How to boost your energy
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Energy is our vitality and capacity to live life. It’s the very fuel in our tanks that drives our motivation and capability to bring our skills to life. It’s energy that enables us to achieve what we want to achieve. It’s the very essence of living.
Energy is like a battery; it doesn’t go on for ever. If we use it without recharging it, it eventually goes flat, leaving us feeling physically, mentally and emotionally fatigued, all of which affects our concentration, mood, memory, creativity and performance.
Here are some Top Tips on how to boost your energy.
1 |
Make time to eat. Having three meals a day with a healthy snack morning and afternoon will balance your blood sugar levels. |
2 |
Eat good complex carbohydrates such as oats, wholegrains and brown rice. Carbs are the fuel required for energy production in our cells but we need carbs that digest slowly so we don’t get a sugar rush |
3 |
Eat a varied diet of chicken, eggs, oily fish, wholegrains, pulses, fresh fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds to provide the nutrients vital for the energy-making chemical reactions in our cells. |
4 |
Have some good protein with each meal; meat, chicken, eggs, oily fish, cheese. This slows the absorption of glucose into our bloodstream, preventing highs and lows in energy |
5 |
Reduce or cut out caffeinated and sugary drinks such as coffee, cola, fruit juices. These only provide a short energy boost then leave you crashing. |
6 |
Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day instead. The brain is 80% water and doesn’t function as well when its dehydrated |
7 |
Avoid alcohol in the evening. Although you feel it relaxes you, it’s actually a stimulant which disturbs sleep patterns |
8 |
Find time to exercise for each day. This doesn’t have to be the gym, but can be running up and down stairs, going for a brisk walk at lunchtime or doing some squats and lunges while you brush your teeth. This increases blood flow to the brain, providing more oxygen to feed your concentration. |
9 |
Take regular breaks from intense focused work to recharge your energy. Break each hour into 50 minutes of focused activity followed by a 10-minute break. |
10 |
Know your limits and priorities and do not over-commit yourself. Don’t be afraid to say ‘No’ when asked to do something that you really feel you don’t have the time, energy or capacity to do. |
Learn more about how to optimise your energy for life in my latest book, Life Force. The revolutionary 7-step plan for optimum energy.