7 things you need to know about nutrition to boost your energy levels

Many people struggle with lower energy levels at this time of year. The days are shorter and the weather is colder, and this can take its toll. But there are simple actions you can take to help boost energy levels and your immune system at the same time, and that’s through what you eat.

Great energy levels are closely linked to good nutrition. If your energy levels feel low when you otherwise feel well, something isn’t adding up. Having good energy levels means getting up in the morning feeling completely refreshed and ready to face the day. When energy is down, we stay in bed for five minutes longer without reason, we slow down almost to a halt throughout the day, and brain fog sets in.

Lack of energy and fatigue is the number one complaint of today’s society.

When I say good energy levels, I don’t mean you’re able to run everywhere or never rest. Energy is needed for more than movement:

Movement - Every organism moves about.

Growth - It takes an enormous amount of energy to grow.

Feeding - Process of digestion and absorption requires a lot of energy.

Breathing - Basic life activity.

Elimination - Waste products that arise from taking in all the foods.

Reproduction - Synthesising another whole organism takes huge amounts of energy.

So how do you go about increasing your energy levels?

Nutrients don’t mean energy

We all need many nutrients, such as vitamins, minerals, fibre and antioxidants, for everyday functions. Some are involved in digestion; others protect your cells against environmental damage, and some supports your vision. Even though some micronutrients help break down food for energy, they do not provide energy themselves. So, taking a daily multivitamin will ensure that you get the vitamins and minerals you need, but it won’t necessarily help with your energy levels. You need to combine nutrient rich foods with the right kinds of energy providing foods.

Different foods are converted to energy at different rates, simple sugars such as sweets, chocolate, milkshakes etc, can give you a quick lift, whilst whole grains and healthy unsaturated fats gradually release energy. While simple sugars will get a quick boost, that energy will fade rapidly and can leave you depleted and craving more sweets - another boost. Over time this can desensitise you to insulin and wreak havoc with your energy levels. So if you’re only having a coffee and biscuit for breakfast, no wonder you're wanting to sleep at your desk by 10.

Instead, if you’re a breakfaster, try having breakfast that is rich in beneficial oils and fats and protein. Think avocado, oily fish, nuts, seeds, yoghurt and eggs. You can combine this with high quality whole grains. Try to avoid high sugar content foods such as sugary cereals etc. This will help set up your insulin response for the day and give you better energy levels, not just in the morning, but throughout the day.

Avoid crash diets

If you need to lose weight, do so gradually, without skimping on essential nutrients or starving yourself of the calories YOU NEED for energy. Poor nutrition and inadequate calorie intake will cause tiredness. Good nutrition is much more about quality over quantities. Eating plenty of whole foods that are nourishing to the body will have a far better health outcome in the long term, than crash dieting and then compensating with high sugar content and processed foods.

Use caffeine to your advantage

Caffeine can increase or decrease your energy level, depending on when and how much of it you consume. Caffeine will increase attentiveness, so a cup of coffee before going to a meeting or starting on a project can help focus your mind. But to get the energising effects, you must use it wisely. It can cause insomnia, especially when consumed in large amounts or after mid-day. It has an average half life of six hours, so 12 hours after drinking a cup there will still be a ¼ of it in your system! Some of you will experience crashing as the effects of your morning latte wear off, so if you’re one of those stick to decaf instead, or avoid altogether.

Limit alcohol

I know it’s the time of year to celebrate, party, and indulge, but for those who drink alcohol, one of the best hedges against the mid-afternoon nap is to avoid alcohol at lunch. Similarly, avoid the five o'clock cocktail if you want to have energy in the evening to pursue a hobby or socialise to the late hours. Alcohol also has a big impact on your sleep. Although it is a sedative, sedation is NOT sleep. Even just one or two drinks in the evening can totally disrupt your sleep patterns, leaving you feeling tired the next morning, even after a solid 8 hours of sleep. You don’t have to go T-total, but knowing the impact of alcohol on sleep and energy levels means you can make an informed decision on when and how you consume alcohol.

