Seven Steps To Higher Energy

ONE of the questions that clients very often ask nutritionists is how they can stop feeling tired all the time (TATT), or to put it another way how to eat for better energy levels. And with the increased demands of summer upon us, here are five simple steps that you can follow so that you’re bursting with vitality, health and good looks in this and every season.

1. Balance blood sugar levels. Everything we eat and drink is converted into glucose (sugar) in the body that travels to all of our cells, nourishing us and providing the energy we need to function. The glucose in some foods hits the bloodstream very fast, providing a quick ‘high’ which is then followed by a slump, leaving us tired and moody and probably looking for another quick fix.

What we need to be eating are foods that release their energy slowly and evenly, keeping us feeling satisfied and our own energy levels on an even keel throughout the day. These are known as low GI (low on the Glycaemic Index) foods, and include wholegrain and brown carbohydrates, vegetables, and pulses like beans, chickpeas and lentils.

Eating proteins together with these carbohydrates also helps to slow the rate of their absorption, so team good proteins including lean meat, fish, eggs and dairy produce with your potatoes, wholemeal bread, rice or pasta. Pulses are an excellent choice because they already contain a combination of protein and carbs.

Fats also help to slow down glucose absorption, but make sure they’re healthy ones: olive oil, avocadoes, nuts and seeds all contain a multitude of nutrients, as does oily fish. Oily fish and seeds are the richest sources of omega 3 oils, called essential because the body can’t make them itself and they are vital for many aspects of good health – including energy production.

Eating little and often is the final key to stabilising blood sugar levels. Three small meals and a couple of snacks, each combining carbohydrate, protein and a smidgen of healthy fats are ideal. So you could try something like porridge with ground flaxseed, berries and yoghurt for breakfast, bean salad or an egg salad sandwich for lunch, and oily fish with vegetables and brown rice for dinner, snacking on low sugar fruit and a handful of nuts in between. And breakfast really is the most important meal of the day – studies show that eating it helps prevent unhealthy snacking and keeps you more physically and mentally alert for the rest of the day.

2. Supply the right foods to support energy production. In order for the body to turn food into energy, it needs to have enough of certain nutrients. Most important are the B vitamins (wholegrains, animal produce, pulses and seeds), vitamin C (fruit and vegetables), magnesium (leafy greens, nuts, dairy produce), zinc (nuts and seeds, chicken, fish and seafood), and iron (red meat and pulses).

B and C vitamins are also vital for helping you to deal with stress, which can sap the body of the nutrients it needs for energy production, and iron also plays an important role in getting oxygen to cells and preventing anaemia, a major cause of tiredness in women and children especially.

3. Balance pH levels. For our bodies to function at their best they need to maintain a good balance between the acid and the alkaline. The Western diet tends to be very acidic (animal produce, processed foods, sugars), and this can lead to a toxic system that means vital nutrients are leached away or not absorbed properly in the first place. As we’ve seen meat, fish and dairy certainly have their place but try to weight your diet more in favour on alkaline foods, which basically means those of plant origin.

4. Avoid the energy busters. Anything that upsets blood sugar levels – sugars, white flour products, caffeine, tobacco, alcohol and drugs – and any kind of junk food will do nothing but sap you of energy. You might turn to a cup of coffee and a slice of cake for a much-needed boost, but quite soon you’ll pay the price. And all of these will contribute to dehydration, a common cause of tiredness; go for water, herbal or green teas and vegetable juices instead.

5. Look at your Lifestyle. Whether you’re working a busy job, running around after your kids or even stressed out by a lack of employment, modern day lifestyles can be very draining. Regular exercise is the best tool for reducing stress, improving mood and fitness, and far from being tiring it actually helps re-energise the system. Get the most from it by getting out in the fresh air.

6.Exercise – whatever you enjoy – also helps with the equally important ability to relax, and to get a good night’s sleep. The power of good quality slumber can’t be overemphasised, and if you feel exhausted during the day a power nap is a much better option than a cup of coffee. And don’t forget to breathe! Oxygen is the key here, so try deep, slow breathing, from the diaphragm, for five minutes every day. Embrace change, experiment with new kinds of foods and exercises this summer – none of these recommendations is difficult or costly, but they could just change your life.

7. Hydrate with alkaline ionized water.We know that a 1% loss of total body weight in water will result in a 10% loss in physical ability. When you consider at a temperature of 82 fa, water loss is 3 liters an hour, or more than 4% of total body weight, that means we can expect a 40% loss in physical ability. If you are working in that temperature, it increases. I don’t know about you, but there are a lot of places I’ve lived that get to 100. In such warm environments, you need even more water to stay hydrated. For your physical and mental well being, it certainly pays to consider both the quality and quantity of the water you drink.