Many ways to boost your energy and feel amazing
Exercise, dietary and lifestyle tips from the experts
We have all felt completely wiped out before, for no real reason we just feel exhausted. There is actually always a reason or combination of reasons. Most likely, we just don’t realise or pay enough respect to what we are doing to our bodies.
A good way of comparing how you treat your body is to relate it to a car. So, food is our fuel, doctors or health professionals are the mechanics and sleep is like having to recharge your battery.
So, with that in mind would you expect your car to make a journey all the way to Scotland from London if you only half filled the tank with the cheapest poorest quality petrol available? If you never took your car for a service from the day you bought it, how long would you expect it to keep running before it broke down?
Our bodies are infinitely more complex than a car yet we abuse them beyond belief and then get annoyed or act surprised when our body breaks down and we get colds or even injured through training.
So here are 20 top tips to keep you on track and feeling full of energy:
• Ensure you get the right amount of calories per day.
• Ensure your food balance is correct and made up of the right amount of carbohydrates, proteins and essential fats.
• Drink at least two litres of water per day, more if you exercise.
• Eat small meals throughout the day instead of nothing all day then a huge meal at night when you least need the energy before going to bed.
• Ensure you get enough quality sleep every night. Preferably seven hours uninterrupted.
• Take part in at least 30 minutes of activity everyday. It all adds up: walking to the shops instead of driving, taking the stairs instead of the lift or cycling instead of driving, all make a difference.
• Avoid tea and coffee because of the caffeine it causes energy peaks and troughs.
• Avoid cakes, biscuits and chocolate during the day as the high sugar content will cause energy peaks and troughs leaving you feeling wiped out.
• Bread can make a lot of people feel very tired shortly after eating, so try to cut down on sandwiches and see if that makes a difference.
• Eat the recommended five portions of vegetable or fruit per day.
• Try not to rely on alcohol as a means of unwinding of a night. It has very negative effects physically in terms of muscle recovery, weight gain and on sleep patterns. Or, if you can’t give it up, try and have a glass of wine rather than the whole bottle!