Lack of energy is common - according to a recent survey, as many as 65% of women claimed to suffer from tiredness all the time, with stress thought to be the main problem.
Stress drains your adrenal glands and depletes your levels of B-group vitamins, so energy is produced less efficiently in the body, and increases your need for antioxidants such as vitamins C and E and the mineral selenium.
If you skip meals through overwork, then lack of vital nutrients such as iron, calcium, magnesium and iodine can also contribute to feelings of sheer exhaustion. Luckily, several dietary and lifestyle changes, and taking energy-boosting supplements, can help you regain your zing (NB, if tiredness all the time persists for more than a few weeks, always consult your doctor).
Choosing the right foods
Eating the right types of food will give you a natural energy boost. Foods that can pep you up include:
Crusty wholegrain bread - especially those with added nuts and seeds
Wholegrain cereals, eg porridge, brown rice, pearl barley, oatcakes, unsweetened breakfast cereals
Root vegetables, eg carrot, parsnip, turnip, swede, potato
Cruciferous plants, eg broccoli, cauliflower, Chinese leaves
Legumes, eg lentils, kidney beans, soya
Fresh fruits, eg avocado, banana, melon, plums, grapes, orange, pineapple
Ready-to-eat semi-dried fruits, eg apricots, dates, figs, prunes
Oily fish
Nuts - especially walnuts - and seeds
Also aim to drink plenty of fluids - preferably mineral water or herbal teas, keeping caffeine intake to a minimum.
Research shows that eating fatty foods for breakfast can leave you feeling tired, sluggish and with poor concentration throughout the morning. If you then have a fatty lunch, you will function below par all day.
Lifestyle
For maximum energy, you need to balance a healthy diet with a healthy lifestyle.
Take regular exercise to boost energy storage and production and oxygen consumption inside muscle cells. Get out in the fresh air and natural daylight as much as possible - use sunscreens as appropriate
Get back in control of your life - don't be put upon; learn to say 'no' and mean it, both at home and work, when unreasonable demands are made
Have regular breaks - get up, walk around the office, take deep breaths and stretch
Take time out to relax - treat yourself to a massage, a facial, or a soak in an aromatherapy bath. Just sitting down quietly listening to music by candlelight, or finding a quiet spot to read a book will help
Get plenty of refreshing sleep - keep a window slightly open at night to allow oxygen to circulate.
See Part 2 about supplements
