The first step to boosting your energy is a healthy, nutrient rich diet. Your body needs nutritious food as fuel to work efficiently. So that means filling up on
lots of protein and whole grains, which take longer for your body to break down
ensuring you have a consistent dose of energy throughout the day. Eating protein
(meat, fish, tofu, lentils, chickpeas, beans, nuts and seeds) is also a great way to
stabilise blood sugar levels. Pair this with leafy greens and cut back on starchy
carbs (white potatoes, white pasta, white rice and white bread) for a new improved energised you.
TRICK 1: Don’t fruit bomb your snack time
When we’re trying to be healthy, it’s easy to think that knocking back tons of fruit will do us the world of good. But while you need some naturally occurring sugar in your diet (as opposed to the dreaded ‘added sugar’ which is in EVERYTHING), fruit bombing yourself at snack time could actually make you more tired. This is because the older we get, the harder it is for our bodies to break down the fructose in fruit, which, unmetabolised, stays in your system and slows it down, making you feel lethargic. To avoid this, pick one piece or serving of high water content fruit like watermelon or blueberries. While on the ‘S’ subject, filling up on sugary treats when you’re tired isn’t doing you any favours. It’s just going to make your blood sugar shoot sky high followed by an inevitable crash which will leave you feeling worse than ever. Avoid it as much as possible and your body (and sanity) will thank you!
TRICK 2: Go vitamin crazy
Some vitamins and minerals are particularly useful when you want to boost your energy levels because they help you get a handle on your stress levels. And as anyone feeling stressed out will know, emotional exhaustion can be just as crippling as physical tiredness. As well as making you feel low, anxiety and depression will drain your energy and affect your sleep patterns making you feel more tired when you’re awake. Counteract the fatigue by stocking up on the following:
VITAMIN C Cherries, red peppers, kale, parsley, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, watercress, cauliflower, cabbage, strawberries, spinach, oranges, lemons, mangoes, asparagus.
B VITAMINS Wholegrains, cereals, brewer’s yeast, almonds, miso, liver, milk, fish, sprouts, green leafy veg.
MAGNESIUM Brown rice, beans, nuts, seeds, avocado, celery, apple, pineapple.
VITAMIN E Nuts (especially almonds and peanuts), seeds, olive oil, green leafy vegetables, wholegrains (like brown rice and wholemeal bread).
TRICK 3: Drink up
Dehydration is one of the biggest causes of tiredness. When you think about it, your body is about 60% water so you need to keep topped up to make sure it’s working efficiently. Aim for 2 litres a day of filtered water (that way you’re not filling your body with chlorine and fluoride in tap water which can play havoc with your body, especially if you have a thyroid problem). Hate the taste of water? Other fluids count, like fruit and vegetables juices and foods which have a high water content are also good: oranges, cucumber, celery, lettuce, spinach, tomato, melon, broccoli, cauliflower and berries are good choices.
TRICK 4: Get moving
Yes, I know, having a workout is often the last thing on the to-do list when you’re run down and low on energy. But sticking to a regular exercise routine is one of the easiest ways to beat fatigue and feel full of beans. When your body becomes more active, internal mechanisms like metabolism and blood flow increase. It’s like you’re waking your body up from the inside! Getting your heart rate up also helps produce those lovely endorphins, the happy hormones that trigger a positive feeling in the body.
TRICK 5: Have a digital detox
When we’re feeling tired and drained, it’s harder to take proper care of ourselves. We tend to isolate ourselves from the things and people that make us feel good, we stay in more and become more insular spending hours glued to the TV, our phones and tablets. But digitally disconnecting from the real world can actually make us feel worse and even more tired! So while you might not feel like leaving the comfort of your sofa and going out, it’s one of the easiest ways to boost your mood and feel energised. Ask yourself: Am I looking after my emotional health? Am I eating more junk food, drinking alcohol and not exercising? Am I spending excessive time online instead of seeing people? This lethargic sort of behaviour is easy to reverse and feel better. You just need to switch off the telly and put down the wine glass, phone and/or tablet. Only surround yourself with positive people. When you feel in control of whom you invite into your world, you feel less out of control with your body, mind and emotional health.
TRICK 6: Prioritise sleep
It’s obvious, right? If you haven’t slept well, you’re going to be tired. And when your sleeping patterns are out of whack, it puts stress on the adrenals, which can lead to brain fog and more serious health problems. Sleep is when the body restores itself and produces melatonin, which sets the circadian rhythm (your internal body clock) so aim for seven to eight hours a night if you can. If you’re struggling to fall or stay asleep, filling up on foods with melatonin can help. Add bananas, pineapples, rice and oats to your diet. Introduce a bedtime routine to calm the mind ready for sleep – that means switching off all electronic devices ideally an hour before bed, practice some meditation, write down any worries so they won’t keep you awake or read a few pages of a good book. You’ll soon find your eyelids getting heavy and you’ll drift off into the Land of Nod.
TRICK 7: Consult an expert
If you feel like you’re doing everything right and you are still exhausted, it’s time to talk to me. I invite you for a free 20-minute Health & Energy Review. I will share with you my top 3 tips for boosting your energy in the next 10 days.
Click on the link below to reserve your time slot. https://queenofhealth.as.me/
http://www.facebook.com/thequeenofhealth/
@QueenOfHealthIE