day Natural whole foods are great to fuel your body every day, while keeping you feeling light and energized- without the crash.

By May Rostom

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You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

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Are you someone who runs on coffee to be able to pull a 10-hour work day? Do you wake up every morning exhausted, groggy, and grumpy? Do the sweet cravings and mindless munching kick in right after you've had lunch? Well, if any of these ring a bell, you, my friend, need to reconsider your morning routine and bedtime habits. Eating processed foods and refined sugars for an energy boost could possibly be the worst thing you could do for your body. Natural whole foods are great to fuel your body every day, while keeping you feeling light and energized- without the crash. Here's a cheat sheet of things to ingest to beat fatigue.

1. FIVE A DAY Fresh fruits and vegetables are nutrient-loaded superfoods that can help reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke, fatigue, and some types of cancer. Being low in fat and calories and high in fibers, fruits and veggies are a great way to maintain a healthy gut, fulfill your 4pm sugar cravings, and effectively managing your weight.

2. NUTS AND SEEDS Unsalted nuts, especially almonds, are some of the best foods to snack on during the day. Whether you sprinkle some pumpkin seeds on your lunch salad, or eat them raw right out of the bag, nuts are rich in Vitamin B, which helps your body convert food into energy, and are rich in magnesium which helps fight muscle fatigue.

3. WATER (OR WATERMELON!) Being dehydrated puts your body into unnecessary stress. By getting your eight cups of water a day ,or ingesting a bowl of watermelon (which is 90% water), your body will function better, and your metabolic process will be in an optimum condition.

4. OATS this fiber-dense food is great, not only for breakfast, but also for mid-day snacking for people who are always hungry, tired, and exhausted. Oatmeal has a low glycemic load hence stabilizing blood sugar levels, throughout the day.

5. LEAN PROTEINS Red meats and high-fat proteins require extra work to be digested. By sticking to leaner proteins, like chicken, turkey, and fish, and reducing your intake of high-fat meats and foods, you will quickly notice a major improvement in your hunger pangs and higher energy levels.

Related: Five Quick (And Healthy) Breakfasts For Entrepreneurs On The Go

May Rostom

Curator, Entrepreneur Café

May Rostom is the social media manager for Style.com/Arabia. May has been in the fashion journalism field for more than five years, with over 500 articles published in online and offline mediums. Working closely with some of the biggest fashion brands in the region, from creating, curating, and developing content to aggregating and pitching for content from several fashion and beauty outlets in the Middle East, Rostom’s experience is multicultural and vast. She was formerly a senior lifestyle editor/writer at MSN Arabia, and she has also worked with TRESemme Egypt as a fashion expert.

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