When the stresses of life start to take their toll on your body, it’s easy to fall into a bad routine. A few weeks of overtime and deadlines at work and we find ourselves reaching for the potato chips, ditching the exercise routine and slothing it up on the couch. Unfortunately, bad habits die hard – and so do their consequences. The more we eat badly and avoid physical activity, the harder it actually becomes to find the energy to get back to our old healthy ways. If you’re lacking the energy to get your life back on track, you might appreciate these helpful tips for re-booting your energy levels…

Eat energy foods

Try topping up on oranges to promote iron absorption and increase energy and pile up on salmon – not only is it a top source of energy-boosting omega 3, it’s also thought to help promote fat loss. Other energy foods include green tea, almonds, spinach and blueberries. If you don’t have time to eat all those foods you can also try vitamins and supplements containing the same energy-giving nutrients, such as vitamins B and C.

Cut back on energy zappers

We hate to be the bearers of bad news, but those potato chips you’re eating are sucking the energy right out of you. That’s because starchy, refined carbohydrates such as those found in white potatoes, white rice, white bread, cakes (and just about anything white, really) have a high GI level. In simple terms, that means they cause your blood sugar levels to spike abruptly then come crashing down, leaving you feeling like you’ve just been hit by a truck. Swap the white stuff for brown, unrefined wholegrain alternatives such as wholemeal bread and brown rice and swap white potatoes for sweet potatoes (sweet potato chips are also super yummy!) – which will release energy slowly and consistency throughout the day, keeping you from hitting that wall.

Get moving

Now, we realise this sounds counterintuitive, but believe it or not the best thing to do when you have absolutely no energy is to get moving. That’s because exercise releases feel-good hormones that pep you up and make you feel like you can conquer the world. Start forcing yourself to go for a brisk walk or a jog just three times a week and you’ll notice a dramatic increase in your energy levels.

 

If you’re still low…

Consult your doctor and ask for an iron test. You may be lacking in this energy boosting nutrient and require a course of supplements.