Blend five clementines, three apples and a handful of raspberries and strawberries. These fruits are all packed with vitamin C and minerals that can keep your immune system strong as the winter months finally end. Vitamin C also helps your body absorb iron from food, preventing anaemia.

If you find yourself yawning a lot, or even nodding off as soon as you sit down on a chair or sofa, you may be suffering from fatigue or as it is often called these days – TATT – ‘tired all the time’.  With many of us leading increasingly busy lives – juggling work and family – it is hardly surprising that lack of energy is increasingly common. Feeling energetic all of the time isn’t possible and it is perfectly normal to feel tired at the end of a busy day or to have temporary dips in energy during the day but if you feel persistently tired and haven’t got enough energy to get through the day, what you eat could play an important part.

A well-balanced, healthy diet is essential for high energy levels. At its most basic level, the food and drink you consume is the fuel that your body and brain needs to function at its peak. Skimp on the quality of that fuel and you will pay the price with weight gain and low energy. Skipping breakfast, not drinking enough water, over eating, dieting, eating on the run, consumption of caffeine and alcohol, and eating a lot of refined, processed food are the major causes of low energy levels.

 

Rate Your Diet:

 

–          Do you eat breakfast every morning?

–          Do you eat at least 2,000 calories each day, mostly comprised of healthy, freshly prepared whole foods?

–          Do you grab a piece of fruit and a handful of nuts and seeds instead of a bar of chocolate to fight your mid afternoon doldrums?

–          Do you limit yourself to fewer than three cups of coffee every day?

–          Do you drink six to eight glasses of fluid every day (colas, coffee and alcohol don’t count!)?

–          Do you make sure you eat something every couple of hours?

–          Do you sit down and take your time when you have a meal, chewing your food thoroughly?

 

More than one ‘no’ answer suggests that your diet may play a role in your energy crisis. Follow my eating for energy diet rules below and you should see your energy levels improving within a few days or weeks.

 

Breakfast: If you skip breakfast your energy will almost certainly dip in the mid morning so make sure you always eat a healthy breakfast. You may be tempted to reach for sugary foods in the morning, like sweet cereals or marmalade on toast, to give you an energy boost but this will only give you a quick kick-start followed by a dip which leaves you craving more sugar. Instead go for a healthy breakfast that will keep your blood sugar levels balanced and digested slowly so that you have sustained supply of energy in the morning ahead. Try a bowl of oat porridge with some ground nuts or seeds sprinkled on the top or scrambled or poached eggs on wholemeal toast with mushrooms and tomatoes. Avoid black tea and coffee, have a herbal tea like peppermint instead.

 

Take a multivitamin and mineral: As an insurance policy to make sure your body is getting all the nutrients it needs to keep your energy levels constant.

 

Elevensies: Steer clear of coffee first thing in the morning as it will just unsettle your blood sugar levels and make you feel tired later in the morning. Don’t skip your mid morning snack, though, as eating little and often is essential for keeping your blood sugar and your energy on an even keel. Have some herbal tea and an oatcake with some pure fruit jam or a handful of nuts and seeds and an apple.

 

Lunch: Be sure to include protein rich foods in your lunch, such as tuna or mackeral, pulses like baked beans, or tofu or quorn. Protein will help boost concentration and beat the afternoon energy slump. Add some slow release carbohydrates, such as a whole grain roll or whole wheat pasta, and finish with some fruit to give you the best possible chance of staying focused and energetic in the afternoon.

 

Time for tea: Herbal tea that is – ordinary black tea is a stimulant, like coffee, that will unsettle your blood sugar and your energy levels. Remember, stable blood sugar levels are essential for sustained energy and the best way to keep your blood sugar levels stable is to avoid stimulants like sugar, caffeine, chocolate and processed foods and to eat a healthy meal or snack every three to four hours.  

