More Energy
Dragging yourself around the park before work might be the last thing you want to do when you’re feeling drained, but it pays to resist the snooze button. Exercise triggers the release of invigorating neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine and dopamine, while also boosting blood flow to the brain. In one study, 10 minutes simply walking up and down stairs proved a better booster shot than 50mg of caffeine.
Be wary of overdoing it, though. One major cause of fatigue is stress, says Wilson Pinho, a trainer and nutrition consultant based at London’s E by Equinox gym. When prolonged, this can cause a malfunction whereby your body is constantly pumping out excess cortisol. “In this state, upping your exercise will only make your body more stressed.”
Use a smartwatch to measure your heart rate, body temperature and heart-rate variability in the morning. If your heart rate is trending up while the other two metrics are trending down, you might need to ease up on your training. In other words? An active daily routine is always beneficial, while a punishing home/gym workout schedule isn’t.
A targeted diet is a more reliable energiser.
For optimal mental and physical stamina, Pinho recommends a macro split of 30% protein, 30% fat and 40% carbs. “Low-carb diets can cause a drop in energy,” he cautions. Include high-fibre foods such as wholegrains, beans, lentils and potatoes in every meal to drip-feed your body energy throughout the day.
As a bonus, they’ll help you build the hormone serotonin, for easier sleep.
Next, eliminate vitality sapping micronutrient deficiencies by ensuring that you’re getting enough magnesium (wholegrains, leafy greens), iodine
(seafood, iodised salt), vitamin D (fatty fish, eggs) and B12 (red meat, shellfish), supplementing wherever you need to.
Finally, if you’re also working towards weight loss, try shrinking your calorie deficit, so you’re eating closer to your maintenance target – because there’s little point in acquiring abs and biceps if you’re too knackered to give them a showing.
The Decider Diet