Still dancing after at MoreMusic’s Soul Salutation last night? Had a busy week? You’re going to need all the energy you can muster – so ditch the caffeine and ditch the sugar, and get on board with my top 5 energy boosters for that all natural high.
Vegetable Juice – drinking some fresh vegetable juice is a great way to boost energy levels quickly. Usually I’m all for adding fibre into the diet, as most of us don’t get enough, however, losing the vegetable fibre during juicing makes the nutrients easier to digest and absorb. Essentially, because the body has less work to do to reap the juicy benefits, you’ll get a super booster charge of energy. Not only that, drinking fresh veggie juice also helps to eliminate toxins and other waste materials from the body that could be making you feel sluggish – bonus!
B vitamins – B vitamins are not known as the ‘energy vitamins’ for no reason! Because the B complex vitamins are water soluble, it means that the body does not store them, so it is vital you are getting enough from your diet. These important vitamins help to convert food into fuel so that the body can produce energy, and each B vitamin plays a unique role in metabolising the food we eat. Top food sources of B vits include organic grass-fed beef, liver, sardines, salmon, nutritional yeast, eggs, wholegrains, dark green leafy veggies, beans, and legumes.
Herbal teas – herbal teas are a great and simple way to give yourself a healthy burst of energy without over-stimulating on the coffee. Green tea and matcha green tea are some of my favourites, not only will it give you that energy kick you’re after, but it’s also loaded with free-radical fighting antioxidants, and contains L-theanine, a stress and anxiety busting amino acid – so you get the energy high without that wired feeling! Rooibos red bush tea is also effective at beating fatigue and keeping energy levels high – refreshing, antioxidant rich, and adrenal supporting – everything you need when you’re going to be burning lots of energy!
Complex carbs – swap your simple, processed, refined carbohydrates, for complex ones. While carbohydrates do provide the body with energy, simple ones burn their energy super quick, and then can leave you heading for a sugar crash and feeling sluggish. Complex carbs, such as sweet potato, squash, brown rice, quinoa, fibrous veg, nuts, and legumes, take a much slower time to burn through the body, supplying you with a nice steady stream of energy, and stabilising blood sugar levels, which means no dreaded sugar highs and no sugar crashes.
Peppermint essential oil – even just the smell of peppermint essential oil can be stimulating, but there is actually science behind it I’ll have you know. This refreshing oil works by increasing the amount of oxygen to the brain, which in turn stimulates the mind and increases focus. A quick and simple tip is to put a few drops on your wrists when you feel your energy dipping, or add a few drops to a steam diffuser