100 Ways
to Boost
Your Energy
Theresa Cheung

Collins gem

Table of Contents

Cover Page

Title Page

Introduction

Part One: Understanding Energy

What is energy?

The causes of low energy: energy-drainers

Energy-draining medical conditions

The energy solution

Part Two: 100 Energy Boosters

Boost energy with a good night’s sleep

Boost energy with food

Boost energy with movement

Boost energy naturally

Boost energy with supplements

Boost energy with positive thinking

Boost mental energy

Part Three: Instant Pick-me-ups: Recharge In 60 Seconds Or Less

Index

Copyright

About the Publisher

INTRODUCTION
TIRED ALL THE TIME?

Along with more time and more money, more energy is high on everyone’s wish list. Without doubt, energy is an essential in today’s overstretched, high-speed, 24/7 wired world; but it can be hard to recharge your batteries when there is a constant drain on your energy supplies.

Energy-shutdown is something most of us have experienced from time to time. Remember that drained feeling when, however much you have looked forward to a party, new movie or hot date, you just can’t summon the energy to go? What is tougher to recognise, however, is low-key energy-drain. This is when you don’t get that tired-all-over feeling but you do experience a gradual but increasing lack of enthusiasm for activities you used to get excited about. Getting out of bed in the morning seems harder, concentrating on what you are doing is a challenge and, most surprisingly, as you aren’t normally like this, you find yourself getting worked up about the silliest things.

If this ‘grumpy and run down’ theme is starting to sound very familiar, don’t despair. There are energy-drainers all around us – some obvious, some hidden. The good news is that you can find ways to deal with virtually all of them. Try one or all of the 100 simple and practical energy boosters in this book and, however hectic your lifestyle, you’re bound to see your energy levels soar. Use them both as ‘quick pick-me-ups’ when the going gets tough, and as energisers to increase your stamina in the long run, so that you have all the get-up-and-go you need to rise and shine every day.

Use them to help put a spring in your step and a twinkle in your eyes so that you look and feel alert, vibrant and sparkling with energy.

PART ONE: UNDERSTANDING ENERGY

What is energy?

Energy is life. It is the invisible force that animates the human body and permeates everything in the natural world, including animals, plants, trees and mountains, as well as the earth, sun, moon and stars. Whenever something moves, heats, cools, grows, changes or produces light or sound, energy is involved.

One of the simplest forms of energy is metabolic; this is the energy we get from the food we eat and the air we breathe. In short, energy means that birds can fly, winds can blow, the sun can shine, cars can go fast, light bulbs can glow and you can read this book. Without energy there would be nothing: no life, no movement, no light, no books…nothing.

‘Vital energy’ is a term used to describe the collective physical energies of the mind and body working together to produce feelings of well-being. In other words, it means feeling glad to be alive, and bursting with health and energy. Typically children are bursting with vital energy – but an increasing number of adults are finding it harder and harder to remember the last time they felt like that.

Energy and health

A healthy person is a person who has a sense of well-being characterised by a high level of energy and the ability to cope with stress. Feeling tired and stressed a lot of the time is not healthy. Unfortunately, many of us unconsciously settle for energy levels that are lacklustre, in the belief that it is normal to ‘run on empty’. But low energy levels are certainly not normal or healthy.

Energy is our most precious human resource. If we don’t have it, not only is our immunity low and our health at risk, but we don’t have the ‘oomph’ we need to rise to the challenge of work, have fulfilling relationships and experience the joy of being alive that is our birthright. If we don’t have energy, we are simply going through the motions of life.

Although energy can put a spring in our step and help keep disease at bay, it’s important to remember that healthy energy levels are also balanced energy levels. In other words, we need to have the energy to meet the challenges of life without going into overdrive. Overdrive is certainly not good for our health and well-being because it makes it hard to switch off and relax, and increases our risk of stress and poor health. What we need to be aiming for isn’t constantly high energy levels but a steady flow of balanced physical, emotional and mental energy; these balanced levels are essential if we are genuinely to experience good health and vitality.

