Beat afternoon fatigue

I just received this e-mail from a site I belong to called, "National Health & Wellness Club".

It never fails ... afternoon hits, and like clockwork, your eyelids droop. Suddenly, your work takes second place to—you guessed it: A brief yet refreshing nappypoo.

Your favorite fix: Diet Coke, of course. Your employer has yet to approve naptime (oh, the slave drivers!). But Dr. David Tanton, founder and research director of the Soaring Heights Longevity Research Center, says diet soda is not such a good idea.

The reason: Many diet sodas contain aspartame (NutraSweet™ or Equal™), which can actually contribute to insomnia, depression and fatigue, according to Tanton. How? "They can block the formation of melatonin and serotonin," he explains—important sleep-inducing and mood-boosting chemicals.

Instead, he recommends a steaming cup of green tea. It has a tiny bit of caffeine in it—and the amino acid L-theanine (think alert and relaxed). "L-theanine stimulates the calming amino acid GABA in the brain, and produces the more mentally productive alpha waves, which help you stay focused," he explains. "L-theanine is especially beneficial for type-A individuals, or anyone working at a stressful job."

(That's me at 2:00, drinking my Diet Coke!)