Drink water

Water is essential for the delivery of nutrients around your system and removing any waste. The delivery change won't be able to perform to its fullest, if you’re dehydrated. If your body is short on fluids, one of the first signs is a feeling of fatigue. Make sure you’re drinking plenty of water throughout the day to keep energy and concentration levels up.

Food Mood

With low mood often comes low energy, for decades studies have shown a link between a healthy diet and a reduced risk of depression.

In the 2017 SMILES Trial, 30% of the participants, who all had an established diagnosis of depression at the start of the trial, went into remission after increasing the amount of vegetables and decreasing the amount of processed foods they ate. Since then, other research has reproduced the same result. Improving your diet appears to play an important role in improving brain health and mental health outcomes. Amazing, but why might this be?

The same way the muscle in your arms or the organs in your body like your heart rely on a healthy diet, so does the brain! It too needs to be properly nourished to perform. Now the brain isn’t just any organ, it is the most important and the hungriest. Despite how much you think you use it; your brain makes up 20%-25% of your daily energy requirement. So, when it doesn’t get those nutrients, it starts to suffer.

Good gut?

There’s also the gut microbiome which is heavily linked with mental health, energy, and wellbeing.

Poor nutrition has been linked to increased risk of a range of mental health conditions including stress, anxiety, PTSD; and dementia. In addition, certain nutrients have been shown to improve cognitive function in areas such as focus, attention, processing speed, decision-making, and memory. It is believed that the gut microbiome has a major role in this.

The gut microbiome has been shown to have a huge impact on your mood, immune system and long term health. It’s made up of beneficial bacteria, viruses, and yeasts, and is vital for the function of your immune system, energy levels, mood, and reducing inflammation. In order to support it you need two things: prebiotics and probiotics.

Prebiotics are anything that feed the microorganisms that make up the gut microbiome. You may have heard of antioxidants before (aka polyphenols). You can find these in plants (like vegetables, fruit, nuts, berries etc), but also in grass fed/free range animal products.

Probiotics are anything that introduce new beneficial microorganisms into the gut. These include anything fermented like yoghurt, sauerkraut, kefir, skyr, kimchi, kombucha etc.

These tiny nutrients are vital for functions such as supporting your immune system, digestion, and metabolism. Our guts are the first line of defence, any bacteria or toxins that come are away will cause an immune reaction. If you are not sufficiently fuel for example and your immune system is having to work overtime, it requires ALOT of energy. If you can’t keep up with demand… it can’t function.

Things that negatively impact the gut microbiome: processed foods (processed meat, artificial sweeteners and flavours, preservatives etc), excessive alcohol, sugar, pesticides, antibiotics. Try to reduce these if you can.

Remember, when it comes to the microbiome you need variety. The more diverse the gut microbiome the better it can support your body and health. Eating a varied diet and probiotics from different sources is extremely important. Ideally we should all be eating 30 different plants per week, but this can be overwhelming if you’re just starting out. Try increasing your vegetable intake by one or two portions per day, and decreasing your processed food intake by one or two portions. Even a small change can have a big impact over time, so take baby steps.

If you want to boost your energy levels try one or two of these things and see how they impact you. Enjoy the season of festive fun; fuel your body with energy and nutrients, and a good time is bound to follow.

With love

Abbie and the HealthHub Team

I’m running some special workshops in January which are all about helping you get the best from your body and health in 2023. During these sessions I will guide you to;

o Find out how healthy you are; physically and mentally

o Identify the biggest barriers to your physical and mental health blocking you feeling great

o Figure out what your real health priorities are in 2023

o Work out a clear action plan as to how you will achieve them in easy, simple steps so you can’t fail!

If the sounds just like what you need, and want to know more, simply email [email protected] and type “JANUARY WORKSHOP”. We will help you make 2023 your healthiest and happiest yet. We only have 20 places available so do it now!

P.S. If you struggle with low energy levels, or would like to know what you can do to improve your nutrition, you can get a FREE lifestyle review with Abbie. In the review Abbie will help you can identify what areas need improving and come up with a plan to improve your energy levels. Call 0548 852 355 or contact [email protected] to find out more about your FREE lifestyle review.