Energy peaks and troughs

It’s important to know that our energy level won’t remain constant throughout the day; there will be natural dips. In fact, scientists have identified 2.16 p.m. as the time most of us experience an energy dip, so if you get a slump around this time it does not mean that anything is ‘wrong’.

Some energy lows are of our own doing – caused by those late nights or too much caffeine – but the conductor of our energy levels is a cluster of cells that lie deep within our brains, directing our daily release of hormones, our shifts in body temperature and our blood pressure. This conductor produces what are called ‘circadian rhythms’.

Research has shown that one of the most powerful regulators of our internal body clock or circadian rhythm is light. When photoreceptors in our eyes and other places absorb light, they send a signal to our brains to stop producing melatonin, the so-called sleep hormone. With light comes a cessation of melatonin production, and our gradually increasing body temperature makes us feel alert. During the day our temperature fluctuates, rising in the mid-morning, hitting a low at around 3 p.m. and then rising again in mid-afternoon; this could explain why we often get a second wind around this time. By 11 p.m., when the lights are usually turned off, melatonin production starts and temperature, heart rate and blood pressure drop in preparation for sleep.

It’s important to understand the physical rhythms that guide our days so we can learn to make the most of energy peaks and prepare ourselves for energy troughs. One way to keep track is to have an energy diary and write down the times when you feel alert or tired during the day. Once you are aware of your ‘downtime’, you can plan your life accordingly. For example, if you get a slump at around 3 p.m. you can avoid planning meetings at that time – or use some of the instant pick-me-up tips on pages 175–89. If, however, you find that your energy is constantly low or that you have more troughs than peaks during the day, your energy levels are lower than they should be.

Symtoms of low energy

Symptoms of low energy vary from person to person. In general when your energy is low, although you may be able to cope with your normal routine, you’ve lost that spring in your step and anything that requires a little more effort tires you quickly. You may often simply wake up tired and just have a general feeling of being out of sorts.

To rate your energy levels, answer the following questions:

☐ When you wake up in the morning, do you drag yourself reluctantly out of bed?

☐ Do you find yourself longing for an afternoon nap in the morning?

☐ At the end of the day, is slumping in front of the TV all that you want to do?

☐ During meetings do you easily become distracted or bored, or find it hard to keep your eyes open?

☐ Do you sometimes feel that you haven’t got the energy to get through the day?

☐ Do you fall asleep the moment your head hits the pillow?

☐ Do you often feel so wound up that it is hard to get to sleep?

☐ Does seeing or talking to friends seem like a huge effort sometimes?

☐ Is it hard to remember things or to concentrate at work?

☐ Do you find yourself getting worked up or impatient about the smallest things?

☐ Do you need caffeine or other stimulants to help you through the day?

☐ Are you susceptible to colds and other minor illnesses?

☐ Do you find it difficult to raise much enthusiasm for doing anything at all?

☐ Is it hard for you to accept or deal with change?

☐ Has it been a few weeks since you had a good laugh?

If you have ticked more than two boxes, this suggests that your energy levels are lower than they should be.

The causes of low energy: energy-drainers

Low energy is a concept that’s hard to define. Everyone will have their own idea of what being tired means, and we all feel tired once in a while; but if you feel that you have lost some of your zest for life, your energy levels are lower than they should be and you need to find out why.

Identifying what is causing your energy to dip is important because once you know what is robbing you of your vitality, you can then take steps to avoid it or manage it positively.

In most cases there is not one single cause that contributes to low energy, but a combination of several factors. Listed below are some of the most common energy-drainers including poor-quality sleep, unhealthy eating, lack of exercise, environmental factors, stress and underlying medical conditions. Review the information and use it to help you recognise your most common energy-drainers so that you can make positive changes to your diet and/or lifestyle, or seek medical advice. Then you are all set to re-energise yourself by cultivating the energy-boosting advice from page 41 onwards.

