Our minds and mouths crave the one-two salt-sugar punch: Ever notice how you crave something sweet soon after indulging in something salty? Not only is sodium dehydrating, which can leave you feeling sluggish, but the spike in blood sugar that follows a cookie or ice cream sandwich is always followed by a crash.

Mom energy advice: Skip the soy sauce with your Salmon Skin Handroll and you won't find yourself driving to the fro-yo store afterward. Experiment with salternatives, says Koff, seasoning your meals with basil, oregano, and rosemary. "Herbs have anti-inflammatory properties, so they act like little energy optimizers in your body," Koff notes. Some other potent salt stand-in kitchen staples: Mustard, fresh lemons, balsamic and red wine vinegar, chilies, pepper, and garlic. Beware of canned and packaged foods, which are often loaded with sodium.

Find yourself heading to the grocery store but leaving your wallet at home? Constantly spacing on the names of your neighbors? Hello, Mommy Brain! The theory: Pregnant and nursing bodies preferentially shuttle brain-boosting fatty acids to the baby versus the mother. The result: You space on your kid's name in the pediatrician's office, making you feel like World's Worst Mother.

Mom energy advice: Replenish your DHA stores with wild salmon, organic edamame, and walnuts. Resist the urge to pop supplements; the DHA in whole foods is better absorbed and has other nutrients tagging along, like hunger-satisfying protein and cancer-fighting antioxidants.

"Many moms make the mistake of skipping meals or snacks altogether," says Chicago-based certified health counselor Beth Aldrich, author of "Real Moms Love to Eat: How to Conduct a Love Affair with Food, Lose Weight and Feel Fabulous." But when you forget to eat, your body enters Starvation Mode, holding on to calories and storing them as fat for future energy.

Mom energy advice: Keep your metabolism ramped up all day long by eating something every three to four hours. Aldrich tells her mom clients to reach for snacks like apple slices slathered with a single-serving pouch of almond butter; chopped celery and carrots dipped in hummus; or high-fiber crackers topped with low-fat cheddar cheese slices. She also recommends no-cook oatmeal: Soak steel cut oats in a glass jar of water overnight (just enough water to cover the oats by 1/4 inch). "When you wake up, the oats are 'cooked,'" she says. "Just add cinnamon, Stevia, and nuts or raisins and you have an on-the-go complex carbohydrate snack. Your body will store the energy as glycogen and call upon it when needed throughout the day for a pick-me-up."

Are you dragging your face on the floor at 3 p.m. but buzzing with energy come bedtime? Is your stomach forever on the fritz? Recurrent energy swings or bowel issues could be red flags for health conditions that might be undermining your efforts to build your energy, according to Koff.

Mom energy advice: See your internist once or twice a year for a check-up, including lab work, to assess your vitamins B, D, and iron levels. Once you've gotten to the bottom of any medical conditions that could be affecting your energy, discuss the best course of treatment with your health care provider.

Chronic dieters are no fun to be around: They're always cranky because their hunger is up and their energy levels are down. That's because traditional dieting revolves around restrictions and deprivations: Rather than a constant flow of energy, you experience highs and lows. Then, when you can't resist the cupcake's siren song any longer, you binge -- which sends your body into an energy tailspin.

Mom energy advice: Be a better mom to yourself. "You'd never let your kids out of house with just coffee in the morning, or serve them low-quality food," Koff says. "Why not hold the same standards for yourself?" Rather than diet, focus on better quality nutrition. Shoot for a balanced combo of carbs, protein, and fat at every meal and snack -- it's your best shot at sustained energy. And remember, all calories are not created equal: A 100-calorie pack of sandwich creme cookies won't fuel you nearly as well as 150 calories' worth of low-fat Greek yogurt.