5 Tried & Tested Tips To Stop You Feeling Frazzled
On a scale of 1 to 10 how exhausted are you right now?
The cold weather, dark evenings, lock down restrictions, home schooling, catering for what seems like scores of people and spending hour on Teams or Zoom each day seems to be taking its toll on everyone at the moment. I am hearing from the most resilient of clients that even they are not coping both physically and mentally right now. This is a concern and so I wanted to share with you some of my top tips for keeping energy levels boosted which aims to help mental wellbeing as much as possible too.
Why is energy important?
Our energy levels truly are a fundamental part of how well be feel overall and so it’s important that we do what we can to keep levels as high as possible and stable throughout the day. To demonstrate just how much our energy levels affects us, let me ask you a few questions:
- How often in the past when you are tired have you cancelled plans with a friend because you just wanted to lay on the sofa and watch TV instead?
- Have you ever not bothered going to the gym or a class or out on a walk because you are tired and “just not feeling it”?
- Do you find on days when you haven’t slept well you are hungry all day and just want to munch on crisps and biscuits and sweets?
Being tired or frazzled can make us withdraw socially, can reduce your motivation to be active and can increase snacking. Not only could this combination lead to weight gain and an increased risk of weight related disease, it is also a potential nightmare for our mental wellbeing. With that in mind it really is important for us to do what we can to help energy levels.
So what can you do?
I’ve worked with hundreds of clients and boosting energy is something I do with each and every one of them. Here are my top 5 tried and tested food and drink related recommendations in priority order:
1.LIMIT SUGAR
Please don’t hate me! Sugar is the number one thing in the diet that will be zapping your energy. Sugar in the blood stream creates an initial burst of energy as a natural response to the stimulant but the body doesn’t actually enjoy this and will react quickly to rectify this. To do this it produces insulin to take all the excess sugar and pop it into storage (usually in your bum, thighs and tummy area). The insulin is quite efficient and usually takes too much and we end up with quite a slump in energy that will see us craving more carb rich foods for a pick me up. That is exhausting and will make you frazzled and hangry!
There are two ways to counter this – have less sugar in the first place and secondly eat protein rich foods (meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, beans, pulses) with every meal to slow the release of sugars into the blood. Ideally it is good to have a few sugar free days each week if you can manage.
2.EAT MORE FRUIT & VEG
Did you know that fibre helps to keep your energy levels stable AND the vitamins and minerals in fruits and vegetables are actually really important in helping your body to make more energy? Eating more fruits and vegetables is such an easy way to help your energy and it is actually pretty easy to do.
You are aiming for a mix of 6 or 7 different fruits and vegetables each day (but aim for more vegetables than fruit because of the naturally occurring sugar levels). Each portion should be around 80g and that is roughly 1 banana, 1 apple or 2 tangerines, 5 cherry tomatoes, 4 broccoli florets or half a pepper
One easy way to get more fruits and vegetables into your diet is to just have 1 or 2 portions with each meal such as
- Some berries or banana at breakfast
- Some salad with lunch (or beans on toast) followed by a piece of fruit
- 2 different vegetables with whatever you have with your evening meal
3. HAVE 4 HOUR GAPS BETWEEN MEAL
Did you know that digesting foods actually uses up a lot of energy? That is why after a big meal you can feel quite sleepy (just think of how much you need a nap after Christmas dinner!). This means that you are actually better off having 3 meals each day rather than eating little and often. It might mean that you have to eat slightly more at each meal to keep you fuller for longer but if that stops the snacking that’s a great thing.
I recommend having around 4 hours between each time you eat.
4.KEEP HYDRATED
A really simple one BUT dehydration makes you sleepy so aim to be drinking plenty of water throughout the day. This is roughly around 2 litres but might be less if you are petite or more if you are larger, exercise a lot or are in a hotter environment (such as heating on or on holiday or work in a kitchen!) Drinks that are hydrating are water (still or sparkling) or herbal teas. All other drinks are actually dehydrating so should be limited.
I recommend that you sip at water throughout the day or, if it helps, get one of the water bottles that has the times of day down the side to help keep you on track.
5.NO CAFFEINE IN THE AFTERNOONS
The effects of caffeine are different for different people but normally will not be completely cleared from the body for 10 hours. Caffeine is known to negatively impact sleep and with poor sleep comes poor energy levels.
Therefore, I’d recommend not having anything caffeinated to drink for 6-8 hours before bedtime.
Need Help Making Changes?
Knowing where to start on making changes to help your energy is not always easy and that is exactly where I can help you. It is hard to change habits but together we can achieve it and get you feeling less frazzled.
Why not book a free call with me to see how I can help you achieve your health aspirations (click here) or join my growing Facebook community of woman who want to feel “Less Frazzle and More Sparkle” (click here)
Need help?
Knowing where to start on making changes to help your energy is not always easy and that is exactly where I can help you. It is hard to change habits but together we can achieve it and get you feeling less frazzled.
Why not book a free call with me to see how I can help you achieve your health aspirations (insert link) or join my growing Facebook community of woman who want to feel “Less Frazzle and More Sparkle” (insert link)
Knowing where to start on making changes to help your energy is not always easy and that is exactly where I can help you. It is hard to change habits but together we can achieve it and get you feeling less frazzled.
Why not book a free call with me to see how I can help you achieve your health aspirations (insert link) or join my growing Facebook community of woman who want to feel “Less Frazzle and More Sparkle” (insert link)