Natural ways to boost energy

If you’re feeling tired and sluggish, the temptation can be to hit the snooze button – or if that’s not possible, to rely on caffeine, sugar and carbs to get you through the day.

You don’t need to be a nutritionist to know these are quick fixes that lead to an energy deficit in the long run. You’ll have felt for yourself the energy high, quickly followed by the crash that makes you feel worse than you did before. Lifestyle tweaks will help – exercise, better sleep and giving up smoking are tips recommended by Harvard Medical School, which also suggests trying to cut stress and overwork in order to beat fatigue. But to give yourself a healthy boost you will need to choose foods that give you energy.

Natural ways to boost energy with food

What we choose to eat and drink – and what we decide to avoid – can also have a big impact on our energy levels. First step: enjoy our Nourish Drinks to give you an all-natural boost when you need sustained energy. 

Our drinks are made only with natural and organic ingredients, including British milk and cream, fresh real fruit and 26 vitamins and minerals. As a renowned dietician working with both celebrity clients and leading cancer experts, I’ve brought more than 30 years of experience to their development. Nourish Drinks contain a perfect balance of carbs, protein, healthy fat, vitamins and minerals to provide you with a nourishing extra energy when you need it. 

That’s why competitive long-distance runners and show jumpers use Nourish Drinks to fuel their activities, as well as parents like Laura and Tim Boundy, who relied on Nourish Drinks to give them energy while their son was ill in hospital.

Nourish Drinks have also helped people living with cancer and Covid-19 cope during their illness.

5 ways to increase energy naturally

1. Time when you eat

Frequent snacking, especially on sugary foods, can mean your blood sugar is in a constant state of flux, leading to feelings of hunger and fatigue, followed by a high after eating, then a crash as insulin acts to remove glucose from your bloodstream.

Try to stick to three regularly spaced meals a day. If you start to slump between them and need a boost, snack on a protein-carb-fat combo that will help to keep your blood sugar more stable. Peanut butter on apple, hummus with vegetable sticks, or an oat cake with cheese are all good options.

2. Pick the best energy-boosting foods

The best foods for energy balance energy-giving carbs, with protein, fibre and fats. The protein and fibre will slow down the digestion of carbs and subsequent release of sugar into the bloodstream, while the healthy fats will help you to feel fuller for longer.

3. Reduce alcohol

Drinking alcohol at lunchtime is sure to have you feeling sleeping later in the afternoon, while a post-work ‘wine o’ clock’ tipple is likely to see you snoozing on the sofa. Drink alcohol in moderation and when you don’t need to feel full of energy. As with any carbs – alcoholic drinks are high in sugar – having some protein alongside (try some unsalted nuts or a slither of cheese) will help to reduce their impact on your blood glucose.

4. Eat more fibre

Constipation can lead to feelings of sluggishness and fatigue. Fibre doesn’t just slow down the absorption of sugar in the body. The bulk that comes from insoluble fibre helps to speed the elimination of waste from the body.

5. Drink more water

Water swells fibre in the gut, helping to improve the passage of waste through the body. It’s also proven to help boost energy – fatigue is one of the signs of dehydration.

See also: We’re athletes and Nourish Drinks help fuel us

Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash