Canned or plug-in air fresheners are chock full of toxins and chemicals. Here are a few natural alternatives you might want to consider.

• Plants which reduce toxic materials are: Aloe Vera, English ivy, fig trees, chrysanthemum, spider plants, Chinese evergreen, bamboo palm, and lily. Decorate liberally with these plants and they’ll act as a natural air purifier.
• Place 1 tablespoon of natural (not imitation) vanilla extract in a ceramic bowl and place it in a room. If the room is large you may want to use more than one. As the vanilla evaporates, a light, refreshing vanilla scent will waft into the surrounding air. Replace every day.
• If you have a diffuser, you can put a couple of drops of eucalyptus oil in it and freshen the air for hours. If you don’t actually own a diffuser, you can simply use an old saucepan, with a little water in the bottom on low heat. But be careful it does not boil dry.
• As far as freshening your air, white vinegar is a natural deodoriser, especially for pet odours. It absorbs odours instead of covering them up.

Flagging vitality can lead to low energy warning signs such as fatigue, insomnia, irritability, poor concentration, lowered immunity (you keep getting colds all the time) and low libido which are debilitating enough in themselves but can also increase the risk of a whole range of illnesses, including extremely distressing ones such as depression and ME or chronic fatigue. Therefore doing all you can to keep your energy levels at their peak is perhaps the single most important thing you can do to maximise your chances of good health and happiness.

So what should you do when your energy levels are flagging? First of all you shouldn’t do what many of us do and grab a coffee and a chocolate bar. As well as depleting your body of vital nutrients and unsettling your blood sugar levels which can trigger fatigue, caffeine has a nasty way of masking how tired you really are.

This is why some people feel even worse after gulping down a few mugs of coffee. Drinking coffee at night has also been known to cause many cases of restlessness and insomnia and as for chocolate here’s a quick fact: sugar puts you to sleep. It does not, as most people think, give you more energy. So first of all cut out all those caffeinated drinks, sweets and chocolates, and start eating more fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds instead when you need an instant energy boost.

Listed below are my top 20 natural energy boosters. Try them every time you feel drained or in need of a boost. Bear in mind that sometimes a persistent lack of energy can be due to an underlying medical condition, such as thyroid dysfunction, anaemia or diabetes, so consulting your doctor is essential if you feel chronically tired.

