The foods you should choose to eat as a part of your high energy diet or diet program are specific foods that your body can turn into useful energy most efficiently. Early in the study of nutritional science, it was thought that sugar— effectively found to be a pure body fuel— would be the best energy diet food. However, we now know that a high sugar diet lacks the micronutrients needed to turn the sugar efficiently into energy. We also know that too much sugar in our diet can severely disrupt blood sugar levels in our bodies.

Today, everyone seems to be looking for foods that allow the human body to function far more efficiently, maintain a stable blood sugar control, and provide an ideal supply of the many nutrients involved in maintaining a consistent energy level. Not surprisingly, this line of inquiry has led us right back to the very foods we are meant to eat— unrefined, organic, nutrient-rich whole foods, with an emphasis on plenty of vegetables and fruit.

The key points to a productive energy diet are:

Avoid all refined sugars, including honey.

Avoid refined carbohydrates including white bread, biscuits, cakes, white rice, and other processed foods.

Avoid coffee, tea, and cigarettes. Limit your alcohol intake.

Eat more vegetables, raw or lightly cooked— try to eat at least four servings per day.

Have three pieces of fresh fruit a day.

Eat more lentils, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.

Eat more fresh fish

Try eating fish and free-range chicken instead of red meats. Other tips include drinking plenty of water (at least 64 ounces per day), herb teas or diluted, unsweetened fruit juices. By eating these types of healthy foods as a part of your high energy diet, you will be able to maintain sufficient blood sugar levels for consistent energy, and avoid the peaks and troughs in blood sugar levels caused by consuming too much sugar. In other words, the sugar high then sugar crash you experience when you do not eat a healthy diet. This kind of up and down energy can stimulate the release of stress-related hormones.

With any energy diet or program, when you eat is equally as important as what you eat. The most essential meal of the day is breakfast. Many people skip breakfast or have a cup of coffee and a piece of toast. What you eat for breakfast determines how you will feel for the rest of the morning, and the rest of the day for that matter. It is, however, also a mistake to eat so soon after waking that your digestive system is not yet fully functioning. If you start your day with at least fifteen minutes of light exercise, your appetite will soon swing into action and your energy levels will likely be at "peak" performance.

There is a growing belief among some nutritionists that a raw food diet comprised of uncooked foods is the healthiest diet, because it most quickly allows for a high energy diet solution. Some even believe raw foods have curative and health-promoting properties not provided by a diet containing cooked foods. Typical cuisine includes using a lot of ginger, onions, garlic, mustard, mushrooms, and other herbs and spices to provide flavor to the raw foods. Much like anything else however, be certain to consult with your physician or a qualified health care professional before attempting high energy diets of any sort.