Falling asleep? Energy Boosting Tips

Get Enough Iron

A deficiency of iron makes you physically tired because not enough oxygen is being carried around the body. It can also make you depressed, which in turn leaves you feeling even more tired, so creating a vicious circle.

If you have vegetable sources of iron, combine them with foods high in vitamin C – which will boost the amount of iron your body absorbs.

Good sources include: lean red meat, eggs, fortified bran breakfast cereals, dried apricots, tinned crab and dark green leafy veg.

Avoid caffeine-rich drinks such as coffee and cola from five hours before bedtime and steer clear of energy drinks. There is evidence that artificial sweeteners speed up the rate your stomach empties, making you feel hungry.

Countless studies have linked dehydration to poor concentration levels and fatigue.

THEY help release energy from food. Good sources include whole grains – wheat and oats – fish and seafood, poultry and meats, eggs, dairy products, leafy green vegetables, beans and peas, and citrus fruits.

Eat more protein at lunchtime and more carbs in the evening. Protein will keep you mentally alert during the afternoon and the carbs will help you sleep better.

Opt for lean meat, chicken, turkey and tofu at lunchtime to help you beat power slumps later on.

Carbs are essential energy foods. Low-GI carbs release energy slowly, giving long-lasting effects. Alternatively, high-GI carbs will give you a quick high that is soon followed by a slump.

Fifty per cent of your calories should come from carbs. So a 60kg woman doing an hour a day of light activity should eat 2,000 calories a day – with 1,000 coming from carbs. This is the equivalent of a bowl of muesli, a pint of milk, an apple, a pear, yogurt, baked sweet potato, pitta bread, banana and a glass of orange juice.

WITH the kids back in class for the start of a new school year, what better time to ensure your packed lunch packs a punch. Follow these seven simple steps:

1. Start with starchy basics. Put in wholemeal bread, rolls, pitta breads, bagels, baguettes, muffins, pasta or rice.

2. Add a tasty protein-packed filling such as lean chicken, ham, sliced meats, peanut butter or canned fish.

3. Include a vegetable of some kind either in the sarnie above, or on the side, such as carrot batons.

4. Put in a fruit. For example an apple, pear, satsuma or grapes, or dried fruit such as apricots.

5. Add a dairy-based food such as a low-fat yoghurt, fromage frais, rice pud, custard or homemade milkshake.

6. Now add a treat. The British Dietetic Association says there is nothing wrong with giving kids a little treat. Low-fat crisps, plain popcorn, slice of fruit cake, a biscuit or cereal bar (check the sugar content), a mini fruit scone, fruit bun or fun-sized chocolate bar.

7. Don’t forget a drink. A bottle of water, an individual fruit juice, plain or flavoured milk or sugar-free squash drink are ideal. When the weather turns colder, pop hot drinks and soups into a flask.

Bread sticks with a pot of humus and carrot sticks. Peeled and chopped kiwi fruit in a pot. A Mini Babybel cheese or a 30g chunk of cheddar. Slice of malt loaf.

Multi-coloured pasta twirls mixed with canned tuna and canned sweetcorn and peppers. Juicy pear. Greek yoghurt pot with honey corner. Mini fruit bun.