SHAPING UP: How you can help boost your energy levels with simple lifestyle tweaks

Does your energy take a nosedive in the afternoon?

If you’re experiencing those feelings above, one (or more) of these four issues could be affecting your energy levels…

Nutrient deficiency

A poor diet, deficient in key nutrients like magnesium and B vitamins can lead to fatigue, as your cells don’t have the necessary vitamins and minerals to produce cellular energy.

Sugar overload

Eating too much sugar and refined carbohydrates (bread, pasta, pizza, cakes and cereals) triggers your blood sugar levels to spike rapidly.

Even though that will give you a quick energy boost, your blood sugars will soon come crashing down, leaving you feeling tired again.

Excess caffeine

Caffeine overstimulates the adrenal glands and puts the body into a stress response.

It can also cause insulin resistance, which means your body can’t get fuel (glucose) into your cells, resulting in fatigue.

Dehydration

Insufficient water prevents your cells from working efficiently.

Seventy per cent of the body is made up of water, and you need to constantly replace fluids lost throughout the day.

Aim for a minimum of two litres of water each day.

If you’re feeling low on energy try these four simple lifestyle tweaks:

Exercise Regularly

Working out improves blood flow, enabling more oxygen and nutrients to get into your cells to produce energy.

Sleep Soundly

Adopt a good sleep routine to allow your body and brain to wind down at night.

Eat dinner early, avoid excessive screen time, and do something relaxing before bed.

Reduce Sugar

Opt for natural, energy-boosting foods instead: fruits and vegetables, wholegrains (oats, brown rice), quality protein (nuts, seeds, quinoa, beans, lentils), good sources of fats (avocados, flaxseed oil) and superfoods (such as maca, acai and spirulina).

These foods are also high in magnesium and B vitamins, which are essential nutrients for energy production.

Drink More Water

Stay hydrated and keep your cells energised by drinking filtered water with fresh lemon.

Lemon stimulates the digestive system, which improves nutrient absorption.

Graham says: “With over 10 years of personal training experience, I have created a friendly and welcoming fitness business where my clients feel comfortable working out.

"East Coast Fitness is about more than just losing weight. The idea behind East Coast Fitness services is to help you get more active, become healthier, feel great, gain confidence and live life to the fullest.

"If you want to get in shape but not take it too seriously, East Coast Fitness may be the right place for you.

"It's about getting healthy, living the life you deserve and spreading happiness to those around you, including your family.

"Our clients, most of whom don't like attending gyms due to the intimidating environment, love the friendly, family setting at East Coast Fitness.

"With some gentle encouragement and some personal guidance with nutrition, it's great to see our clients grow in confidence, start to enjoy exercise and make it become a way of life,” added Graham, who spent four years as a professional footballer at Hartlepool United where he had a “reasonably successful”, short tournament-winning career.