From Exhausted to Energised.

Energy - it can be a mysterious thing. Energy for our bodies comes from the food we eat,  the air we breathe, the way we move (or not), the people we connect with, our lifestyle habits, the quality of our sleep and more.

Previously suffering with Chronic Fatigue, I know how devastating low energy can be. It's a struggle to get out of bed, difficult (if not impossible) to get to work or run your business, social invitations become depressing and all you can think about is getting to the end of the day. Only to repeat again. Life is meant to be lived with energy and inspiration and if you're willing to try some changes, it can be.

Addressing my diet with foods that increase energy was the first step to recovery, as was investing in my health through retreats, detoxes and cleanses that transformed my life. Healing is a process and it takes time. I can tell you though, that the very first retreat I attended was a detox, it changed my life forever and gave me the energy I needed to feel like myself again.

Something that took a little longer to figure out was that past trauma and lack of boundaries was at play and this is what I am working through now - good news is that my health is excellent, allowing me to go to these nooks and crannies!

Your energy may just be a little lacklustre – whatever end of the scale, if you've read this far, you may be interested in what you can do today to start filling up your energy tank! 

Eat more real food. The easiest way to do this is to start to include fresh, unprocessed whole foods into your day. Most of us know we require carbohydrates, fats and protein but equally as important are minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. These are needed to digest and assimilate what you eat and to carry the goodness to your body to produce the energy it needs. 

Foods that increase energy

Here are the top antioxidant foods to support energy production, and they also support a balanced immune system, weight loss and stress reduction. Where possible, choose organic.

• Vitamin E: nuts, seeds, olive oil, oily fish like salmon and mackerel, whole grains, apricots.

• Beta-carotene: egg yolk, butter, spinach, carrots, squash, broccoli, tomato, peaches, and whole grains.

• Vitamin C: citrus fruits, peppers, cabbage, spinach, broccoli, kale, kiwi, strawberries.

• Selenium: Brazil nuts, oats, brown rice, broccoli, spinach.

• Vitamin B: whole grains (rice, millet, oats), red meat and poultry, eggs, seeds, nuts, dark leafy veggies (broccoli, kale, spinach)

• Herbs are magical and Siberian Ginseng has been well researched for energy and stress. Speak to a nutritionist or herbalist about what's right for you. It is proven to be effective at reducing fatigue and improving alertness and quality of sleep.

Get moving! There's a big movement in HIIT exercise that is great for energy for some, but you have to work out what is right for you. If you are chronically fatigued, it's unlikely you'll want to, or be able to, smash out the high intensity stuff. And you shouldn't. Try gentle walks for as long as you can manage, light Yoga, bouncing on a mini-trampoline. What soothes you that moves you?

Fresh air and the colours of blue and green lift your mood and your energy. Aim for 20 minutes a day.

Quality sleep - 7 to 9 hours a night if you can. The light from our phones and computers messes with our sleep patterns. Turn them off at least an hour before bed and try something like f.lux. It's free software that changes the brightness of your screen and is  informed by science, in sleep and circadian biology, to help you adjust your body's sense of night and day. It's also helpful to craft your own wind down routine. Soft lighting, a comfortable room and temperature, a calming warm herbal tea. What suits you?

Meditation. Like it or hate it, meditation is incredible for fatigue, reducing stress and calming our systems. Practiced over time it actually changes the structure of the brain helping you to have more energy and feel more calm over your days. I find meditation a personal choice. Have a search around and try some out to see what you like. Insight timer is new to me and is an app for sleep, anxiety and stress with some great meditations. My personal go to is Joe Dispenza.

If nothing else, see what foods that increase energy, you could integrate into your diet, even if it's one more colour to your plate each day. If you'd find some easy energy boosting recipes helpful - you can download a copy of some I put together here!

• In the next blog I’ll share a deeper dive into recovering from Chronic Fatigue.