Sleep deprivation

Not getting a good night’s sleep is a common reason for low energy during the day. Between 7 and 8 hours of quality sleep a night is what most people need. Anything less than that and your immune system and your body’s battery-boosting systems suffer. This can lead to poor concentration, erratic judgement, slow reaction times, memory problems and poor physical performance, as well as mood swings and irritability.

Your sleep–waking cycle is regulated by the stimulus of sunrise and sunset, but a frantic and unhealthy lifestyle can upset your body clock, causing sleeping problems, fatigue and chronic sleep deprivation. It is certainly possible to train yourself to get by on less sleep, but during sleep both body and brain are restored, rejuvenated and re-energized. So why would you skimp on such a valuable energy-boosting resource? To find out if you are getting enough quality sleep, do any of the following apply to you?

 Needing an alarm clock to wake up.

 Falling asleep within 5 minutes of getting into bed.

 Trouble getting out of bed in the mornings.

 Drowsiness during the day and especially around 4 p.m..

 Dozing off while watching TV, after a heavy lunch, or in a public place such as a meeting or at work.

 Excessive yawning.

 Need for caffeine and stimulants to get through the day.

If two or more items on this list apply to you, this suggests a lack of good-quality sleep. You should pay particular attention to the good sleep advice on pages 42–56.

Unhealthy diet

A well-balanced, healthy diet is essential for high energy levels. At its most basic level, what you eat and drink is the fuel that your body and brain need to function at their 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 foods 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 midday 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 and coffee 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. You should therefore pay particular attention to the diet-related energy-boosting tips on pages 57–91.

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 that you haven’t got time to exercise?

 Is your favourite hobby channel-surfing from the couch?

 Do you circle the parking lot for 5 minutes instead of parking in the first spot you see and taking a 5-minute walk?

 Do you spend most of the day at your desk or indoors?

 When you sit down do you slump almost immediately?

If there is more than one ‘yes’ answer, your lifestyle may be the cause of your energy roller-coaster and you should pay special attention to the boosting energy with exercise tips on pages 92–109.

Toxic environment

Your body creates energy not just from nutrients but from oxygen and even positive emotions; therefore your energy levels will be affected by the space around you and the state of mind you are in. The room you work in, the energy in your home, the environment outside your office or house – all these have an effect on the way you feel and the amount of energy you expend in keeping going. For example, if you are constantly exposed to packed streets, buses, trains, car fumes, busy shops, clutter and lack of natural light and greenery, your body and mind are being bombarded with energy-draining stimuli. On the other hand, nature, in particular green leafy forests, clean air and surroundings that are calm and uplifting, can re-energise you.

Hidden energy-zappers such as pollution, additives, preservatives, environmental toxins, watching too much TV (which can suppress production of the sleep hormone) and excessive use of mobile phones and computers, can all drain your energy. Lack of fresh air by staying too long indoors and depriving yourself of energising oxygen is another contributing factor.

If you think that the environment you live and work in may be draining your resources, pay attention to the energy tips on pages 110–43.

Stress

Stress is a major cause of low energy and can affect you mentally, physically and emotionally. It’s well known that many illnesses are stress related, including digestive disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, respiratory problems such as asthma, high blood pressure and tension headaches.

Heavy workloads or trying to fit in as many tasks as possible can cause a great deal of stress. Many people are constantly working against the clock and this can slowly sap energy and enthusiasm, resulting in dependency on stimulants such as caffeine to get you through the day and alcohol to help you unwind at night. The benefits of these are fleeting and the adverse effects are long term. Juggling the needs of family and work can crank up the pressure, as can financial worries, relationship problems, feeling lonely and other personal problems that drag you down.

If you do feel that you are more anxious and stressed than you should be and that this is making you feel drained and tired, pay particular attention to the energy tips on pages 171–74.

