Focus Friday: Boost Yourself

Today's Focus Friday is about ways to give yourself a boost of energy when you need it the most!

We've all had it, does the midday slump ring any bells?

Well I'm here to give you some handy tips on what do and eat to help counteract those stale hours throughout the day that make you want to sleep under the counter (or desk).

A quick disclaimer here to state that I would always recommend visiting a medical professional or your GP if you suffer from fatigue and tiredness on a regular basis, as there could be an underlying cause that I am not qualified to diagnose.

My personal top tip is to have a healthy and varied diet that consists of lots of fruit and vegetables, protein and fibre. Things like broccoli, bananas, mushrooms and blueberries.

Green leafy vegetables, eggs, lean meat and whole grains are full of fatigue fighting B-Complexes. Alongside that,green veggies are full of iron which helps with the transportation of oxygen round the body (be careful with toxicity levels of iron in children).

Another tip is to take a good multivitamin that contains Ginseng, Ginseng may help keep you alert as it has a slight stimulant effect, it is also an adaptogenic, helping the body cope with stress.

If you suffer from Migraines then I would advise speaking to your GP before taking Ginseng. So making sure you are getting your daily nutrients is very important, but what about sleep?

We need 8 hours sleep for optimal performance, now for some people that is easily said than done. Get into bed mode by switching off any white back lit electronics a few hours before you nod off, this is because the white light blocks the hormone Melatonin, and Melatonin helps you sleep. You can also help induce sleep by having a hot shower or bath before and add a little lavender to the bath for a soothing aroma.

My final tip for energy gains is keep hydrated, get that water bottle out of the cupboard from last years yoga classes and keep it filled up and ice cold throughout the day. No slacking.