Sela Monroe used to crash hard in the afternoons. “By 3 PM, I was reaching for caffeine or carbs,” she says. As a full-time yoga instructor, she needed sustainable energy—but even with a plant-based diet, something wasn’t clicking.
“I realized I was grazing too much, eating light meals without enough staying power,” she explains. So she started tracking how her meals affected her energy levels—not calories, but performance.
“I asked: did this lunch keep me full? Did I feel sharp after breakfast? Was I dragging before dinner?”
Patterns emerged quickly. Her low-energy days often followed meals that were too low in protein or high in sugar. So she shifted. Breakfast became a smoothie with hemp seeds and spinach. Lunch was lentils with roasted vegetables. Dinners included quinoa, tahini, and sautéed greens. Snacks were things like edamame or apples with almond butter.
“I wasn’t eating more, just smarter,” Sela says. By focusing on nutrient-dense, fiber-rich, and protein-balanced foods, her energy stabilized across the day. No more rollercoaster blood sugar. No more naps in the car between classes.
Now, she preps her staples in bulk each Sunday and builds meals around them during the week. “I don’t feel sluggish anymore,” she says. “I feel steady.”
And that’s the key, Sela believes: not just feeding the body, but fueling the lifestyle you want to live.
