The winter blahs can lead to many of us feeling low on energy, but fortunately there are plenty of natural approaches to improving energy. The key to improving energy will differ from person to person and this has a lot to do with the underlying causes of energy loss and can often not be remedied with a magic pill.

1) Lack of exercise

According to the American Heart foundation sitting is the new smoking!  A 2011 study documented 800,000 people and their sitting habits. The study found that people who sit the most, compared to people who sit the least, have a greater risk of disease and death with causal factors including:

• 112% increased risk of diabetes.
• 147% increased risk of cardiovascular events like heart attack and stroke and subsequently a 90% increased risk of death from these cardiovascular events.

We as humans were not built to sit all day, we were meant to hunt & move. We have muscles and joints that are designed to be used regularly, and the more we move, the better we feel, even if we start off a bit creaky and stiff! Movement is medicine and when we exercise, this improves oxygen and blood flow to our cells, helps alleviate stress, supports hormone balance and helps balance our blood sugar. Ironically the less we exercise the worse we feel, our energy drops and we want to exercise even less! Thus creating a downward spiral which can be hard to climb out of. So nip it in the bud and move everyday. It is better to move everyday than just once a week, even its only 30 minutes a day, that’s better than no minutes a day.

2) Poor nutrition

As we age we need fewer calories and more nutrients. Our metabolisms slow down, we move less, some of us are retired and moving less than when we worked, we sometimes gain weight and we sometimes eat poorly and without stating the obvious, yes we are what we eat. Therefore if we have diet that is low in nutrients, we will feel depleted and lacking in energy as the body doesn't have enough ingredients to make or repair cells. Our bodies need magnesium and B-complex vitamins for producing energy, but levels of these can be quite low in refined foods, overcooked or over-processed foods. Foods that are highly processed such as refined carbohydrates can send our bodies on the ups and downs of a sugar roller coaster (commonly known as a sugar high and sugar crash) leaving us feeling utterly depleted, irritable, tired & unfocused.

Restrictive diets also contribute to poor nutrition. If too many food groups are excluded or the variety eaten is slim this can lead to all sorts of nutrient deficiencies and ultimately to malnutrition, thus putting more pressure on a body system that is already struggling due the lack of variety of of the nutrients needed. Sometimes avoiding food groups or certain foods is necessary due to ethical/ religious beliefs, allergies or intolerance, it is really important to open up your food world to include as much colour, variety & textures as possible. Remember we have 3 food groups, proteins, carbohydrates & fat, they key is to include and recognise the good guys in this list (eg, good fats – avocados, olive oil, nuts seeds etc). And if there are certain foods you simply cannot eat or tolerate, taking supplements is a good alternative.

Quite often the most common nutrient deficiency is iron and low iron levels can contribute to us feeling unmotivated, fatigued, weak and tired, yet correcting this  is simple and can have a profound effect on energy levels. Women are prone to low iron levels and if you're experiencing fatigue you might want to consider checking your iron levels as well as testing for thyroid function, this is another cause of fatigue in women.

In part 2 of this article, we will talk about how other factors affects our energy levels and how we can improve functionality of both the body and the mind.

We can provide nutritional & exercise advice to finding the best balance for your body. So if you want more energy, want to feel better or just want to talk to someone, simply pop in to, or call, VaVa Complementary Health and Wellbeing, and let us take care of you.

Namaste,  Ashlí

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