Fatigue got you down? These simple steps will power you up to keep you going all day, and keep your body running like a well-oiled machine.
Energy. We could all do with a little more of it. But life doesn’t have to be about struggling from latte to latte. These nutritious, affordable additions to your diet will keep you going for hours, without sugar crashes and hunger pangs.
Eat Proteins For Breakfast
Swap those high-sugar cereals, syrup-soaked pancakes and sweet buns for a plate of eggs and grilled meat or even a tuna salad. Eating lean protein for your morning meal helps fuel metabolism, so you burn more calories throughout the day. Studies have found that high-protein breakfasts make people feel fuller and less hungry as the day progresses, so you are less prone to reaching for unhealthy foods.
Make Your Own Super Energy Trail Mix
Store-bought trail mix is often high in sugary ingredients like crystallised pineapple, marshmallows and M&Ms. Mix your own for sustained energy to keep you sailing through the day.
Dark Choc Chips
A healthy indulgence high in antioxidants and minerals like magnesium that gives the body energy it can use instantly.
Unsweetened Dried Fruit
Try dried apples, cranberries, apricots or the super energy-boosting goji berries (also known as wolfberries). Keep these to less than one-quarter of the mix to avoid a sugar spike.
Seeds
Pumpkin seeds are powerhouses of protein, phosphorous, zinc, B vitamins, and vitamins E and K. Sunflower seeds contain selenium which promotes DNA repair and magnesium to build bones and lower blood pressure.
Nuts
Besides being protein-dense, nuts such as walnuts, cashews and almonds contain monounsaturated fat that helps lower bad cholesterol levels, omega-3 fatty acids that help the heart and reduce inflammation, vitamin E for skin and artery health, and fibre which keeps hunger in check.
The Superfood Shopping List
Keep this on hand when you next go grocery shopping for guaranteed servings of antioxidants, essential for guaranteed servings of antioxidants, essential minerals and disease-fighting compounds.
Yellow and Orange Vegetables – Pumpkin, sweet potato and squash not only provide fibre-rich carbohydrates that keep you feeling full longer, they provide a boost of the powerful antioxidant beta-carotene to protect against cancer and ageing.
Organic Greens – Consuming fresh organic greens is one of the most nourishing things you can do for your body. Mega nutrient-dense are watercress, chard, beet greens, and spinach. Others like lettuce, kale, collards, dandelion leaves and mustard greens are also infused with cancer-fighting antioxidants including beta-carotene, vitamin C, and sulforaphane. Spinach provides folate, which research shows can sharpen short-term memory and lower your risk of heart disease and cancer by slowing down wear and tear on your DNA.
Berries – Their disease-fighting phytochemicals boost immunity, prevent cancer and protect the heart. Berries are lower in sugar than many fruits, so less likely to cause insulin level spikes.
Sprouts – These provide some of the highest quality protein and can contain up to 30 times the nutrient content of homegrown organic vegetables. Alfalfa, mung bean, wheatgrass, pea, broccoli and lentil sprouts are good options.
