Wednesday 20 August 2014

8 Ways To Increase Energy

 


A lack of energy is the most common complaint I hear amongst new clients. It is also the first improvement they

1. Drink more water

Dehydration is one of the most common signs of feeling flat, run down & tired. When you don’t have enough water your brain your blood thickens which means the heart has to work so much harder to pump blood around to your vital organs. Increasing your water will not only increase energy but it will also increase cognitive function too.

Tip: try to have a glass of water as soon as you wake up (instead of coffee) and chase every tea & coffee with the same about of water


2. Ensure you have a good night’s sleep

This is the most obvious way to boost your energy – but it is easier said than done. There can be a lot of factors that prevent your from having a good night’s sleep including

  • Electronics (TV, phone, laptop etc.)
  • Stress
  • Poor sleep environment (bed/pillow not comfortable, distractions around the room, too much light etc.)
  • Inability to switch off
  • Poor routine
  • Poor routine
  • Poor diet 
  • (and so on)
Tip: remove all electronics from the room, ensure you room is dark & spend 15minutes winding down at night time each night


3. Eat regularly 

Eating every 3-4 hours of a well-balanced diet will ensure that your blood sugar levels have less dramatic spikes & drops meaning you will feel less like you are on a roller coaster, forever trying to pick up your energy back up. Going for more than 5 hours without food can cause you to overeat as you try to compensate bringing your sugar levels back up (often of the wrong foods), not to mention that ‘food coma’ feeling once you have eaten double what you have intended

Tip: Ensure you have protein at every meal or snack and be prepared


4. Reduce the caffeine

People differ in their sensitivity to caffeine and can have very different types of reactions & it is about understanding how sensitive you are. Caffeine can increase alertness, heart rate & promote weight loss but it can also cause restlessness, difficulty in sleeping, headaches, IBS symptoms, and for a lot of people send them on a rollercoaster of energy levels.

Tip: Swap a coffee/tea/soft drink for a loose leaf herbal tea; replace the morning tea coffee with a mug of warm water with lemon


5. Increase your B vitamins

B vitamins are essential for increasing energy as they required creating a molecule of energy in the body. Most of you B vitamins required for energy are found in mushrooms, asparagus, spinach, broccoli, strawberries and sunflower seeds.

Tip: Have a snack of strawberries & sunflower seeds, as well as swapping lettuce for spinach in your salads


6. Increase your Iron intake

Iron is known to have a dramatic effect on energy levels. Our bodies generally absorb heme iron sources better (red meat) compared to non-heme iron sources (beans, legumes, brown rice, nuts) however you can absolutely have adequate iron levels consuming non-heme iron source.  Ensure you are consuming your high iron foods with high vitamin C foods (broccoli, blueberries etc.)

Tip: Add some extra beans to your salad and nuts to your stir fry

7. Decrease your refined sugars

Reducing the refined sugar in your diet will IMMEDIATELY boost your energy levels simply because consuming refined sugar peaks your insulin levels very quickly and drops them just as fast – causing you to crave more sugar to pick your energy back up and the cycle starts again. Remove them as much as possible from your diet

Tip: Swap the afternoon chocolate bar for some organic yoghurt with blueberries & chia seeds



8. Catch some rays

Low vitamin D levels are becoming more prevalent in our society. Getting 15minutes of sun on exposed skin (no sunscreen) 3 x per week can be very difficult for those you work inside in offices as well as the elderly. Vitamin D can also be found in salmon with bones, fish, fish oil, mushrooms

Tip:  Ensure you have a salmon at least once a week & go outside on your lunch break 3 x per week.


If you need help improving your energy simply email admin@naednutrition.com.au

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