 

Dinner: research from the University of Sydney in Australia has found that eating slow release carbohydrates within four hours of going to bed helps you to sleep well – and a good night’s sleep is vital for beating fatigue. So have a serving of brown rice or whole wheat pasta with your dinner. Don’t forget to have a good serving of vegetables and to eat some healthy protein too, such as oily fish, eggs, nuts, seeds and legumes as eating a little healthy protein with every meal and snack also helps keep your blood sugar levels stable. Oily fish, eggs, dark green vegetables, baked beans, nuts and seeds are also great sources of iron. Iron is the mineral that circulates oxygen in your blood and a lack of it can cause tiredness.

 

Throughout the day: Stay hydrated by drinking between six and eight cups of water a day; more if you exercise or sweat a lot. Herbal teas and diluted fruit juices are also great. Not drinking enough can make you feel tired, stressed and irritable. And finally, aim for at least 30 minutes of exercise, preferably in the fresh air so you get all the energy boosting power of daylight. Regular exercise releases feel good hormones and lowers stress hormones and encourages a good nights’ sleep so it is a fatigue-fighting essential.

If you’re eating healthily but not losing weight you might be eating far more fat and sugar than you realise. The following foods are certainly nutrient rich and healthy but if you eat too much of them they can become secret calorie traps.

Nuts: These, along with seeds, should be a part of any healthy diet but in moderation because, as well as being packed with nutrients, nuts are also high in calories. For example, macadamia nuts contain around 750 calories for just 100g. The solution is to switch to nuts like almonds and brazil nuts which are also rich in nutrients but harder to eat a lot of. Also don’t empty nuts into the palm of your hand from a packet count them out instead; you only need about 10 or 12 almonds and 7 or 8 brazil nuts to feel satisfied.

 

Dried fruit: Packed full of vitamins and nutrients, but also packed full of calories and sweetness – it is easy to binge on dried fruit. You wouldn’t dream of eating five or six fresh apricots so why eat them dried? Your solution is to eat no more dried fruit than you eat fresh.

 

Yogurt: Many yogurt brands have lots of additives and added sugar.  Some makes of fruit yogurt can contain up to eight teaspoons of sugar. Your solution is to check the labels and go for natural bio yogurt and add your own pieces of fruit or go for some of the children’s yogurts which are just sweetened with fruit juice.

 

Low fat foods: Although these products may contain at least 25 per cent lower fat than other alternative products, they contain sugar, additives and artificial sweeteners, which are often added to prevent the product becoming tasteless. So my advice is to ditch low fat products completely. It also helps to understand your labels. Low fat is 3g or less of fat per 100g. Or rather than eating lots of low fat products try a serving of the full fat one instead – it will leave you feeling more satisfied.

 

Salads: Especially if they are pre-prepared, salads are not always a dieter’s best option at lunch time. Pre-prepared salads are often rich in fatty, sugary dressing and toppings, cheese and croutons. Your solution is to look for salad combinations that contain watery vegetables, like lettuce, celery, tomatoes and cucumber and to have dressings on the side. Alternatively, make your own salad dressing with balsamic vinegar, lemon juice and olive oil.

 

Cereal: A lot of cereals these days are sold as ‘low fat’ options for dieters but they can contain as much as 18 per cent sugar. Your solution is to avoid refined cereals loaded with sugar and buy unsweetened puffed rice, shredded wheat, no sugar muesli or make your own bowl of oat porridge with berries or a bit of real maple syrup to add sweetness.

 

Coffee: Swapping breakfast or lunch for a coffee isn’t going to help you lose weight. In fact it will do the opposite, as a healthy breakfast is essential for kick starting your metabolism (fat burning) in the morning and skipping meals simply slows down your metabolism. Even if you drink black coffee skipping meals won’t help you lose weight because coffee is a stimulant that releases adrenaline and triggers blood sugar imbalances and food cravings. Your solution is to avoid caffeine and replace with herbal teas but if you must have coffee have no more than one or two a day and always drink a glass of water with it because coffee is dehydrating. And finally, remember that some speciality coffees from coffee shops, can have as much as 500 calories per mug!