HOW TO BE ENERGETIC ALL DAY!

Dread getting out of bed in the morning? If you feel like something the cat dragged home even at 7 am after a full night’s zzzs, it’s time for some quick remedial action. Several studies including one by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this year showed that 15 percent of women reported feeling “very tired or exhausted” on a regular basis. Chronic stress, trying to be a superwoman, depression, young children and a too-hectic-for-comfort social life are common causes. So much to do and so little time but feeling perennially exhausted can be a real downer. So, are you wondering how to remove this tiredness and fatigue? 

Here are seven sure-fire remedies to get you back in the game.  

1. STAY HYDRATED

Start the day with two glasses of room temperature water. Avoid ice-cold water because your body has to warm it to body temperature, using up valuable energy. Keep a safe distance from sodas, soft drinks, sherbets and fattening smoothies and milkshakes. All that extra sugar causes unnecessary spikes then falls in blood sugar making you even more tired. Instead stick with plain water, vegetable juice, salted lassi or a plain fruit smoothie. Don't like the taste of plain water? Liven it up with some orange peel or a few mint leaves.

2. KEEP MOVING

You are bushed and all you can manage at the end of the day is to grab a plate of food, find the TV remote and flop down on the sofa. Right? Wrong! Expert Naini Setalvad says the best way to instantly feel energized is exercise.

3. STEP AWAY FROM YOUR DESK

If you sit slumped in front of a computer monitor all day, chances are you'll feel burned out by the end of the day. Instead, walk around, personally deliver messages to colleagues instead of writing emails, take the stairs, take a walk at lunch; just keep moving. You could also do some simple stretches like standing with your feet hip-distance apart, inhaling and swinging your hands straight above your head. Then exhale, bend forward and lower your hands to touch the floor or your thighs. Repeat till you feel the knots melt away.

4. TAKE A BREATH AND THEN ANOTHER

Close your eyes and breathe as deeply as you can. Take five deep breaths and think of that relaxing holiday or fun evening out with friends. Studies show that you can up your serotonin (happy hormone) levels by deep breathing.  The trick is to breathe deeply from the belly. To make sure you're breathing right put your finger on your belly button and feel it expand as you breathe in.

5. GOOD MORNINGS START RIGHT AWAY

The minute you wake up, jump straight up. Don’t doodle in bed, dreading the hours ahead. Resist the temptation to lie there for “just one more minute”. Chances are you’ll doze, wake up with a start and scramble around madly because your schedule’s all out of gear. Instead, get moving quickly, splash some cold water on your face, grab a cup of tea or coffee and spend a few minutes with the newspaper. You’ll be wide awake, ready for the rest of the day.

6. EAT RIGHT TO STAY BRIGHT

If you're in the habit of pouring out a bowlful of sugary cereal or slathering jam on toast first thing in the morning, stop! Fueling up on refined sugar-loaded snacks is the worst way to start your day. By mid-morning, the sugar low will hit you, making your energy flag. Instead start your day with a protein-packed, complex carb-laden breakfast. Try eggs and whole-wheat toast or a paneer chapatti roll or best of all, a bowl of oat porridge with a banana and walnuts or almonds. Eat small snacks throughout the day to keep you in fine fettle. Think a fruit, handful of channa or brown rice poha.

7. SUPPLEMENTS FOR ENERGY

A Vitamin D, B12, magnesium and iron deficiency can cause fatigue. The average woman needs about 1,000-2,000 milligrams of Vitamin D daily, 250 mg of magnesium and about 200 mg of B12. Vegetarians are particularly susceptible to anemia and a B12 deficiency. Dairy products are a good source of B12 and D3. Iron-rich foods include green leafy vegetables and red meat. Supplements are a good way of remedying deficiencies. 

Recommended: HealthAid Vegan B Complex, INLIFE Calcium Vitamin D3, 60 Tablets For Healthy Bone, Knee & Joint Health. Instead of taking an iron supplement to opt for Nature's Bounty Folic Acid 400 Mcg to improve your hemoglobin and energy levels.