Boredom

Too much stress will drain your energy, but what is often overlooked is that a certain amount of stress is essential for a healthy, happy life. In moderation, stress sharpens your reflexes, heightens your responses and gives you the energy to cope with demanding and difficult situations. If your life were totally stress-free you wouldn’t have challenges. Life would be predictable. You wouldn’t have to adjust to change. You wouldn’t ever feel pressured. You and everyone else you know would be nice and content. And you’d all be lacking in energy and dying of boredom.

If you want to avoid stress totally you may as well start looking for a coffin. Feeling bored and unchallenged or stuck in a rut is just as draining mentally and emotionally as being burdened down with stress. You need a certain amount of challenge and tension in your life to feel alive. So if you’re lacking in energy, take a careful look at your life and see where you can give yourself greater challenge and stimulation. Perhaps it’s time to learn a new language, review your career or take up a new hobby? You should also pay particular attention to the energy tips on pages 171–74.

Pessimism

Negative mental and emotional states such as fear, guilt, anger, anxiety, loneliness and worry may be the biggest energy-drainers of them all, increasing your risk not just of fatigue and unhappiness but of poor health in general. Although a positive attitude may not be a cure-all, studies do suggest that patients who are positive and optimistic experience fewer, less severe symptoms and recover more quickly than pessimistic, negative thinkers. People who think positively also seem to have a better overall quality of life.

Bear in mind that negativity in others can also sap your strength. Listening to someone you know complain or moan constantly about the weather, their workload or life in general is a real downer. To preserve your energy, distance yourself from people like that as much as possible. If you can’t, disarm them with your positive and upbeat approach. Although relationships with people who have a glass-half-empty approach to life can wear you out, don’t forget that relationships with people who understand the importance of give and take can be a source of great happiness. The secret is to set boundaries and to learn to say ‘no’ when you are stretched too thinly.

Negative thoughts seem to breed and produce more negative thoughts, causing a downward spiral. If you tend to be a pessimist by nature, catch yourself whenever you have a negative thought and try to turn it around into a positive statement. It will be hard at first, but if you keep repeating the positive statements, they will begin to take hold and grow.

If you are prone to worry and negativity, as well as eating healthily and getting the mood-boosting effects of regular exercise (preferably in the fresh air), you should pay particular attention to the energy tips on pages 159–70.

Energy-draining medical conditions

For the great majority of people who suffer from low energy levels, diet and lifestyle factors are chiefly to blame. It is important to bear in mind, however, that many hidden diseases and disorders can also trigger fatigue.

Listed below are the conditions that are most commonly associated with low energy levels. If your fatigue interferes with the quality of your life for more than three weeks and can’t be explained by diet and lifestyle habits, you should see a doctor without delay. This is particularly important if you are suffering from additional symptoms such as night sweats, weight change, breathlessness, pale mucous membranes in the nose and mouth, blood in faeces or urine, swollen lymph glands, irregular or absent periods, or constant thirst.

Fatigue is a good enough reason for you to seek your doctor’s advice. Persistent fatigue should never be ignored in the hope that it will go away.

Iron-deficiency anaemia

Around 4 million women in the UK suffer from anaemia caused by lack of iron, but the syndrome may also occur in men.

Iron is essential to the formation of haemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component of red blood cells. A nutritional deficiency of iron can lead to low blood haemoglobin levels and a reduced supply of oxygen to organs, tissues and cells. Inadequate oxygen supplies immediately inhibit your body’s energy production and can result in fatigue, apathy, irritability, a racing heart rate and shortness of breath. In other words, your body needs iron to produce red blood cells and carry oxygen around your body; without it you’ll feel lethargic no matter how much sleep you get.

