Breakfast

At least eight hours have passed since your last meal, so forcing your body to shift into full gear without more fuel is like expecting Corey Worthington to lead a Neighbourhood Watch meeting. It's not happening. Though you may feel fine in the morning sans multigrain toast, those who skip breakfast struggle with fatigue later in the day. A healthy breakfast should couple protein with good carbs to balance your blood sugar and stabilise your energy levels.

1 cup cooked porridge, prepared in 2/3 cup skim milk, topped with 2 tbsp toasted wheatgerm and 1 tbsp each dried apricots and brown sugar
1 banana, sliced and sprinkled with cinnamon
1 glass freshly squeezed orange juice

Energy Zapper
High-sugar breakfasts yield an initial energy boost, but they often backfire. Sure, you're more alert after a glazed Krispy Kreme, but that blood sugar spike is likely to come crashing down just as quickly. Who's grumpy, tired, and craving even more sugar now? That's right - and it's not even noon.

Midmorning snack

Avoiding fatigue is all about eating small meals and snacks every 3 to 4 hours. Compounds in coffee and tea called tannins block the absorption of iron, a mineral that's essential for carrying oxygen to your brain and muscles. So drink caffeine between--not with--meals.

1 skim flat white made with 1 cup skim milk and espresso shot
1 wholegrain cereal bar

Energy Zapper
The same logic for avoiding Pop-Tarts at breakfast applies here. Researchers at Kansas State University gave 120 women 355ml of water, a drink sweetened with sugar, or one with aspartame. Thirty minutes later, those who'd gulped the sugary mix were the drowsiest.

Energy Burst
A University of Michigan study found that massaging five pressure points for 3 minutes each kept students alert during a statistics class. Try this: Massage the web of each hand (between the thumb and forefinger).

Lunch

A light, low-fat meal improves midday alertness. This lunch is rich in iron, the number one nutrient women don't get enough of. Even a mild iron deficiency can translate into muddied thinking, disrupted sleep, and an urge to nap under your desk around 3 p.m.

Tossed salad
2 cups chopped lettuce
2 tbsp chopped red onion
3 tbsp corn kernels
2 tbsp low-kilojoule dressing

Energy Zapper
Too many kilojoules will leave you lethargic; too few and you're flagging without the fuel and nutrients you need. Aim for 2100 kilojoules at lunch and 840 kilojoules for snacks. Mix carbs and protein with healthy fats like those in olive oil and nuts.

Midafternoon snack

Nuts and fibre-rich foods like carrots are filling, so you'll feel satisfied and less tempted to raid the vending machine. While an all-carb snack might still leave you tired, the combo of protein (peanut butter) and carbs (crackers and carrots) is energising fuel.

10 baby carrots dunked in 2 tbsp peanut butter
3 wholegrain crackers

Energy Zapper
Resist the impulse to make a Starbucks run now. Caffeine can linger in your system for hours, so a midafternoon cappuccino could leave you tossing tonight - undermining energy levels tomorrow.

Dinner

A light, nutritious dinner makes it easier to sleep more deeply and wake up ready to go. That's probably because heavy meals appear to disrupt REM sleep (the most restful kind) and take longer to digest, so the body stays slightly revved as it tries to deal with that fettuccine Alfredo. The healthy omega-3 fats in salmon, however, help maintain an upbeat mood and clear thinking.

115g salmon, grilled and seasoned with lemon juice and fresh dill
15 asparagus spears, lightly steamed and sprinkled with chilli flakes
1 cup zucchini, lightly steamed
2/3 cup couscous, prepared according to package

Energy Zapper
Who doesn't like to end the day with a cocktail? But belly up to the bar with caution: Alcohol interferes with REM sleep. Aim for no more than a glass a day.

Bedtime snack
About an hour before you dive under the covers, try a carb snack. This will raise your brain's serotonin levels, helping you sleep.

2/3 cup sorbet topped with 1/2 cup blueberries
2 vanilla wafers