At some point everyone finds that they need to stay awake. On a regular basis you might be fighting drowsiness between lunch and dinner. Occasionally, you may have to pull an all-nighter. You need to stay awake. Lack of energy plus food energy must be good, right?

This is not necessarily true. Food has the ability to bring a rush of energy followed by a crash especially when eaten in large portions or in carbohydrate-rich combinations. If you need to stay awake, whether it’s during the last half of the day or for that all-nighter, the best bet is to stick to small amounts of lean protein and healthy carbs eaten about every 3 hours. Eat regularly so your body will be constantly digesting and delivering a steady, even stream of sugar into the blood system. This will ensure a steady stream of energy.

Drink lots of cold water. You’ll get two things from drinking cold water, first the need to take more breaks -- for obvious reasons -- which will prevent eye strain if you’re staring at a computer or book. Secondly, the cold will help you stay awake.

Caffeine is not a good choice in the long run. While it will give you a short burst and if that’s all you need, you may consider it. Large amounts of caffeine consumption comes with a crash later and can make you feel worse the next day if you’re pulling an all-nighter or even more tired and drained once dinner rolls along. Sugar is even a worse choice because the subsequent crash happens even sooner than with caffeine. So while both work for an hour or two, consider the long term ramifications.

If you’re still not sure what to snack on when you're fighting to stay awake, try whole wheat crackers with low-fat cheese, an apple with peanut butter, half a turkey sandwich, a small handful of nuts with a serving of grapes, yogurt, and cottage cheese with fruit or vegetables.

Eating the right foods to stay awake is important, but you should be moving around as well. Take frequent breaks since eye strain can cause drowsiness. Create a strategy to stay awake that includes healthy foods to give you the energy you need over a longer period of time while keeping your mind sharp enough to get the job done.