The Balance with Britt Podcast · Holistic Britt Nutrition

The 3PM Energy Crash: What’s Really Going On (and How to Fix It) with Kelly Carter

·56 min·3 clips

Kelly gives a blood sugar threshold: under 80 can affect energy, under 70 feels lightheaded, and under 60 feels worse.

1. The Balance with Britt Podcast episode centers on the "3pm energy crash" and how blood sugar, stress, sleep, and food timing shape it. 2. Brit, a registered holistic nutritionist and host, speaks with Kelly Carter, a registered nutritional practitioner and co-founder of RenewRx, which focuses on metabolic conditions, pregnancy, and tech-enabled care. 3. The episode asks what actually causes the afternoon crash and what realistic changes can help without a total diet overhaul. 4. Kelly says her interest started in high school after watching The Biggest Loser and later studying human nutrition at university. 5. She says the Institute of Holistic Nutrition added the missing clinical and human piece that university did not emphasize. 6. Kelly describes gaining 30 pounds in university and later reaching for six donuts from Tim Hortons on stressful Fridays. 7. She says sugar felt addictive during periods of stress, an unhappy relationship, and a job that was about an hour from home. 8. Kelly says research on blood sugar pushed her to think about prevention, daily habits, and how to avoid being "on my deathbed" because of something controllable. 9. She says her coaching shifted from information delivery to building a roadmap that includes mindset and environment. 10. Kelly says she later expanded into RenewRx and now works with women in pregnancy and high-risk pregnancies with diabetes. 11. Kelly says skipped breakfast, coffee instead of food, and an imbalanced lunch often set up the 3 p.m. slump. 12. She says dehydration is another common factor and calls the crash "a cry for help" from the body. 13. Kelly says blood sugars that fall below 80 affect energy, below 70 can cause lightheadedness, and below 60 feels worse. 14. She recommends fruit as a quick whole-food fix when someone needs immediate glucose support. 15. Kelly says a snack at 2:30 can prevent the crash when lunch was balanced and three hours have passed. 16. She gives practical examples like two eggs with half a cup of cottage cheese, Greek yogurt or skyr with hemp seeds and fruit, and lunches built from leftovers with chicken, vegetables, and enough protein. 17. Brit and Kelly frame the conversation as practical and direct, with repeated examples and quick back-and-forth clarifications. 18. Kelly describes a cycle where stress raises cortisol, insulin responds, blood sugar swings, and cravings for sugar, salt, and carbs follow. 19. People dealing with 3 p.m. fatigue, cravings, or blood-sugar-related energy dips will get the most from this episode. 20. Listeners wanting diet-culture debates without practical food changes may skip it.

As heard by us

A practical reset for the afternoon crash, built around food structure, routine, and steadier energy.

This episode stays with a familiar 3pm crash and the small food choices that can make it less brutal. Brit talks with Kelly Carter, a registered nutritional practitioner and co-founder of RenewRx, and the advice is plainspoken: build a balanced plate, get enough protein,…

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Why you'd press play

If your afternoons keep turning into a snack emergency, start here.

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