8 Evidence-Led Tips to Boost Your Energy & Metabolic Health

Would you like to improve you and your family’s energy and positivity – whilst at the same time reducing your risk of experiencing chronic health conditions such as persistent weight gain?

Unfortunately, ever since the pandemic more and more of my health-coaching clients have been experiencing high blood-pressure, raised blood sugar, persistent weight-gain, chronic anxiety/ low-mood, as well as reduced energy levels.

And let’s be clear, this is not the fault of any individual – rather it’s the general environment we so often find ourselves in these days: under nourished but over-filled on ultra-processed food, overly sedentary environment, lack of fresh air/ sunlight, narrow tunnel-vision on our stress-inducing screen of choice – and so the list goes on. In fact it’s a wonder so many of us are coping as well as we do with all these negative daily inputs!

So, in order to start turning things around for both yourself and other members of your family, have a look at the following list of 8 easy habits you can use to build a more positive outlook and a boost in energy:

1. Take frequent movement breaks. Set a countdown timer on your phone/ watch for every 45 minutes and when it goes off take a quick ‘movement break’ – eg a brief walk, stretch – or even better 10 ‘air-squats’!
2. Get outside. After being sat down/ looking at screens most of the morning, try and get outside even for just 10-minutes at lunchtime to get some daylight, fresh-air and to widen your field of vision (look to the horizon) whilst moving as briskly as you can. And yes, even 10 minutes can have a huge benefit! If you walk with a friend or colleague (great for social connection) – make a real effort not to ruminate on your shared work/family frustrations etc – but instead try to actively focus on what you’re currently enjoying in life…
3. Healthy snacks! I get it, we all feel those mid-morning, mid-afternoon munchies, particularly when under a bit of stress… My advice is to always keep ‘wholefood’ snacks to hand, ie non-‘ultra-processed’ foods. This might be any type of fresh fruits, whole raw nuts and seeds, even plain yogurt or carrot sticks. Try to steer clear of any pre-packaged ‘healthy-looking’ processed foods such as those ‘breakfast in a bottle’ type ultra-processed foods, smoothies or energy bars which ultimately promote inflammation and sap your energy.
4. Walk & Talk. Try to get into the mindset of identifying which activities can be done whilst walking. For example, could you batch your phone calls together, put in a headset and walk and talk? (Even better if you can get outside!) Whilst at work, could you have more ‘walking meetings’ rather than sat round a conference table?
5. Natural Daylight. Try to get as much daylight as you can throughout the day (even on cloudier days) – can you work next to a large window or even just pop outside for 5 minutes during your ‘movement breaks’? This helps keep your ‘circadian rhythm’ aligned, which in turn aids your digestion and even helps you feel sleepier earlier in the evening – particularly beneficial for those of us who often feel ‘tired but wired’ in the evenings! This particularly important to do in the first hour after waking to really help re-align your circadian rhythm for the day.
6. Hydrate optimally. In my experience, many of us are chronically under-hydrated but over-caffeinated (see below)… My tip here is to pair your regular movement breaks with a trip to fill your water-bottle. Try to always keep your water-bottle at arms-length so you can sip on it throughout the day.
7. Avoid over-caffeination! I know this sounds hard, but if you often feel slightly on-edge/ anxious or suffer from energy lulls in the afternoon it could be a result of over-caffeination. I would advise cutting off all caffeine by mid-morning, and just switching over to decaff versions of your favourite hot beverage. Extra brownie points if you switch to green tea which has been positively associated with sustained energy and focus through the day (but do switch to decaff mid-morning!)
8. Set up a family or work ‘activity’ challenge! Once a week (eg Friday evening) why not set up a fun, active challenge before the weekend… Eg a ‘wall-sit’ challenge, planks, or what about getting hold of a stationary bike and seeing how far everyone can go in 10 minutes? Or what about a ‘Just Dance’ challenge to boost up the energy levels of the whole family?! Bonus tip: Even better if you can extend this a bit further: see if you can schedule a weekly family ‘away day’ into an inspiring, natural environment – eg a forest, lake, coastal or lakeside setting. If you have them, let the kids choose a cool location from their TikTok/ Insta Reels – instant buy-in!

These are just a small selection of the many health habits I encourage people to adopt – hopefully at least a few of them will resonate with you and your family! 

Struggling to manage your metabolic health or balance your hormones? Just before I sign-off – if you’re tired of ‘generic’ advice and want a personalised, evidence-led approach, I just want to let you know that I offer premium 1-to-1 online coaching for busy professionals. Click here to learn more and book a Free 30-Minute Health Review. I’d love to hear from you!

Good luck!