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

The energy drainer
Caffeine is recognised as an energy drainer if you overindulge, leading to restlessness, insomnia, headache, anxiety and fatigue. Paradoxically, small amounts can increase endurance and exercise performance - possibly because it helps muscle cells to burn fatty acids as fuel.

Keep your caffeine intake to a minimum - no more than two to three cups per day if you have winter malaise. A person weighing 11 stone (70kg) who drinks more than six caffeinated drinks a day (e.g. six cups of coffee) is at risk of caffeine poisoning.

How your lifestyle can help
For maximum energy, you need to balance a healthy diet and lifestyle. Here are some suggestions to help you get on track:

1. Take control of your life - don't be put upon; learn to say 'no' and mean it when unreasonable demands are made
2. Take regular breaks - get up, walk around the office, take deep breaths and stretch
3. Take a power nap if you need it during the day
4. Take regular exercise to boost energy storage and production inside muscle cells
5. Get out in the fresh air and natural daylight as much as possible
6. Relax - treat yourself to a massage, a facial, or a soak in an aromatherapy bath. Just sitting down quietly a listening to music by candlelight, or finding a quiet spot to read a book will help
7. Get plenty of refreshing sleep - keep a window ajar at night to allow oxygen to circulate

Supplements to put the zing back
If your energy levels are low, take a multivitamin and mineral supplement containing around 100 per cent of the recommended daily amount (RDA) of as many micronutrients as possible as a nutritional safety net to guard against deficiencies.

B group vitamins: Some evidence suggests that people with chronic fatigue may be lacking in B vitamins, especially B6. Nutritional therapists often use supplements containing vitamin-B complex to treat low energy levels.

Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA): This is a vitamin-like antioxidant that acts as a co-enzyme with B-group vitamins to speed metabolic reactions that are needed for energy.

Co-enzyme Q10 (CoQ10): This is essential for energy production in cells. One study involving 15 middle-aged men found that taking oral supplements of CoQ10 increased exercise tolerance and vigour.

Evening primrose oil: Take evening primrose oil (500 mg - 1000 mg per day) to gain essential fatty acids (EFAs) often lacking from your diet. EFAs are shown to have significant beneficial effects in 70 to 80 per cent of people with chronic fatigue.

Guarana: This is a complex of natural stimulants, including guaranine (almost identical to caffeine but has a slow-release effect in the body). Guarana is used to increase alertness, energy levels and relieve fatigue.

Kelp: A nutritious seaweed containing vitamins, minerals, essential amino acids and trace elements. It is traditionally taken to help maintain energy levels as it's a good source of iodine (a trace element needed for the manufacture of thyroid hormones).

Kelp may be beneficial for those whose lack of energy is linked with poor iodine intakes. It should only be taken under supervision of a medical herbalist in anyone with known thyroid disease, however.

Magnesium: Needed for the optimum function of over 300 enzymes, magnesium is vital for every major metabolic reaction including the metabolism of essential fatty acids and production of energy from glucose. Lack of magnesium is common and is estimated to affect as many as one in ten people. Symptoms can include loss of appetite, nausea, fatigue, weakness, muscle trembling and cramps.

Siberian ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus): This is classed as an adaptogen: it helps the body to adapt and cope during times of stress. It is used extensively to improve stamina and strength, particularly during/after illness and when suffering from stress and fatigue.

Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng): This is one of the oldest known energising tonics belonging to two main groups:

• Those with a sedative action (e.g. Rb1, Rb2, Rc, Rd) that are mostly derived from small lateral roots
• Those with a stimulating action (e.g. Rg1, Re, Rf, Rg2) that are mostly derived from the larger tap root

Clinical trials show that ginseng helps the body adapt to physical or emotional fatigue. It is stimulating and restorative, improving physical and mental energy, stamina, strength, alertness and concentration.

Ginseng shouldn't be taken for more than six weeks without a break. In the East, ginseng is taken for a two weeks on, two weeks off cycle. Some practitioners recommend taking it for a six weeks on, eight weeks off cycle.