4 Simple Nutrition Tips to Increase Energy

The number one concern we hear from our patients is “Pleaseeee help me have more energy!”. So if you’re feeling exhausted and looking for solutions, know that you are not alone. Though there is lots that goes into feeling like you can accomplish all 👏🏼 the 👏🏼 things 👏🏼 you’d like to in your day, what you eat is a super important part.

When you become a parent, there are many factors influencing your energy that you don’t always have control over (hello interrupted sleep!). However, your nutrition is one that you can control, and it can impact your overall well-being in a massive way.

Eating a nutrient-dense diet full of whole foods and water, and limiting processed and sugar-filled foods will be the best way to support your energy. Below are some simple and attainable tips, to help you make changes in your daily nutrition to help increase your energy!  

We can’t do a blog post on energy without mentioning that it is imperative you get to the bottom of your fatigue. Blood work from your healthcare practitioner is often a great place to start. If you want to learn more about what blood tests might be indicated for you to rule out medical causes of fatigue, we’re here to support you! 

1. Include protein with breakfast

Ever feel that mid-morning crash in energy and reach for your second coffee? That is often due to a breakfast that is higher in carbohydrates and lower in the ideal amount of protein. Protein at breakfast is extremely important to set the stage for your energy levels for the rest of your day. Including protein with a meal helps slow the absorption of carbohydrates and sugar, therefore preventing crashes in energy that can follow these types of blood sugar fluctuations. 

I like to suggest aiming for 20-30 grams of protein with your breakfast (depending on your goals and health conditions). Here are some suggestions to incorporate more protein in your morning! 

Ideas for protein at breakfast:

• Eggs

  • 1 large egg - approximately 6g protein

• Protein Smoothie

  • Add protein powder - look for one with ~20g protein / scoop

• Breakfast sausages

  • ideally looking for organic ones without additives - Stapleton Sausage is one of our favourite local brands!

• Tofu scramble

  • ½ cup tofu - approximately 10g protein 

• Yogurt + Granola 

  • 1 cup greek yogurt - approximately 15 g protein

  • Add a nut / seed rich granola 

• Salmon 

  • 4oz salmon filet - approximately 23g protein

2. Don’t skip meals

Skipping meals altogether, replacing a meal with a coffee, or eating a bite off your kid’s plate and calling it a day, can really negatively impact your energy. 

Skipping a meal keeps your blood sugars low for a long time, which alone leads to fatigue. This prolonged low blood sugar also causes your body to enter what is known as ‘starvation mode’. Your body has a minor panic and increases cortisol (a stress hormone). This increase in cortisol can increase insulin and cause other hormone dysregulation ultimately contributing to fatigue.

Not only does skipping meals leave you fatigued, but over time, it can also contribute to depression, anxiety, weight gain, insulin dysregulation, hormone imbalances and other long-term health effects. 

Tips to Avoid Skipping Meals: 

• Plan meals ahead of time, if you can 

• Ensure you grocery shop for your families consumption (ie: if you consume 3 dozen eggs per week as a family, but only buy 1 dozen on your weekly grocery shop, you are setting yourself up for failure)

• Ensure you leave time for a meal in the morning (even if it is blending a smoothie to have on your way to work or school drop-off - not ideal, but we get that it is sometimes necessary!)

• Pack yourself lunch at night when you pack your kids’ food, even if you are home in the day! 

3. Avoid highly processed snacks and food

While that donut or chocolate bar provides quick energy, what is to follow is almost always a ‘carb coma’. This is because foods high in carbohydrates and simple sugars cause a rapid spike in glucose, but what follows is a rapid crash causing fatigue. This leaves you wanting more, and it can be a vicious cycle of energy crash → simple carbohydrate food → energy crash → simple carbohydrate food etc.

Now, obviously, this doesn’t mean you can never consume these foods. Let’s be real, we love the occasional donut over here! But what we do suggest is to have these foods occasionally, and try to combine them with protein-rich food. For example, a handful of almonds alongside your occasional donut can help to blunt the rapid blood sugar effects that it causes! 

4. Ensure your hydration is on point

One of the first signs of not being hydrated enough is fatigue! We often forget about the impact that something as simple as water can have on our energy. Typically we suggest 2-3L of water intake per day, depending on factors like age, weight, activity level etc.

Tips to get enough water: 

• Dedicate a water cup for yourself in the house, and at work (ideally with a straw) 

• Try flavoring your water with fruit or veggies (ie: berries, cucumbers, lemon etc.)

• Set a timer on your phone, or use an app if this would work better for you

• Talk with your healthcare provider to see if electrolytes would be right for you

The dirt on coffee

Gosh is coffee ever delicious!! However, when used inappropriately caffeine can have a negative impact on energy. People notice energy crashes with excess caffeine consumption, and it can also contribute to interrupted sleep. 

There are many factors that determine the ideal amount of caffeine consumption, and how close to bedtime to stop consumption, and talking to your doctor can help you determine this. Generally, we recommend sticking to no more than 2 cups per day, and keeping it at least 6 hours away from bedtime, but ideally closer to 10–12 hours away. 

Additionally, what you add TO your coffee can determine the energy impact. As mentioned before, if you are adding a bunch of sugar, or a sugary creamer, you’re going to get a blood sugar crash after it, leading to that afternoon nap craving!

Alcohol, friend or foe for energy? 

Alcohol reduces your energy levels in a few ways.

First off alcohol is a diuretic, meaning it causes your body to lose fluid, easily leading to dehydration.

Second, alcohol generally increases the amount of non-REM sleep and decreases the overall amount of REM sleep in your sleep cycle. This translates to less deep sleep, and more interrupted sleep, leading to next-day fatigue. 

Overall, if you are really looking to improve energy levels, taking a good look at your alcohol consumption may be an idea. 

So, Does Your Diet Impact Your Energy? Yes!

Though nutrition plays a huge role, as we mentioned above, there are many factors to solving the low energy mystery, so please ensure you see a medical professional to get a root cause diagnosis. Some of the more common ones we see are: 

• Iron deficiency anemia

• Vitamin D deficiency

• Low Vitamin B12 

• Thyroid disorders such as Hashimoto’s disease

• Insulin dysregulation 

• Autoimmune diseases

• Hormone imbalances 

• And more!

Your nutrition is directly correlated to your energy levels, and working to optimize it can help you accomplish your to-do list. By not skipping meals, including enough protein with breakfast, limiting sugar and processed foods, and staying hydrated, you can work towards your nutrition improving your energy, rather than reducing it.