Magazine Pg4

We live in such a fast paced, hectic and sometimes stressful world these days, that it's easy to forget about looking after No. 1 - YOU!

As I approach yet another birthday (I'm now well and truly on the wrong side of 40) I find myslef feeling a little tired and lacking energy...so I decided it was high time to re-gain some of that misplaced energy.

I recently read a really interesting article about finding hidden energy reserves....if you know where to look, and I wanted to share it with you here.

IRON IS ESSENTIAL
Anaemia is often the cause of extreme fatigue in women. Symptoms include heavy periods, paleness, shortness of breath and pale nail beds. Your doctor can diagnose low iron levels with a blood test. Taking iron supplements and eating iron rich foods like dark green leafy vegetables, lean beef or lamb and sardines can also help to correct an iron deficiancy.

SLEEP MATTERS
Millions of us are not getting enough sleep. Seven to eight hours a night is healthy, but if you're down to five or six you could be missing out on up to 2 nights sleep a week. Stress is the biggest cause of sleep disturbances and we tend to worry more during the wee small hours of the night. Cut out the caffeine before bed and try herbs such as Valerian, Passionflower or Lemon Balm. Valerian can have the opposite effect on some people, so talk to a naturopath first.

COENZYME Q-10 FOR ENERGY
The antioxidant Coenzyme Q10 plays a vital role in the way generate energy in our cells and it also helps to protect from some elements of heart disease. As we age, levels of co-Q10 drop off as our bodies don't produce the same amount. You can get co-Q10 as a supplement or try eating foods such as mackerel, salmon, sardines, spinach and beef.

HERBS CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE
The anti-oxidant, co-Q10 plays a vital role in the way we generate energy in our cells and also protects the heart from some elements of heart disease. As we age, our levels of c0-Q10 drop off as our bodies don't produce the same amount. Try eating foods rich in c0-Q10 such as Mackerel, Salmon, Sardines, Beef, Spinach and Peanuts. A supplement form of c0-Q10 is also available from most good health food stores.

BOOST YOUR SEROTONIN
Serotonin is the brain's feelgood drug! Taking a 5-HTP supplement (5-hydroxtryptophan) can boost the body's productions of serotonin, which helps promote a sense of well-being and reduces depression. 5-HTP is alreat at promoting restful sleep - particularly restorative, dreamless sleep and some evidence even suggests the supplement can help reduce carbohydrate cravings.

CAFFEINE ISN'T ALWAYS BAD
Caffeine is often seen as a villain when it comes to short term energy boosters. Drinking too much can mimic the body's stress reactions, causing tremors, irritability and hyperactivity. It also drains Vitamin B levels, leading to tiredness and chronic lack of energy - BUT 1- 3 cups a day is fine for most of us. Remember though that coffee from your local coffee shop can be a double dose compared to the strength of instant coffee, so can make you more hyper.

RESPECT YOUR BODY'S NATURAL RHYTHMS
Many of us find ourselves trying to cope with exhaustion at work, only to find we're bursting with energy the minute we get home. Why? Part of the reason is the circadian rhythms of our body. Experts believe our body clocks are set to experience a little down time around 2 to 3 in the afternoon. Our body temperature drops just after lunch and again about 7pm. This drop in temperature prompts our body to release melatonin which sends a signal to the brain that it's time to sleep.

SLEEP DISORDERS ARE A POSSIBILITY
Sleep Apnoea is a disorder that causes you to momentarily stop breathing in your sleep. It can often happen many times during the night. Everytime you stop breathing, you wake just long enough to disrupt your sleep cycle, but you are not normally aware of it. If you suspect this is happening, it could be worth contacting your doctor to be referred to a Sleep Specialist.

CHECK YOUR THYROID
Your Thyroid controls how quickly your body burns energy.It also makes proteins and reacts to other hormones. An underactive thyroid can caise you to feel tired and put on weight for no obvious reason. It can also trigger dry skin and sensitivity to cold weather. If left untreated by a doctor if can become a serious problem causing even greater fatigue, changes to facial features and deepening of the voice.