If you suffer from tiredness and heavy periods, ask your doctor for a blood test to determine your iron levels. To reduce the risk of anaemia, make sure you eat a balanced diet with plenty of green vegetables. Don’t take iron supplements unless advised to by your doctor, as the best way to get your iron is from your diet.

Undiagnosed diabetes

According to the Healthcare Commission, thousands of people in the UK may be unaware that they have diabetes. This is partly to do with high-sugar diets, obesity and sedentary lifestyles. Diabetes occurs when the amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood is too high and your body is unable to convert it into energy because there is not enough insulin or the insulin produced isn’t working properly. The body then breaks down its stores of fat and protein to try to release more glucose, and the problem gets worse. This is why people with untreated diabetes can often feel tired and lose weight. Other symptoms include urinating often and extreme thirst.

To rule out diabetes, ask your doctor for a blood test. If the test is negative for diabetes then your tiredness might be caused by your blood sugar levels. Cravings for starchy, sweet or fatty foods can mean you have a blood sugar imbalance. To keep your blood sugar levels steady avoid sugar and refined, processed foods as well as juices, cigarettes and caffeine. Eat every 3 hours and load up on wholegrains, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and foods that are as fresh, natural and as unprocessed as possible.

Underactive thyroid

Your thyroid works by producing the hormones which control metabolism and regulate energy levels. If your thyroid produces too little of these hormones, you feel tired. You might gain weight, your skin and hair will feel dry, and you may also feel depressed.

To rule out problems with your thyroid, ask your doctor for a thyroid test. If you have an underactive thyroid, he or she will prescribe medication to boost your hormone levels. You should also exercise regularly and eat a diet high in fruit, vegetables, fish and seaweed, while avoiding alcohol and cigarettes.

Food intolerances

One in 10 people in the UK has a food intolerance that can cause lethargy and irritability. Food intolerances trigger an immune response which uses up a huge amount of energy, and the most common food culprits are wheat, dairy products and sugar. So if your lunch was a cheese sandwich on wholewheat bread with a bar of chocolate, your body may be using up energy simply digesting your meal rather than converting it into energy.

If you suspect that you have a food intolerance, keep a food diary for a few weeks and see if there is a connection between your tiredness and a specific food. Common offenders are dairy products, soy, corn and gluten (found in wheat and other grains). Try eliminating the food that you suspect is making you feel tired and see if this makes a difference. Alternatively, you can ask your doctor to give you a blood test to check for food allergies.

Other common causes of fatigue

Sinusitis: An infection of the sinuses that is caused by irritation due to allergies, or by bacterial infection. Symptoms include stuffy nose, headache and fatigue, which are so similar to cold symptoms it can be hard to know what is going on. This perhaps explains why sinusitis is one of the most common causes of fatigue – millions of people suffer in silence.

PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome): If you’re a woman and, despite eating healthily, you find that the weight is piling on, you may be suffering from PCOS, which can affect as many as 1 in 5 women. Fatigue and weight gain are symptoms of this under-diagnosed condition, in which the ovaries and sometimes the adrenal glands, for unknown reasons, pump out too much male hormone. Thinning hair, insulin resistance, excess facial hair, severe acne, irregular periods and impaired fertility are other symptoms. To rule out PCOS, make an appointment with your doctor and discuss the possibility of PCOS as a cause for your fatigue. If you are diagnosed with the condition, the good news is that, as with diabetes – and hypertension or high blood pressure – PCOS can be successfully managed with a low glycaemic diet and lifestyle changes. Patients may also be considered for treatment with a diabetes medicine called Metformin, especially if they’re overweight. It seems to reduce excess male hormones and balance blood sugar levels.

Hypertension: Recent research has linked sleep disorders and chronic tiredness to high blood pressure. Like diabetes, high blood pressure or hypertension is a silent disease, and you may not be aware that you have it. This is another reason why regular check-ups with your doctor or GP are advised.

