As the year get’s busier, many of us may be struggling with fatigue and exhaustion. With high-pressure work schedules, last minute catch ups and family comments, many individuals may be burning the candle at both ends. The last thing we need is to crash and burn! With that in mind, it’s important to seek out natural energisers which may help keep you going throughout the second half of the year.

Stay hydrated to boost your energy

Staying well hydrated is essential to good health in general, and this includes the maintenance of energy levels. Rehydrating is also of particular importance if you choose to consume alcohol. To limit the damaging effects of alcohol it is recommended that you avoid drinking more than 3 standard drinks during an occasion. However if you do plan to party the night away, drinking water between your alcoholic beverages is important to minimise the side effects. Alcohol has a significant dehydrating effect on the body, plus it depletes you of many nutrients, thus eating nutritious food is also very important.

Good water for good energy

An average individual should be drinking at least 2 litres of water throughout the day, even more when in hot temperatures, so make sure that hydration is at the top of your mind as it may just be your saviour the next day.

Coconut water adds electrolytes for energy

Coconut water can be a nice addition to your daily fluid intake as it is a good source of natural electrolytes and other nutrients. Coconut water provides the essential electrolytes potassium, sodium, magnesium and calcium, other minerals such as iron and phosphorous, vitamins including vitamin C, folate and B6, carbohydrates and protein.

Exercise to feel good

It is well known that exercise creates endorphins which are known to make your feel good, however during the festive season; exercise can become less of a priority in exchange for a good time or a sleep in. Try to go for a brisk walk in the morning to get your body moving, get some fresh air and to stay energised. It is also a good idea to go for a walk instead of slump down on the couch after your dinner.

Remember your greens to boost energy

Eating a quick lunch or “fast” foods, combined with alcohol during social events, can result in you feeling fatigued or foggy. In an effort to boost your energy levels, try adding lots of greens into your side salad or into your morning juice each day. Green vegetables (e.g. broccoli, broccoli sprout, spinach and kale) have great health properties such as high levels of nutrients and enzymes which can strengthen the immune system and provide the body with the nutrients needed to detox. They also contain powerful antioxidants which may help fight free radicals as well as minerals that are easily absorbed into the body. Young broccoli sprouts are particularly useful as they are believed to contain up to 50 times more antioxidant sulforaphane than mature broccoli, according to research.7 This means the broccoli sprouts are very helpful in helping the liver and other body cells to protect themselves from the damaging effects of many toxins that threaten our health on a daily basis. They also have anti-inflammatory properties

Ubiquinol - the powerful antioxidant for energy production

Although many people are aware of Coenzyme Q10, many people are not aware that Ubiquinol is the active and reduced form of CoQ10 and therefore is more easily absorbed in your body. Science has shown us that as we age or if put our bodies under a significant amount of stress, our Ubiquinol levels decline often leaving us feeling fatigued, foggy, lacking in energy.

Ubiquinol is responsible for your energy...

This is because Ubiquinol is responsible for your energy levels, it powers your cells - particularly your major organs such as your heart, liver and lungs. If you are feeling fatigued, your Ubiquinol levels may be low and supplementation may be beneficial for maintaining your cellular energy. The highest concentrations of CoQ10 are found in the heart, with ageing, hypertension, heart failure and statin-treated patients showing evidence of CoQ10 deficiency.1,2 CoQ10 plays an important role in energy production in muscle cells, with concentrations of CoQ10 declining with intense athletic training.3 Research shows that ubiquinol may improve athletic performance and physical power production. Supplementation with 300mg ubiquinol for six weeks has shown to significantly enhance physical performance in trained athletes, compared to placebo.3 Reduced fatigue and enhanced performance has also been demonstrated in trials using 100-300mg CoQ10 per day in both trained and untrained individuals.4-6 ‘Ask a Naturopath’ at Mr Vitamins to recommend a high-strength form of Ubiquinol to help boost your energy levels.

Mr Vitamins Recommends:

MitoCare and Ubiquinol Bioactive 300mg by Bioceuticals

Bioceuticals is a Practitioner only brand so please ‘ask a Naturopath’ to help you

References

1. Rosenfeldt FL, Haas SJ, Krum H, et al. Coenzyme Q10 in the treatment of hypertension: a meta-analysis of the clinical trials. J Hum Hypertens 2007;21(4):297-306.
2. Gao L, Mao Q, Cao J, et al. Effects of coenzyme Q10 on vascular endothelial function in humans: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Atherosclerosis 2012;221(2):311-316. 3. Alf D, Schmidt ME, Siebrecht SC. Ubiquinol supplementation enhances peak power production in trained athletes: a double-blind, placebo controlled study. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2013;10:24. 4. Gökbel H, Gül I, Belviranl M, et al. The effects of coenzyme Q10 supplementation on performance during repeated bouts of supramaximal exercise in sedentary men. J Strength Cond Res 2010;24(1):97-102.
3. Mizuno K, Tanaka M, Nozaki S, et al. Antifatigue effects of coenzyme Q10 during physical fatigue. Nutrition 2008;24(4):293-299.
4. Cooke M, Iosia M, Buford T, et al. Effects of acute and 14-day coenzyme Q10 supplementation on exercise performance in both trained and untrained individuals. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2008;5:8.
5. Boddupalli S, Mein JR, Lakkanna S, James DR. Induction of phase 2 antioxidant enzymes by broccoli sulforaphane: perspectives in maintaining the antioxidant activity of vitamins A, C, and E. Front Genet 2012;3(7):1-15.