KNOW YOUR CARBS
Carbohyrdates are great for boosting your energy, but they fall into 2 very different categories - quick release (high glycaemic index or High GI) and slow release (low glycaemic index or Low GI). High GI's include soft drinks and sugar and gives you a sudden burst of energy which is then followed by a slump. Low GI's include wholegrain bread, beans and starchy vegetables. These will supply a steady supply of glucose giving you sustained supply of energy, without the slump.

ACTIVITY IS A MUST
One of the best ways to stave off an energy crisis is to exercise. It may seem like a tall order when you're having trouble staying awake, but the more you move around, the more you'll find yourself breathing deeply, improving the supply of oxygen to your body and giving yourself a good wake up. Exercising outdoors in the fresh air can also help to clear your head - and the sights and sounds act as a stimulant to your senses.

PINPOINT WHAT'S SAPPING YOUR ENERGY
The first step to re-charging your batteries is to understand how your diet and lifestyle could be draining your energy. On a day-to-day basis, dehydration, too much alcohol, smoking, strict/fad diets and blood sugar swings from eating sugary foods are often to blame. Stress and anxiety also contribute to draining your energy reserves. Try to identify any patterns that may help you identify what's contributing to your lack of energy.

RESIST THE AFTERNOON SIESTA
It's often tempting to have a "Nana Nap" during the day if you feel yourself flagging, but it can play havoc with your sleep patterns. You fall into a cycle of napping during the daytime then finding it difficult to sleep at night. Avoid high GI foods and alcohol at lunchtime and break the napping cycle by taking your mind off the desire to snooze. Go for a brisk walk, play with dog - anything - and go to bed and get up at the same time each day to ensure a regular sleep routine.

TRY A PICK-ME-UP
Go for a brisk walk. A change of scenery can do wonders.
Have a glass of cold water or cup of green tea can give a refreshing boost.
Open the window. A breath of fresh air is perfect in perking you up.
Lemon Essential Oil. the invigorating smell of citrus gives an instant boost.
Vitamin B12 can improve wellbeing if you're suffering from fatigue.

Women are notorious for giving too much of themselves - and then suffering the consquences. You all know what I'm talking about...saying yes, when you really meant to say no, believing that you have to look or act a certain way to be accepted (or even loved), putting yourself last etc etc.

Everytime you give your power away, or need the approval of another, you lose some of your power. Doing things that you know are not good for you also contributes. Disregard for yourself, not honouring your body or nurturing yourself are all issues that hit women in particular, pretty hard.

All this creates stress in your life in one form or another. So how do you turn it all around?

If you can make a shift in understanding WHO you really are and what you're worth, then marching to the beat of your own drum becomes infinitely easier. It's not about becoming selfish or disrestpectful to others - it's about trusting that what serves you, also serves others - and that you are of value and deserve to be considered.

Speak up for yourself. Learn to do and say what's right for you and not what you think you should or have to do. Be more self-loving and care for yourself as you would another person.

There is not one thing you can do create a better life......there are many!

First, you need to make take the most challenging step of all - making the decision to change. Whether this is to change personally, or to change something in your life - it all hinges on making that one decision - to change.

Now this may sound easy, but as we all know, it is one of the most time consuming tasks that we tackle in life. Our initial instinct says "YES, I'll do it" while our mind gives us a hundred reasons why we should not. This then encourages us to change our mind, and either never attempt what we wanted to do in the first place - or worse still, to stop what we have already begun.

So what should we do about it? Well the answer lies in that one word...DO!

DO one small thing towards that change. Stop thinking about changing - you'll get lost in the number of thoughts it takes to make that one decision. Change the way you think about change. If you don't eat apples, then take up apple eating. It's all in the way we think about it.

Why has the Nike slogan been so popular for 21 years? Because everybody likes people who are true to their word, filled with energy, driven, ambitious, courageous and positive - and those three little words "just do it" gives us all those things.

So JUST DO IT! How many of us rely on others to encourage, persuade, entice and satisfy our own needs or desires? Take responsibility for where you are and use the people around you who are already "Doing It" as aids to educate you as needed, but don't rely on them solely to give you what you need.

The energy, empowerment and vitality you will gain from this will carry through to every other area of your life and you will ignite the world with your new found energy.