Natural remedies to boost energy and wellbeing

Put the spring back into your step with simple dietary and lifestyle changes, plus plenty of supplements to get you bursting with energy

With winter in full force, many of us start to feel run down, lacking in energy and prone to colds. Sometimes this is linked to low moods, as part of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), but often it is just the general malaise of winter.

• Choosing the right foods
• Energy drainers
• How your lifestyle can help
• Supplements to put the zing back

What are the common culprits for low energy?

• overexertion
• anxiety
• following a too-strict slimming diet
• lack of exercise
• pregnancy and breastfeeding
• looking after young children
• high-pressured job
• poor quality sleep
• low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) from irregular meals
• winter malaise

Choosing the right foods to pep you up
If you eat the right food types, you'll get plenty of energy from your diet. Eat the wrong foods however, and you will quickly feel bloated, sluggish and fatigued.

Foods that pep you up tend to be those that are recommended for healthy eating, such as:

• green leafy veg such as broccoli, spinach, rocket, mixed salad leaves
• salad stuff such as peppers, celery, raw carrots, radishes, tomatoes, avocados
• legumes such as lentils, kidney beans, soya
• fresh fruits such as apples, blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, grapes
• oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, herrings, sardines
• nuts - especially walnuts - and seeds
• whole grains
• olive and walnut oils

Drink plenty of fluids, preferably mineral water or herbal teas.

Eat little and often (be a grazer not a gorger) and try to cut back on your overall carb intake - low-glycaemic eating undoubtedly boosts energy levels by minimising blood glucose swings.

In contrast, foods that can drain your energy levels and drag you down when blood glucose levels plummet after the initial high include:

• fatty, sugary snacks such as doughnuts, pastries
• fatty, salty snacks such as crisps, pork pies
• cakes, biscuits and confectionery
• alcohol - stick to a maximum of one glass of red wine daily if possible