Sleep apnoea: Sleep disorders such as sleep apnoea can seriously disrupt sleep and cause chronic fatigue during the day. A person with sleep apnoea has breathing problems when they are sleeping, and this can cause loud snoring and frequent night waking.

Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS): CFS is a recognised medical condition that causes exhaustion and fatigue without any clear causal factors. There is no hard-and-fast test for this syndrome, but it is diagnosed ‘by exclusion’. This means that if doctors have tested for everything else without success, this is the only possibility left. Chronic fatigue is nonetheless a real condition. Although it is not directly treatable, it can be managed well enough to allow people to return to good health in time.

Depression: One of the most common symptoms of depression is fatigue. If your energy is low from a busy lifestyle, you’re generally going to recognise the value of what you are doing with your life, even if it is exhausting. The hallmarks of depression are feelings of helplessness, hopelessness and the inability to do anything about it. So if you start to feel that there is nothing you can do but give up and this feeling doesn’t go away after two weeks, it’s usually time to see your doctor or a therapist.

Medication: Many over-the-counter medications and prescription medicines have fatigue as a side effect. Antihistamines, beta-blockers, antidepressants and cholesterol medications, among others, could be causing tiredness, so if you are on any medication and are constantly feeling tired, be sure to make an appointment with your doctor to discuss the side effects of your medication and to suggest possible alternatives.

Weight gain: You probably don’t need reminding that carrying excess weight increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes, aches and pains, and poor health in general. You may need reminding, however, that weight gain is a major cause of chronic tiredness. Carrying all that excess weight around is exhausting. If you need to lose weight, the first and most important rule is to never go on a diet. Crash diets, however tempting they may sound, are not the answer. Although you may lose weight initially, the chances are you’ll end up putting it all back on again. Quick-fix and faddy diets don’t teach you how to change your eating habits on a long-term basis, which is what you really need to do if you’re going to keep the weight off. So forget about dieting, fad or otherwise, and think about a whole new way of eating.

Successful dieters are not people who are on a diet at all, but those who learn how to eat plenty of healthy, fresh food rich in nutrients that can boost their metabolism and energy, and who get plenty of energy-boosting exercise every day.

Clock change: Twice every year the clocks go either forward or back one hour. This can create problems falling asleep as it tinkers with your body clock. You may experience fatigue and loss of energy and symptoms similar to mild jet lag. To make the transition a little less tiring, begin to re-jig your sleeping routine a few days before the time change by hitting the sack earlier (for the Spring clock change) or later (for the Autumn change). You could start by going to bed 15 minutes earlier or later, and then the next night 30 minutes and so on. You could also reorganise your mealtime schedule by eating dinner earlier or later. Once the clocks have changed, get at least 15 minutes’ exposure to sunlight, without glasses on, first thing in the morning. The bright sunlight (or any bright light) tells your body’s natural biological clock that it’s time to wake up; that same clock will then be set to tell your body it’s time to go to sleep about 14 to 16 hours later. Finally, maintain an easier schedule on the Monday after the time change, and try to minimise driving on that day.

If in doubt about the cause of constant fatigue see your doctor. In the great majority of cases tiredness is not caused by an underlying illness, but if you don’t know why you’re always tired, it may be increasing your risk of becoming ill. More and more scientific studies are showing correlations between tiredness with a variety of serious diseases, including hypertension, diabetes, lupus and depression. So if your tiredness has gone on for more than two or three weeks, be sure to make an appointment with your doctor for a health check.

The energy solution

The causes of low energy can be many and varied, and getting a good night’s sleep may not always provide the answer. In fact, getting too much sleep can be just as harmful as getting too little. However, if medical reasons for your tiredness have been ruled out and your energy is still persistently low, it is time to make simple but important changes to your diet and lifestyle.

Nothing has a more profound effect on your life than your energy. Remember, your energy levels are not determined at birth. They depend on what you eat and drink, and how you choose to think and live. You have more control of your zest levels than you think.

