Try These Three Carbs for Long-Lasting Energy

Fibrous – or slow-burning – carbs are energy foods.

I don’t use the terms simple carbs and complex carbs anymore. The old idea that simple carbs raise blood sugar quickly while complex carbs do not is woefully out of date. Many simple carbs are high in fiber and raise blood sugar slowly (berries) while many complex carbs are treated by the body as one big bolus of sugar (pasta, rice, and most breads).

It’s far better to use the distinction slow-burning carbs and fast-burning carbs. For sustained energy, you want the slow burners, which are almost all vegetables and most low-sugar, high-fiber fruits.

Here are three of my favorite fibrous carbs for energy.

Kiwi-the Energy Promoter and Potassium Heavyweight

What fruit has the highest amount of vitamin C ounce for ounce? The orange? Not even close. The answer is kiwifruit, which contains twice as much vitamin C as an orange. It also outranks bananas on the potassium scale, and it’s a good source of fiber and a decent source of magnesium. And kiwifruit made the Environmental Working Group’s list of twelve foods least contaminated with pesticides. So you have your energy-promoting nutrients without a side of chemicals.

Eat Apples for All-Round Alertness

Apples are one of nature’s great natural energy enhancers, and one of the best all-around fruits on the planet. In addition to their many health benefits (apple eaters have reduced risk of lung cancer, asthma, and diabetes), apples are a great source of an unsung hero of the mineral world-boron. My friend John Hernandez, M.D., director of the Center for Health and Integration in San Antonio, Texas, tells of a study in which drowsy college sophomores were given supplements of 3 mg of boron- all of a sudden, no more failing asleep in class.

Pumpkins – the Secret Superfood

Most people are surprised to find that you can actually eat pumpkin when it’s not autumn. But pumpkin is actually one of the best-kept secrets on the planet when it comes to superfoods for energy. First of all, it’s loaded with potassium, which makes both your heart and your mucles work better, not to mention that it lowers blood pressure and reduces risk ofstroke.

Second, it’s loaded with vitamin A, which helps your immune system fight off energy-draining viruses and other microbes. Third, it has fiber: 2 ½ grams of it in one cup. Fourth, it’s a low-glycemic food, which means it raises your blood sugar slowly, giving you sustained energy for very few calories.

Bonus: It’s one of the only canned vegetables that’s actually good for your! Heat it up and season with butter, sea salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg and watch your energy skyrocket.