How to keep your energy levels up (without relying on coffee)

Everything moves fast in the hustle and bustle of the city, meaning that taking things slow is simply not an option for always-busy metropolitans.

If you’re a city dweller, you probably feel like you’re always in a rush, whether you’re running for the bus, travelling to your next meeting, or venturing to meet your friends for dinner. City living can take its toll on us both physically and mentally, often sapping our energy levels as a result.

Quick-fix crashes

Many city dwellers rely on endless cups of coffee to provide instant pick-me-ups throughout the day. But, if you regularly down this caffeinated beverage, you’ll be aware of the crash that almost always follows the rush.

If you’re not guzzling coffee, you may find yourself reaching for biscuits, chocolate or cereal bars to perk you up. Yet, while they are convenient to snack on – particularly when you’re on-the-move – these sugar-laden treats can leave you feeling super sluggish.

 

Sky-high energy, all day long

Thankfully, there are a number of things you can do to banish tiredness once and for all, boosting your energy levels and ensuring they stay sky-high from morning through to the evening. So, pour away your coffee, put down that biccie and give these a try…

 

Make time for breakfast

It doesn’t matter how busy you are, you should always make time to enjoy breakfast every morning, because it  kick-starts your metabolism and sets up your energy levels for the day. Avoid sugary cereals and instead, opt for foods with slow-releasing carbohydrates, like oats.

Here’s a tip: prepare your breakfast the night before for a stress-free morning. Try overnight oats, mixing 1 portion of oats with 200g of deliciously creamy, natural Ísey Skyr and a handful of your favourite fresh fruits and nuts. Cover and store in the fridge overnight and mix together before enjoying in the morning!

Get your eight a day

Dehydration leaves us feeling drained and fatigued, as it slowly eats away at our bodily functions during the day. But, there’s a very simple solution: up your water intake!

Water is a key component in our body’s organs, tissues and cells, and it helps with the regulation of our temperature, too. So, it’s clear to see why not drinking enough of the stuff would impact our energy, mood and brain function.

It’s recommended that we drink around eight glasses of water a day, or 0.6 ounces multiplied by your bodyweight. If you think that you’ll forget to top-up, make sure you keep a glass on your desk and a bottle in your bag at all times to serve as gentle reminders.

 

Little and often

Eating regular, small meals throughout the day (every three to four hours) will help to keep your metabolism on an even keel and energy levels high, as your blood sugars will stay up in between each meal.

To sustain your energy levels, always snack on foods with a protein source, such as apple smeared with natural, peanut butter, vegetable sticks with low-fat hummus, or a hard-boiled egg. Just one pot of natural Ísey Skyr contains up to 17g of protein – it also comes with its own handy spoon, making it the perfect on-the-move snack to enjoy before that big meeting.

For added flavour, opt for thick and creamy Blueberry Ísey Skyr, which contains just 2% fat but up to 17g of protein per pot.

Rest well

Getting into a routine of going to bed and waking up at the same time every day will encourage good sleeping habits. And this will help you to ensure you rest well, so that you wake up feeling refreshed, revitalised and ready for the day ahead.

As you can imagine, a good night’s sleep is closely linked with high energy levels, and we should all aim to get at least eight hours each night. If getting to sleep is your problem, try reading a book or enjoy a hot, relaxing bath just before lights out. Staring at screens  – whether it’s the TV or your phone  – can hinder sleep, so avoid them for the last couple of hours of the night.

If you fancy an evening treat, avoid high-carb foods which could keep you up. Instead, snack on something like a pot of creamy vanilla Ísey Skyr, which is fat-free and low-carb, but packed full of flavour.

With just a few, simple tweaks to your diet and lifestyle, you’ll be able to sustain high energy levels all day long, so that you can truly relish life in the city!