Since writing about my own personal blues here, many lovely Club Forty readers have told me about their own struggles with January. I didn’t fully appreciate how hard people find this month.
It’s natural to feel down in the dumps after all the fun of December, and the cold weather and lack of daylight don’t help.
I guess that’s why so many people focus on positive resolutions and plan holidays in January.
What I am also finding a challenge this month is a lack of energy. I sleep like a log, struggle to get out of bed in the mornings and by 7pm I am zapped and ready to collapse on the sofa. I am properly pooped.
So I asked my friend and Nutritionist, Liz, for some advice. She suggested the following tips to give me a boost:
Increase your consumption of foods containing B vitamins, especially B12. B vitamins help reduce tiredness and fatigue. Foods such as pork, poultry, eggs, dark green leafy veg, nuts, lentils, dairy products and shellfish are all good choices.
Choose foods with a lower glycemic index. These foods will help balance your blood sugar levels and help avoid dramatic dips in energy which often follow the consumption of something sugary.
Whole grains, high fibre foods, nuts and healthy oils are all quite low on the glycemic index scale. Protein and fat are close to zero where as refined carbohydrates (white bread, pasta, many cereals) and sugar are high.
Serotonin is the ‘happy hormone’. Eating foods such as turkey, eggs and chickpeas and may help increase your serotonin levels.
Forget caffeine and energy drinks to keep you going. If you need an almost instant boost in energy try a vegetable juice. Its not often I would recommend taking the fibre out of a food but juicing does just that allowing your body to quickly and easily absorb the nutrients from the vegetables.
Exercise is really important to energy levels. Not only does it help you sleep more soundly but also gives your cells more energy to burn and improves oxygen circulation.
Liz is offering 10% off your first consultation if you mention Club Forty.
Click here for more information about her practice.
As January draws to a close, I hope your mood is beginning to lift and your energies are beginning to stir. February is just around the corner…