The 3pm slump rectified only with a chocolate biscuit, waking up and saying “but first, coffee”, struggling to sleep and scrolling on your phone, burnout, overwhelm, never really able to catch-up on sleep... Sound familiar? Same.
Today, we’re talking about energy: not having enough, not having it at the right time or not getting it from the right sources.
“Many people are living without the energy they need to live the life they want or do the things they love.”
It might sound like a big ask to bounce out of bed every day and stay bouncing till bedtime and then gently drift off for a solid eight hours. Especially when we think about the reality of our modern lives with demanding, unpredictable schedules and unforeseen circumstances—it’s no wonder that our energy stores take a hit.
But, because we’re in the same modern-day-life boat as you, and also in the business of creating solutions, we have some good news! The vast majority of energy concerns can be support by you, mainly for free, at home. Some of them can also be addressed with the aid of your GP, but the hope is that you will have a clear idea of why you’re experiencing what you’re experiencing before you even get there.
"The vast majority of energy concerns can be remedied by you, at home."
Besides medical concerns or chronic conditions, our energy levels are determined by four key factors. Even though you may have the same ‘symptoms’ as the next person, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the root cause is the same.
- Stress
- Gut health
- Hormones
- Nutrients and food intake
1. Stress
When you’re stressed in the common sense - e.g. preparing for a big meeting or rushed off your feet - do you find it easier to justify a handful of lollies or maybe a few crisps? There’s a biological reason for that. When we’re stressed, our bodies use sugars and proteins as an energy source instead of fats.
"When we’re stressed, our bodies use sugars and proteins as an energy source instead of fats."
This is because our ‘fight or flight’ response is triggered and this energy is quicker to access and use. It might be useful to take note if you crave those things in times of stress and instead activate your parasympathetic nervous system through trying a few deep breaths or a cup of herbal tea to calm down and wait for that craving to pass.
The reason we don’t want to give into those cravings is because it spikes our blood sugar levels and we can experience a slump that matches the short-term up-effect we get from treat snacks.
Stress is at the top of this list, because everything else on it is also a form of stress on or in our body. Stress is can be mental overwhelm, manifesting in physical ways but it can also be inflammation, hormone imbalance etc. we might not even know we are "stressed" for stress to be affecting us.
The Everyday Wellness Pack has the three nutrient trifecta— a multivitamin, gut health support and fish oil for inflammation—to support great daily wellbeing.
2. Gut health
Gut health is the key area of our body we should think of when we think about low energy. Our gut is where we process our food and absorbing nutrients. The rate at which we can produce energy and the volume of energy we have will depend on the types of food we are nourishing our body with and how well our body is absorbing it. If we’re not absorbing the nutrients from our food - our cells are sluggish and slow, and so are we!
In addition to absorption of nutrient for energy and needing a healthy microbiome for a healthy, happy us, the gut as many other important roles. When we aren’t digesting our food properly, those proteins usually absorbed and processed will travel further down the digestive tract and can cause inflammation or reactions in our body. This is especially worrisome if this happens with sugar molecules as they can encourage rapid growth of bad bacteria. If our foods aren’t digested properly, we’re not benefiting from them and they may even cause us discomfort or pain. If this sounds like you, the BePure Gut Products might be a great place to start.
3. Hormones
Our thyroid hormones - thyroxine and cortisol - are responsible for our ability to create energy.
Every cell in the body has thyroxine receptors found on its DNA and it controls our ability to metabolise energy.
Cortisol is also known as the ‘stress’ hormone but it’s important to note that not all stress is bad — cortisol is also what gets us out of bed in the morning! Not all stress is bad, we actually need it in healthy amounts. Cortisol curbs the body’s non-essential requirements when the body is in fight or flight. So, when our cortisol levels are high the body is pushing pause on a lot of its normal functions and over time this can lead to burn out or adrenal fatigue.
On a daily level, when we can’t keep up with the amount of cortisol needed to handle our stress, our adrenal glands get fatigued and this is when we have our 3pm slump.
4. Nutrients and Food Intake
Unsurprisingly, what we eat has a direct impact on our energy because food IS energy.
That doesn't mean you need to strictly regulate your diet. A simple rule of thumb we go by, is the 80-20 rule, we fill our diet with whole foods and nutrient dense foods 80 percent of the time.
Every person on the planet is different in terms of the foods they should be eating. It is definitely not a one size fits all method (we even have an easy questionnaire for you to establish what you should actually be eating) and even without things like allergies or preferences, some of us will respond better than others to certain food groups. Your metabolism plays a huge role in this - it basically means, how long your body takes to process something.
The ideal diet is the one that keeps you fuller for the longest period of time, has a good mix of protein, carbs, and healthy fats, and is timed to fit your lifestyle.
It can be hard to get all the nutrients we need everyday—even if we eat well!—which is why we created the Everyday Wellness Pack. It's everything you need to cover the nutritional gaps in your daily diet.
If, like a lot of people, you’re lacking in energy or experiencing a slump a little too often, chances are you’re dealing with one of the above causes without even knowing it. If you think you have the time to work out slowly, you can work out the most likely culprit by process of elimination. Looking at diet, stress, and symptoms is always the best place to start, especially in the world of energy and wellness!
