Sick & tired of feeling sick & tired? Eat well for energy!

Seed Wellness Nutritional Therapist, Evie Whitehead offers her top tips to help you get your energy levels back on track.

When did you last feel full of the joys of spring? Or have enough energy so that you didn’t reach for the cappucinos? Do you struggle to get going in the morning or notice that you have mid afternoon energy slumps?

As a Nutritional Therapist, fatigue and lack of energy are the most common complaints that I deal with. So, to help restore your vitality, it’s essential to get the basics in place.

I like to describe the three most important factors as a “three-legged stool” approach. Ie, if one leg isn’t in place, the stool will always fall over. So, these are super simple yet truly effective tips that will help you regain your energy.

1. 1. WATER – Monitor / measure your daily consumption. The first sign of dehydration is fatigue. So, drinking 7-8 glasses a day is essential for our energy levels.
   2. SLEEP – Are you getting enough? If you’re not getting 7-8 hours quality shut-eye, you won’t be full of beans the next day. Also science has shown us that poor sleep leads to poor food choices the next day!
   3. DIET – Eat a rainbow!! Choose real, whole foods. Avoid packaged, processed foods and enjoy a rich diverse diet of vegetables, legumes, wholegrains nuts, seeds and fruit.

Looking a Little Deeper

The easiest way to bio-hack your body for more energy is by changing what is at the end of your fork!

Some food can zap your energy and others will give you a boost. For example, breakfast cereals and bread, high in simple carbohydrates will raise your blood sugar levels very quickly and result in an energy crash just an hour or so later.

However, eating food rich in plant fibre called complex carbohydrates slowly release sugar into the bloodstream and can have a much more energy-sustaining effect while being more balancing for mood and hormones.

In addition, the time that you eat a carbohydrate-heavy meal can have a direct effect on your energy levels when considering cortisol levels. By studying the body’s natural cortisol rhythm, we can affect other hormones and ultimately our energy output.

Sound complicated? It isn’t, but it does require consideration and change.

The Science Bit

Cortisol gets bad press as our “stress” hormone, but we actually need it. It is critical to our health and survival. Our cortisol levels rise from about 3am (hence the 3am wake-up effect) and peak around 7-8am, which helps us get out of bed in the morning.

As cortisol rises, it also initiates a blood sugar rise. At this point, what you eat will have a direct affect on this process. Eating a breakfast high in simple carbohydrates will add to rising sugar levels and as your body will work hard to bring blood sugar back into balance, any excess sugar will be stored as (you guessed it) fat!

The other effect is the energy dip and consequential sugar cravings. A breakfast rich in complex carbohydrates, healthy fats and protein can work with your body’s natural cortisol rhythm and may result in better blood sugar balance and improved energy levels.

If you have time in the morning something like avocado on wholegrain rye topped with poached egg is the perfect start to the day. For busy mornings on the go try a smoothie containing whole oats, flaxseed, spinach and berries made with water or a brewed and cooled green tea (for that antioxidant hit).

Evie Whitehead is a qualified Nutritional Therapist based in Bourne End. If you wish to book a personal session with Evie, please email evie@www.seed-yoga.co.uk

For more information about how Evie can help you optimise your health through your diet choices please visit http://www.seed-yoga.co.uk/evie-whitehead/