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Deep Breaths
Shallow breathing reduces the amount of oxygen that reaches your brain, leading
to low energy levels. Breathe deeply to maximise the flow of oxygen to your
lungs. Make sure that your stomach area rises as your diaphragm expands.
Try the following: Place your hand on your stomach. Slowly breathe in through your nose. Gently push your hand up with your stomach on a count of five and hold the breath for five seconds. Slowly exhale through your mouth for a count of five while gently pushing down on your stomach. Repeat for three minutes or for as long as you are able to.
Spice Up Your Day
A spicy food ingredient such as cayenne pepper is thought to stimulate the
metabolism. That's because it contains capsaicin, a flavourless and odourless
chemical that temporarily stimulates your body into releasing more adrenaline.
Awaken your senses for the day ahead by cooking up a spicy meal for breakfast – add hot salsa to your scrambled eggs, or drink a cup of spicy ginger tea, served hot or cold.
Roll Up
If you suffer from afternoon slumps, revive yourself with a quick energy booster.
Bend at the waist and let your head hang down. Touch your toes, if possible, and
look at your knees. Relax your upper body. Breathe in deeply. As you breathe out, rise
slowly, letting your head come up last.
Train Your Brain
Like our body, our brain also needs exercise. Give yourself a brain workout.
Think of 20 words beginning with 'D' within 30 seconds, or wrestle with
the following brain-booster: Within 60 seconds, find a word that means the
same as each of the following: talkative, strong, failure, huge, happy, critical,
begin, clumsy, thin, tall.
Wake-Up Stretches
Get your sleepy muscles ready for the day with a few simple stretches to loosen
up your body and increase blood flow to your muscles. Try this: Sit on the edge of your bed with your feet on the floor and pull your shoulders up to your ears. Relax, and repeat 10 times.
Soak It Away
Our hectic lifestyles exhaust body and mind. Make your time in the bath an
energising, invigorating experience.
Eat Like A Squirrel
Forget what you've heard about strictly eating three meals a day. Rather eat smaller, more frequent meals five times a day, focusing on protein and vegetables.
This helps prevent overeating, and will also keep you nourished throughout the day. To keep the munchies at bay, snack on unsalted nuts, such as walnuts and almonds, that are rich in vitamins E and B6, folic acid and minerals, such as zinc, iron and calcium. Don't go overboard though – most nuts are high in kilojoules.
Be Positive
We all know that negativity drains energy, and affects your health and
your mood. Not only is your mood contagious for those around you,
but upbeat, optimistic people are also more likely to be healthy,
successful and energetic.
When we're happy, our brain releases serotonin, a chemical that helps control our moods. Low levels of serotonin can lead to anxiety, fatigue and depression.
Unblock It
Chinese medicine views fatigue as a blockage of energy flow within our
bodies. To harmonise and balance this energy flow, acupuncturists stimulate
specifi c points by placing thin needles into the skin. Acupuncture is commonly
used for the relief of back pain, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), fatigue,
depression and muscle spasms.
Up The Goodness
Most of us aren't getting the recommended daily intake of nutrients
from the food we eat. This is mostly due to our fast-paced lives and the
over-processed food that we consume.
Although dietary supplements are not a substitute for an adequate diet, a good multivitamin is important for overall nutrition. To boost your energy levels, try increasing your intake of the B-vitamins found in leafy green vegetables such as spinach, and in fish, eggs and wheat germ. Also try ginseng, which is traditionally used to fight fatigue. Consult your pharmacist for the best ones for you.
Pump Iron
Women, in particular, are prone to iron deficiency and anaemia. Iron enables
blood to carry oxygen to the organs, and if the brain is deprived of oxygen, it
cannot function optimally. Boost your iron intake with foods such as lean red meat,
spinach, apricots and liver.
Press It
If you're feeling sluggish, try this quick acupressure technique, which is said to be effective at regulating blood pressure and raising energy levels. Using your index finger, find the point in the middle of the top of your head, halfway between your ears.
Lightly apply pressure for about one minute. Gradually release the pressure.
Note Never apply prolonged pressure to any acupoint as the nerves that carry the healing impulses may become used to the stimulus and the effect will be lost.
