Imagine this.

It is only 9:00 in the morning but you are already working hard on your office presentation that is due after the  afternoon break. Your strategy to work really early gives you plenty of time to load the PowerPoint with informative materials as well as rectify a few mistakes or misspellings that you might have missed. 

“The promotion is mine since my diligence and this presentation will surely blow their minds away.” You reassured yourself. 

At 10:00 AM, all of your colleagues are taking a quick break. Some took to the smoking area for a quick cigar fix while others opted for a snack and black coffee. As much as you would like to do at least one, your neuroticism stops you from moving out of your chair. The thought about failing your presentation scares you-- which is why you proceeded with the task at hand instead. Without much thought, you noticed that your coworkers are already leaving for lunch. You did not even notice that others were calling out for you. That did not matter though because finally, your presentation is ready.

You now went on your merry way with some coworkers over to this new Italian place down the building where you work at. They say that the food is good while the big proportions are really great. A plate of carbonara and some pizza definitely whets your appetite so you order those two. You keep telling yourself that you deserve it after a job well done. 

The reviews were right and the hype is real! So naturally, your team kept on chowing down all of the good food and after a few desserts, it is time to head back to the office for your presentation. While walking back to the office, you felt so pumped up for your presentation! That promotion is in the bag.

As you were preparing the projector and your materials, your boss’s assistant gave you and your colleagues a heads up that the meeting has been moved to 2:00 PM. She has a few urgent things to attend to which is why rescheduling is a must. It is alright with you though because the pizza plus pasta and dessert combo gave you a lot of energy for the presentation. After a few minutes though, a wave of drowsiness comes crashing down to you. What is happening?! You went to the office pantry to get some of your caffeine fix but now, you are drowsy and your heart is palpitating. You still do not know what is up with you so you went to the internet. Turns out, you are currently sugar crashing. But your meeting is in an hour and  you most certainly cannot sleep while at work. What do you do now?

A sugar crash is a common occurrence after eating copious amounts  carbohydrate and sugar-loaded snacks or meals. It can easily be prevented by opting for foods with less sugar or more fibers. But if you are already in a crash and want to mitigate its aftershocks, these are a few things you must do to safely get out of the sugar crash.

• Make healthier choices - This seems like such an easy thing to do especially when you are at home. But once you are out of the door, it will be harder to say no to your mom’s apple pie or the candies your coworker loves to offer you. Those treats are actually fine to eat if that is what you want to hear. However, it is important to know when to stop yourself from binging on sugar. This is especially hard if you already are addicted to sugar so you better find healthier alternatives and choices to replace the sugar. 

• Tea time - While drinking some tea is known to help you relax, it is also a well-known diuretic. If a food or drink is a diuretic, your trips to the bathroom would be a little more frequent. This may sound unpleasant but this is a way to force your body to pump more blood through your kidneys which will somehow lessen the effects of a sugar crash

• Get moving - As tempting it is to nap after a sugar crash, avoid doing it at all costs. It does not matter if you are just moving around or lifting weights and doing cardio at the gym-- what is important is that you help your muscles use or  burn the sugar rather than store it. Studies also suggest that a 15-minute walk helps lower your blood sugar levels. So, what are you waiting for? Get up and get moving to lessen the blow of a sugar crash!

• Fibers and protein - Going down after the high of a sugar crash would make you want to avoid calories. But did you know that eating nutrient-rich foods would actually help you avoid the dreaded effects of quickly absorbing sugar into your bloodstream? That is right! Eating healthier foods will do more for your body than avoiding all food groups altogether.

• Breakfast fit for a sugar crash survivor - Your first meal of the day can make or break your healthy lifestyle. Which is why it is important to have a healthy and hearty breakfast to prevent you from consuming more calories than how many is needed for that day. For a balanced breakfast, it should be high in protein, has moderate amounts of fat, and low to little carbs.  This breakfast is great for keeping you full for a longer time while the less amount of carbs help your body use up your stored sugar energy.

It is now 2:00 PM. Your boss calls everyone for your office presentation. You are still feeling the effects of a sugar rush but the tips above did help you. So now, it is showtime.

As you were closing the presentation, you know that your boss is proud of you. She can see that you deserve the promotion as well. And after a few days, your promotion is completed. You contemplated having a giant slice of chocolate cake as celebration but at the final moment, decided that a piece of dark chocolate is more fulfilling.