When you’re feeling tired and need a boost, don’t reach for those energy drinks! Fighting fatigue is an overwhelming task itself, but relying on temporary fixes like caffeine can often have us feeling more exhausted in the long-run. But did you know that there are other ways to combat it? There are plenty of lifestyle changes that you can make to fight back fatigue the natural way and focusing on getting the right nutrients is a great place to start! Here are some energy-boosting nutrients that you can add to your daily routine to help keep tiredness away.
Magnesium
Magnesium plays an important role in converting glucose found in carbohydrates into energy and without enough magnesium in the body, your energy levels may drop leaving you feeling tired and drained. You can easily boost your magnesium levels by eating avocados, almonds, bananas, whole grains, leafy greens, legumes, nuts and seeds. You should be able to get all the magnesium you need by including these foods in your diet, though magnesium supplementation can also be helpful!
Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 plays a key role in energy production because it’s involved in red blood cell formation. Without enough red blood cells, your tissues and organs cannot get enough oxygen and a deficiency in red blood cells can result in fatigue and weakness. That explains why fatigue and lack of energy are early signs of a vitamin B12 deficiency! You should aim to get 1.5 micrograms a day through eating fortified foods if you’re plant-based, animal products and through supplementation.
Iron
If you’ve been feeling unusually tired lately, it’s worth checking your iron levels! Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of an iron deficiency and experts believe that increasing your iron intake can give you more energy and fight fatigue if your iron levels are low to begin with. An easy way to raise your iron levels is by eating different foods rich in iron. These foods include animal foods and plant-based foods such as leafy greens, dried fruits, lentils and fortified cereals. It’s also worth pairing plant-based foods with vitamin-C rich foods because vitamin-C helps to increase the absorption of iron!
Coenzyme Q10
Coenzyme Q10 is an antioxidant that is naturally produced in the body. It’s used by our cells to generate the energy needed for cell growth and maintenance- so it’s pretty essential! As we age, our ability to naturally produce Coenzyme Q10 reduces and consequently low levels of Coenzyme Q10 can leave people feeling fatigued and physically weak. To combat this, it’s important to eat foods that contain Coenzyme Q10 such as spinach, broccoli, peanuts and soy oil. However, as these foods only contain a small amount of this compound, supplementation can be beneficial for energy support.
