Hassan Ahmed
After being left exhausted by the ‘always on’ culture of the 21st century, many people are now employing ‘quick fix’ solutions to enhance their energy levels.
Equipped with the knowledge that we may, in fact, be harming our health in the pursuit of longer, more productive days, New Product Development Executive at natural health brand BetterYou, Keeley Berry, has below identified four everyday energy myths to help people on their journey towards sustainable, natural energy.
Myth 1: Caffeine is king
Caffeine is a popular choice for a quick energy hit and caffeinated drinks will certainly provide a temporary boost, however, they are also one of the factors sabotaging our energy levels.
Protecting us from several diseases, caffeine does have its health benefits, but drinking it daily will slowly degrade energy over time and it can also impair mood, disturb sleep and increase blood pressure.
Myth 2: Increased exercise = increased energy
Exercise has a never-ending list of health benefits and we should all incorporate regular exercise into our weekly schedule, however daily intensive exercise may not have the intended impact on your energy levels.
Over-exercising can cause an energy imbalance between the amount of energy consumed and the amount of energy expended during exercise. Experiencing an energy deficit for prolonged time periods can cause many health issues as well as leading to injury, exhaustion and hormonal imbalance.
Myth 3: You can train yourself to get by on little sleep
We spend a third of our lives sleeping. Some may see this as a ‘waste’ when there doesn’t seem to be enough hours in the day, but while the ‘sleepless elite’ such as; Margaret Thatcher, Martha Stewart and designer Tom Ford claim to slumber for four hours or less a night, it’s a common myth that we can learn to get by on little sleep with no negative side effects.
The time we spend asleep should not be deemed a ‘waste’, it’s during this valuable downtime that our body repairs cells and creates new ones so that we can run at an optimum level. It’s also vital for mental and physical health and for our quality of life.
In fact, a lack of sleep for an extended period of time can have an adverse effect, often being associated with reduced concentration and energy levels as well as an increased risk of obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure.
Myth 4: Detox diets improve energy levels
Detox diets are generally short-term dietary interventions designed to eliminate ‘toxic waste’ from your body in order to stay healthy and they’re often touted as energy-boosting.
While ‘detoxing’ encourages positive habits such as eating more fruits and vegetables, there is no scientific evidence to support their effectiveness and these low-calorie diets can often make you feel more tired and can even cause nutritional deficiencies.
For the vast majority of people, an active lifestyle and a healthy, balanced diet based on starchy carbohydrates with a rainbow of fruits and vegetables, plus some lean sources of protein is the best way to protect health.
Aside from any particular medical condition, lifestyle habits may be to blame for low energy levels and high levels of fatigue. Frequently, we can feel low in energy or generally sluggish if we are lacking in key nutrients that are either underrepresented in our diets or which are difficult to absorb from food sources.
That’s why, throughout June, BetterYou is championing every day energy, the natural way, raising awareness of vitamin B12 and iron as nutritional components when it comes to feeling energised.
Offering a natural ‘boost’, vitamin B12 and iron contribute to energy metabolism pathways, helping to reduce feelings of tiredness and fatigue. For those that struggle to obtain enough of these nutrients through diet alone, supplementation may be needed.
