Wake-up calls to fight fatigue

WITH barely eight hours of daylight now winter is here, many people find themselves feeling increasingly tired.

But there are several ways you can get a lethargy-busting energy boost without endless coffees.

Diet, sleep patterns and time spent outdoors can all impact on your energy levels – and small changes make a big difference.

Here nutritionist Sarah Flower shares some caffeine-free fixes.

Dehydration can make you tired, lethargic and trigger headaches if you are not drinking enough water, especially in a centrally heated room with little fresh air all day.

Keeping hydrated aids the movement of nutrients around the system.

This helps maintain energy levels and keeps your body working more efficiently.

When the temperature drops it is normal to reach for carbohydrateheavy foods to comfort-eat. But while eating sugar and refined carbohydrates will give you an initial energy boost, your blood sugar quickly drops to leave you feeling worse.

Keep your blood sugar balanced by opting for a diet rich in vegetables, complex carbohydrates, good protein and healthy fats.

Nutrient-rich foods like nuts, yeast extract, eggs, liver, beef, sardines, wheat germ and brown rice can also beat low energy and depression. hormones. Over-stimulation of the adrenals can lead to chronic fatigue.

This directs vital energy and your body’s resources away from activities such as digestion and reproduction and towards the heart and limb muscles.

The adrenals also release cortisol as part of your stress response, which is involved in the regulation of both blood sugar and pressure, immune responses and inflammation processes.

Omega 3 fish oils are also known to both relieve stress and anxiety and to regulate inflammation, so taking a pill or spoonful of fish oil a day can help your body perform to the best of its ability.

Whether it is a brisk walk in your lunch break or a run in the park, getting outside and moving can help to reduce stress, boost energy, reduce blood pressure and lift your mood.

Getting outdoors will help top up your vitamin D from sun exposure. But getting enough during the short winter days is difficult, so take a daily D3 supplement. Sleep is the most obvious way of combating fatigue but getting enough quality shut-eye is crucial as it is the body’s time to repair, restore and regulate itself. Aim to be fully asleep by midnight so the body can realign hormones levels over the next four hours. Using electronic devices such as phones or tablets before bedtime is also warned against. It can i mpede production of melatonin, which helps you get a good night’s sleep.

Ginseng is hailed as an all- healing herb in Chinese medicine because it is believed to improve cognitive function, memory, energy levels and mood.

Herbal remedies such as Power Health’s Power Ginseng, for £7.90 from www.powerhealth.co.uk, are effective in boosting energy.

They can also help restore and enhance memory while improving your mood.

If you are still struggling with fatigue despite a good diet and sleep, speak to your GP to rule out any underlying health issues.

A blood test will reveal if your levels of iron, B12, thyroid and adrenal f unction could be contributing to your fatigue.