Green Apple Guest Post: 5 Superfoods for Great Energy

• Eating healthy doesn't have to taste bad, and it definitely doesn't have to be a special task to cook yourself a healthy meal. Choosing foods that are good for you and provide all-day energy will limit unnecessary snacking, and will improve your disposition and limit fatigue. By choosing to eat high-energy foods on a daily basis, you can spend your days thinking about what is to come, instead of worrying about whether or not you'll make it through. Start your day with some of these super foods, and you'll have enough energy to get your through even the toughest day, guaranteed.

 5 Foods for All Day Energy

1. Melons   Nothing sucks up your energy quite like dehydration, and melons like watermelons, honeydew, and cantaloupes consist of almost 90% water. This means that they give your body the vitamins and nutrients that you need, as well as giving you a little burst of sugar energy, and helping to keep you hydrated for longer.
2. Low-Fat Milk and Whole Grain Cereal   This combo is timeless, quick, and incredibly healthy. After a work out or a long night's sleep, considering revitalizing your body with these slowly digest complex carbs -- to keep you full longer -- and the protein and fiber will give your body something to run on after 8 hours of quality rest. Perfect for a quick snack, something to eat at your desk at work, or something to grab before you bring the kids to school, this breakfast is impossible to resist when it comes to energy-boosting. Consider an iron-fortified cereal to add even more oomph to your meal.
3. Polenta Polenta is another complex carb made of cornmeal -- much like the whole grain cereal, boiling up some polenta and serving it with marinara sauce or some dried fruits will keep your blood sugar nice and level all day, meaning that you won't experience those ups and downs with the intensity that you might have grown accustomed to. Consider polenta for lunch to avoid that 2 p.m. lull, and get more done without dragging your feet.
4. Green Tea Here's the perfect energy drink, because you skip the jitters and the crash that comes with caffeine heavy coffee or other canned energy drinks. Green tea is full of L-theanine, an amino acid made by the brain that causes you to feel invigorated, cleansed, and awake, without all the side effects that many people experience from caffeine.
5. Walnuts You might wonder why one of the only foods that contains a natural supply of melatonin would be on a list of energizing foods -- the truth is that nothing is more energizing than a good nights sleep, and bedtime snack of a melatonin-rich food like walnuts will help you to get to sleep earlier, and stay asleep longer. Snack on these with some dried cherries, another snack food rich in melatonin, and drift off for a peaceful nights sleep.

This article was written & researched by writer Jennifer Gretson