The sugar blues
Almost all of your energy comes from glucose (sugar). Therefore, maintaining an even blood sugar level is essential to ensure your energy levels are healthy and your mood upbeat. The best way to control your blood sugar levels is to watch what you eat, in particular what carbohydrates you eat.
Carbohydrates are broken down into sugar, which gives your body energy. The speed at which this process occurs affects your mood, weight and energy, and your ability to cope with stress. Some carbohydrates raise your blood sugar levels quickly, while others take their time. Fast-releasing carbohydrates, such as sugar and white flour, send your blood sugar levels rocketing very quickly after eating them, so you get a burst of energy. Unfortunately this is soon followed by a rapid dip in sugar which means you feel tired and sleepy – that ‘energy trough’ – and you crave another fix all over again. Slow-releasing carbohydrates, on the other hand, such as wholegrains and vegetables, give you a steady release of sugar and energy, keeping your energy levels constant.
Eating food that is going to keep your blood sugar levels and your energy levels constant is therefore vital. The rate at which food releases glucose into your bloodstream can be measured on the glycaemic index (GI). If you haven’t got the time to work with the GI, a general rule is that the more natural and unprocessed a food is, the lower it is on the GI and the better it is for you. In a nutshell, the closer food is to its natural, unrefined state, the richer it is in nutrients and the greater its energy potential. A diet that is rich in fresh, natural wholegrains, fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds, and low in red meat, sugar, white flour, refined and processed foods which have been stripped of their fibre, vitamin and mineral energy, fast foods and ready meals, will help you avoid the dips in energy and mood that come with fluctuating blood sugar levels.
For more advice on energy-boosting nutrients and foods, check out the tips on pages 84–5.
Stimulants
When blood sugar levels dip or fatigue sets in, many people turn to stimulants such as tea, coffee, sugary drinks, cigarettes and chocolate to keep them going. Although they can give you a temporary high, the long-term effects of stimulants are always bad.
Alcohol is made from yeast and has a similar effect to sugar in your body, giving you a temporary high followed by a long low.
Coffee is a diuretic which depletes your body of nutrients and it also contains caffeine which disturbs normal sleep patterns.
Many fizzy drinks contain caffeine, as well as sugar and colourings which act as stimulants.
Tea is a stimulant with similar but weaker effects to coffee, and it contains tannin which interferes with the absorption of minerals.
Chocolate contains theobromine which has an action similar to, but not as strong as, caffeine.
Medications for the relief of headaches also contain caffeine.
Cigarettes contain cancerous chemicals and the stimulant nicotine which is sedative in large amounts.
Stimulants are your body’s greatest energy-drainers, so one of the most important steps you can take to beat fatigue is to give up or cut down on stimulants. Giving up all these stimulants at once would be impossible for most people, as well as being incredibly stressful. The first step, therefore, is to identify which stimulants you are using as pick-me-ups to get you going when your energy is flagging, and to cut consumption of them down gradually.
To cut down on stimulants without suffering try the following:
Sugar: When you crave something sweet, eat some fruit. Don’t replace sugar with sugar substitutes, as these do not help you re-educate your taste buds. Take the sugar bowl off the table and give yourself a month to gradually cut down. Read labels and find healthier alternatives. Stick with it and after a few weeks you will find that your taste buds adapt.
Coffee: Coffee is addictive and it takes about a week to break the habit. You may find yourself feeling groggy for a few days, but this will remind you how addictive and bad for you too much coffee is. Instead of coffee, drink herbal teas or coffee alternatives such as dandelion coffee. After a week you can go back to one or two cups of coffee a day, but as a treat, not as an energy booster.
Tea: Tea isn’t as energy-draining as coffee unless you drink gallons of it a day. Two or three cups a day is fine, but it is still worth experimenting with herbal teas or drinking your tea slightly weaker.
Chocolate: If you adore chocolate, you don’t need to give it up completely. Just eat it in moderation, for example four times a week rather than every day. Most important of all, don’t use it as a pick-me-up as it will have the opposite effect. Go for fruit with a handful of nuts and seeds instead if you need something sweet and satisfying.
Alcohol: If you drink a lot, start by reminding yourself that you don’t actually need to have a glass in your hand to have a good time. Set yourself a weekly target of five to seven drinks a week and stick to it. If you find this impossible, seek professional advice.
Smoking: This is perhaps one of the hardest energy-draining habits to break and one for which you may need to seek the advice of your doctor if you want to quit. It really is worth persisting, though, as many people who give up find that their energy levels soar. To reduce your cravings you need to boost your body’s ability to eliminate chemicals. A healthy diet, plenty of exercise and drinking lots of water can all help detoxify your body.
Dieting
If you’re cutting calories and skipping meals in an effort to control your weight, there’s a good chance you’re simply not giving your body the essential nutritional building-blocks it needs to operate at peak capacity.
Dieting or going for long periods without food is the worst thing you can do for your energy levels. Not only will nutritional deficiencies trigger fatigue, your blood sugar levels will plummet and, as mentioned previously, low blood sugar levels are directly related to fatigue. Eating regularly scheduled meals, with healthy snacks in between, will ensure that your blood sugar levels are balanced and you have the necessary fuel to perform at your best all day.
When you skip meals you fail to replenish your energy reserves, so always have breakfast, aim for a good lunch during the day, and keep nutritious snacks to hand. Avoid big meals because they divert blood flow to your digestive tract, making you feel heavy and tired. It is vital that you avoid large meals at bedtime, as your body will spend the night processing food rather than healing and repairing tissue. Eat little and often (be a ‘grazer’ not a ‘gorger’), and have a little healthy protein with each meal or snack – such as some nuts with a piece of fruit – because protein has a stabilizing effect on your blood sugar.
You would not expect your car to run on empty, so treat yourself as well as your car. You’ll know that driving at a constant speed gives your car the best mileage. Likewise, if you keep yourself well fed throughout the day, your metabolism will be at its best too, which means you have more energy and are in calorie-burning mode.
Sedentary lifestyle
A lifestyle that is inactive or sedentary can have a negative affect on your digestive system and reduce your respiratory capacity, place strain on your heart and cardiovascular system, and cause loss of muscle mass and stamina. On top of all that, a sedentary lifestyle can dull your powers of concentration, and if you spend too much time indoors you won’t be getting the oxygen energising benefits of fresh air.
To find out if your lifestyle is too sedentary, answer the following questions:
Is your life so busy