1. Exercise. The more you exercise the more energised you are likely to feel because exercise and energy production in your body are closely linked. Aim for 30 minutes of activity on a daily basis but you don’t have to join a gym any activity that leaves you feeling warm and slightly out of breath, dancing, DIY, housework, gardening, swimming, cycling, walking, is doing you a lot of good.
2. Eat Grapes. The energy boosting value of grapes is due to their high magnesium content. Magnesium is essential for energy production and deficiency has been linked to fatigue and muscle weakness
3. Try hemp seeds. Hemp seeds are power packed with the essential fatty acids needed for energy production. They are needed to make prostaglandins, a hormone like substance crucial for metabolism (fat burning) and stamina.
4. Eat broccoli. Broccoli contains a range of B complex vitamins and the energy boosting nutrients, magnesium and iron can be found in fresh green (preferably raw) vegetables, such as broccoli, asparagus and kale. Deficiencies in B vitamins, magnesium and iron are associated with energy slumps. Broccoli is also a good source of co-enzyme Q10, a remarkable metabolism boosting nutrient involved in energy production.
5. Try yams. Yams are packed with the energy boosting minerals – calcium, for strong bones, magnesium and potassium for energy production as well as folic acid and the antioxidant immune boosting vitamin C. Their complex carbohydrate and fibre content also has a steadying effect on blood sugar ensuring that your energy supply is constant throughout the day.
6. Eat regularly. Many of us tend to neglect our eating patterns. We should be eating, on average, four to five times a day, with interspersed snacks here and there. This isn’t just to keep your body supplied with a regular input of energy boosting nutrients; it will also help balance your blood sugar and blood sugar swings are a major cause of fatigue.
7. Deep breathing. Breathing from your stomach instead of your chest increases your oxygen intake and hence increase energy levels. The easiest way would be to sit comfortably in your chair, close your eyes, and begin concentrating on your breathing. Make sure to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, in order to maximize oxygen intake and carbon dioxide expenditure.
8. Water. The source of life is also one of your best sources of energy so make sure you drink between seven and eight glasses a day.
9. Take a good quality multi vitamin and mineral supplement. This will give you a good combination of vitamins and minerals that are essential for energy production including the B vitamins and zinc.
10. Take a nap. This may be hard for most busy women, but napping in the afternoon will energise you more than you think. The trick here is to avoid napping for too long. Usually 20 minutes is enough, but don’t exceed an hour. You’d be surprised to hear that napping is common practice in most European countries and is commonly referred to as a siesta.
11. Laughter. If you really need to cheer up and increase your energy, then watch a sitcom for half an hour, or better yet, get tickets to your favourite comedy club. Laughter has been proven time and again to be the best therapy for depression and lack of energy.
12. Tea for me. Drinking tea regularly every day has been found to increase one’s stamina. However, the type of tea you drink is very important. You should stay away from tea that contains high levels of caffeine e.g. black tea. Instead, use peppermint, camomile and Rooibosch (red bush). When you can use dried herbs rather than bagged ones.
13. Aromatherapy has been used for centuries as a therapeutic aid for weakness, sleep deprivation, depression, and other psychological ailments. Try using the following essential oils to burn in your house: rosemary, lemon, orange, and cinnamon. These scents are known for their rejuvenating properties. If you don’t have a scent burner at home, you can put a few drops of the essential oil into a handkerchief or tissue, and constantly inhale it throughout the day.
14. Breakfast. They don’t call it the most important meal of the day for nothing. A sensible breakfast will give you the boost you need each morning to last you through the whole day.
15. Visualise an uplifting colour. Orange is good for lethargy or tiredness. Sit or lie comfortably and imagine the colour seeping through every part of your body as you inhale and exhale deeply. Open your eyes and feel more awake.
16. Think positive. Research has shown that those people with the most mental energy and the least stress related illnesses tend to have a strong sense of self-belief.
17. Sleep. Ensure you get at least seven hours unbroken sleep a night – your bedroom should be comfortable, quiet and dark. Avoid too much caffeine in the day and do not eat a big meal or exercise vigorously in the evening.
18. Fresh air. If you spend a lot of time indoors, try to get outside more. Walk around the block at lunchtime and if it’s raining bring an umbrella – the exercise and fresh air will invigorate you while daylight has beneficial effects on your brain function, making you feel refreshed.
19. Instant energy boost. Grab a snack that can give you an instant lift such as a banana, a handful of Brazil nuts, dried mango or raisins.
20. Head massage. Give yourself a quick head massage to life your spirits. Rub your scalp briskly then lightly tap all over your head with your fingertips. Pull your fingers through your hair; shaking away any negative thoughts.

(See next month’s issue for my advice on energy boosting herbs and supplements)

‘An apple a day keeps the doctor away’ is an old adage that seems to be proving true, as study after study shows that apples confer a huge range of health benefits. A meta-analysis in 2003 of 7 studies involving over 100,000 people highlighted apples as significantly reducing the risk of heart disease, by an astonishing 20%; while the following year a meta-analysis of 85 studies found that eating apples was also linked to reduced risks cancer, type 2 diabetes and asthma.

Apples are rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre. A medium-sized (138g) apple provides around 6.3mg – 16% – of your daily immune system-boosting vitamin C requirement and a useful amount of your vitamin K intake, which helps your blood to clot normally. It is also packed with antioxidants, to the extent that 100g of apple and peel has the same antioxidant effect as 1500 mg of vitamin C. Apples’ low glycaemic index rating means snacking on them helps to keep blood sugar levels stable, which can ward off weight gain and, in the long-term, lifestyle diseases such as type 2 diabetes.

The high fibre content (around 2.4g/100g – 13% of your daily recommended intake), particularly the soluble fibre, pectin, found in the peel, helps to reduce both ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol levels and the risk of bowel cancer. It can also reduce the risk of dying of heart disease by up to 30%

Apple peel is also rich in antioxidant procyanidins, which have been shown to reduce the number of pre-cancerous colon cancer cells and could be used for future cancer treatments. Lab studies have shown that quercetin, a type of flavonoid found most abundantly in apples, can prevent the growth of human prostate cancer cells, while the National Cancer Institute in the States has reported that apple flavonoids could halve the risk of lung cancer. As it is good to eat the peel, make sure you buy organic apples so that the it has not been sprayed with pesticides.

Quantity is important, too: according to British epidemiological researchers, eating two apples a week reduces the risk of developing asthma by 22-32%, while a 28-year study in Finland found that people who ate the most apples had the lowest risk factors for thrombotic strokes.

And if you’re worried this is a lot of information to take on board in one go, don’t forget that US researchers have found that apples could improve your memory, cognitive function and ability to learn – and might even protect against Alzheimer’s disease.