The 100 energy boosters that follow will help give you the right fuel and all the advice you need to reinvigorate yourself both in the short and long term. They will help you meet the demands and challenges of your daily life with energy and enthusiasm, and in the process improve your health, reduce stress, smooth out wrinkles and help you become a more energetic, relaxed and alive person.

PART TWO: 100 ENERGY BOOSTERS

You don’t have to work through the 100 energy boosters in any particular order; just dive into the sections that feel right to you. Whichever way you choose to incorporate them into your life, rest assured that each and every energy booster will bring out the latent but abundant energy resources within you.

Hopefully you will find enough suggestions and ideas in here to put the spring back into your step and the zest back into your life.

Boost energy with a good night’s sleep
1 Beat the clock

Steady energy levels are among the acknowledged benefits of a good night’s sleep. If you need an alarm clock to wake up in the morning, you aren’t getting enough re-energising sleep. If, however, you can anticipate your alarm clock by waking up 5 to 30 minutes before it goes off feeling naturally refreshed, chances are you are getting a good night’s sleep.

If you find it impossible to get out of bed without an alarm, don’t change the time you rise. Instead, go to bed half an hour earlier than usual for the next week to give your biological clock a chance to reset. If you still need an alarm clock after a week, add 15 to 30 more minutes to your sleep time for another week. Keep going until you can wake without the alarm and feel alert and energetic all day.

2 Bounce out of bed (at 7.22 a.m.)

Many of us try to make up for lost sleep by staying in bed longer on days off and weekends, but these lie-ins might be doing you more harm than good. Your brain does not have a different biological clock for weekdays and weekends. If you have a long lie-in on Sunday you are likely to stay up until the small hours of Monday morning. A few hours later the alarm clock will disturb your peaceful slumber and you’ll start your day feeling sleepy and fuzzy-headed.

Sleep experts believe that 6 to 8 hours’ sleep is optimum for most people. And if you want to enjoy maximum health and vitality, your sleep must be regular. This means getting up and going to bed at the same time each day, including weekends.

So on days off, don’t stay in bed. It’s far healthier to get up when you wake up naturally. Research shows that those who get up early feel more alert than those who rise later. In fact, 7.22 a.m. was the precise time experts pinpointed, so – if you can – avoid burning the midnight oil and let the morning sun shine in.

3 Make the most of doziness

In the few moments before you are fully awake, you’re in what is called a ‘hypnopompic state’ – about the closest you can get to being hypnotised without nodding off. Your body is awake but your brain is highly suggestive to whatever thoughts you want to plant there. So turn on your back (you’re less likely to fall asleep again in this position) and focus on three things you are looking forward to that day. Even if it is just your first cup of tea, focusing on small positives helps you start the day optimistic and full of energy.

It doesn’t matter if you don’t feel like bounding out of bed. Just think about what you have to look forward to that day or what you want to achieve, and then just get up. The thoughts you think on waking can set the tone for the whole day. Tell yourself it’s going to be a wonderful day and good things are going to happen. It can seem an effort at first, but after a few attempts you will feel more in control of your life and more energised.

4 Bed MOT

A good night’s sleep often depends on how comfortable your bed is. Studies show that, on average, people with uncomfortable beds sleep 1 to 2 hours less at night than those with comfortable beds.

If your bed is fewer than 8 years old, a mattress-topper – a comfortable, supportive layer that sits on top of your mattress – can be the perfect solution. If your bed is older than 8, it will definitely need replacing.

When buying a new mattress, check that it supports your body at all points. If you aren’t getting enough support you’ll get back pain, but a mattress that’s too hard can create uncomfortable pressure. There is nothing wrong with a soft mattress as long as it gives you enough support, especially in the small of your back and under your knees. The ideal mattress should keep your spine in alignment and distribute pressure evenly across your body. A mattress has to be soft enough to fill in the gap under your lower back, but not so soft that it sags completely under your weight.

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