How to stay energised throughout the day

Balancing the demands of being a working dad can be hard, and exhausting. Do you get the mid afternoon slump hitting you during the working day? Do you struggle to stay motivated and alert? How can you stay energised throughout the day? Here are some food and nutrient recommendations that could help you boost your energy, leaving you with enough fuel in the tank to avoid that mid afternoon sleepiness, and have you conquering deadlines – and bedtime stories – with ease.

Enjoy prebiotic and Probiotic foods

A healthy gut microbiome is integral to reducing fatigue and boosting energy. A sluggish gut = feeling sluggish. Prebiotics are plant fibres that help healthy bacteria grow in your gut and probiotics are bacteria and yeasts that are good for your gut. Here are some foods to make your gut happy:

Prebiotic foods:

• Oats
• Bananas
• Asparagus
• Artichoke
• Leafy greens e.g. kale

Probiotics foods:

• Kefir
• Kombucha
• Sauerkraut
• Kimchi
• Tempeh

As you navigate the busy world of work and parenthood, remember that helping to boost your energy is part of taking care of yourself – and this is key to staying on top of your game. By incorporating these foods into your daily routine, you will fuel your body and have more energy to cope with the day to day challenges of being a working mum. So, here’s to more productive workdays and memorable moments with your little ones!

Add daily magnesium to your diet

Magnesium is super important for keeping us energised! It helps our body do more than 300 biochemical reactions, like turning the food we eat into energy. Think of it like a helper for special enzymes that make the energy our cells need to work. So, when we have enough magnesium, we feel more energetic and ready to take on the day. Recommended daily intakes vary depending on age, but for adults it is around 420mg a day, and could really help boost your energy in the longer term, including helping you stay energised throughout the working day. Here are some foods that will help you reach that target amount:

• Spinach – ½ a cup boiled provides 78mg of magnesium
• Dark chocolate – approx. 200mg per 100g-
• Pumpkin seeds – 1 large handful (30g) provides 156mg of magnesium
• Chia – 1 large handful (30g) provides 111mg of magnesium
• Almonds – 1 large handful (30g) provides 80mg of magnesium
• Avocado – 1 medium avocado provides 58mg of magnesium

Start the day with a high protein breakfast

High protein breakfasts are a great way to stay energised throughout the day. Aim for around 30g a day. This amount should help you balance your blood sugar and therefore your energy levels. Here are some healthy high protein breakfast suggestions:

• 3-5 organic eggs – scrambled on sourdough
• 1 cup of organic tofu or tempeh – tofu scramble or tempeh ‘bacon’
• 1-2 cups of natural yoghurt – topped with seeds and/or berries
• 1-2 scoops of protein powder – protein shakes, added to yoghurt, porridge, chia puddings, overnight oats etc.

Protein boosters – These are some foods you can add to your breakfasts to increase the amount of protein in your meal:

• Chia seeds
• Hemp seeds
• Nut butters

Millie Gardner is a certified Naturopathic Nutritional Therapist (DipCNM, mANP, mGNC). She specialises in women’s health issues, supporting women with period and hormonal imbalance issues, including peri-menopause and menopause. If you are interested in working with her to receive tailored nutrition and supplement advice, you can book a free 30-minute connection call here to find out more. https://www.minutrition.org/

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