As a naturopath, I regularly hear my patients tell me they feel tired and lack the energy to function at their best throughout the day, all symptoms of living in this incredibly prosperous and diverse world. Pulled in multiple directions by varied roles and responsibilities, they often feel both overwhelmed and exhausted.
The truth is energy zappers are all around us, some obvious, some hidden. The good news: there is a way around almost all of them.
These simple lifestyle and all-natural methods to boost your energy and keep you firing on all cylinders are easy to follow and will lead you in the right direction towards living a happy, healthy and revitalised life.
Here are my 5 fatigue-zapping tips that really work.
Are you one of those busy individuals who instinctively and probably by now addictively doses up on caffeine as your answer to your morning pick-me-up? For most people, caffeine is the savior! Stimulants hit throughout the day seeing them through, but what if you wanted to find ways to boost your energy more naturally? Is there a more holistic and ultimately healthy way to boost energy without a caffeine addiction?
Well luckily for you, yes there is! Jiaogulan is a Chinese superb herb, dubbed the ‘immortality herb’ or Southern Ginseng. Just like other ginseng herbs Jiaogulan is known to help increase energy, improve mood and boost immunity by activating blood flow and circulation, increasing the supply of oxygen and nutrients to your muscles and tissues, contributing to higher levels of energy without the highs and lows of stimulants such as caffeine.
Relying on caffeine to boost your energy levels, rather than on proper nutrition, sleep and tonic herbs that work synergistically with your body can backfire over the long term. Here is an idea: the new energy-boosting Jiaogulan-infused drink Innerji is in town and this time it’s caffeine-free, vegan friendly with added B1 and B12 vitamins.
Sleep is something that easily gets put on the back burner when you’re busy. From pushing back bedtime to meet a deadline to missing out on a few hours of sleep due to work, many people cut back on hours that should be spent in bed.
It’s recommended that you aim for around 7 hours of sleep per night, although some people require a little more and others need a little less. If you don’t sleep as much as you need to, you can try winding down from your day with relaxing behaviours before bed. This could be taking the time to have a bath, reading a book or getting into bed half an hour earlier than usual.
It’s not uncommon for people with busy lives to feel stressed, anxious or overwhelmed. Feelings of stress can mean that you struggle to concentrate, experience racing thoughts and have difficulty switching off. Feeling stressed has been closely linked to tiredness. In many cases, it may not be possible to completely remove sources of stress from your life altogether
However, if you minimize lifestyle-related stress, it could increase your energy levels. Strategies to improve your energy levels include taking some time for yourself to relax, reading, doing some yoga or going for a walk. You could also try mindfulness or meditation techniques, which may reduce anxiety.
You may already know that it’s easy to confuse signals of hunger with thirst (we think we need food when we really need water). But did you know that thirst can masquerade as fatigue? Sometimes, even slight dehydration can leave you feeling tired and lethargic.
The solution is simple: a tall, cool glass of water. This is particularly important to boost energy after exercise, when your body is likely to be craving fluids.
This may seem counterintuitive, as when you’re feeling tired, getting up and moving your body can feel like the last thing you want to do. Studies have suggested that going for a 10-minute walk when you feel tired is a superior ‘pick-me-up’ compared to having a snack and if you need an extra energy boost for your workout opt for a caffeine-free alternative such as the revitalising Innerji drink.
To incorporate exercise into your day, you could try getting away from your desk and going for a walk on your lunch break or walking to and from your place of work.
To sum it up, if you feel tired, it’s worth taking a look at your lifestyle to see which healthy changes you can make to boost your energy levels and make you feel better.
Kimberly Parsons is an Australian born chef, author and qualified naturopath. Her series of cookbooks titled ‘The Yoga Kitchen’ and ‘The Yoga Kitchen Plan’ use traditional yogic philosophy and eating principles for long-lasting, vibrant health and happiness. Her latest book, ‘A Balanced Life’ brings together her naturopathic and yogic philosophy in a beautiful health and lifestyle book to help us all find long-lasting balance. Kimberly spends her time cooking on health retreats all over the world and resides in the English countryside where she is a mother and enjoys cooking, gardening and writing. Believing wellness is not a prescription, but a skill, you can find Kimberly giving talks to corporate businesses and at other wellness-related events all over London.