Energy for Performance

I’m sure many of you are aware everything is energy. However, we need to know how to work with that energy and balance it out to enhance our performance.

“What does that mean?” I can hear some of you say.

Well, let’s take a high energy drink for example. That’s full of energy. So why not just drink those all the time to get all the energy we need?

That sounds kind of simplistic, but it’s not quite as simple as that. But it is really.

We don’t need huge amounts of energy in the form of sugars that are contained in these type of drinks. We only can burn certain amounts of energy from these and the rest will be converted into fats.

That’s not all. We also get the sugar highs and then the crashes, which make us feel lethargic. This makes us feel the need to have more of the sugars to fill the gap caused by the crash and get back to feeling ‘normal’.

This roller coaster of sugar highs and lows certainly will hamper your efforts to perform at your best. Plus, the constant release of insulin also can lead to diabetes.

So what can we do to improve our energy for performance?

Balance is the key. We should limit or cut out sugars and simple carbs we eat, such as refined flour, white pasta, bread and rice. Instead, eat more complex carbohydrates such as green vegetables and fibre such as beans and grains.

Having a healthy balance of carbs, proteins, fibre, vitamins, minerals and healthy fats is the most efficient way to improve your energy levels and enhance your performance. Try a healthy green smoothie made with leafy greens for breakfast. It’s a great way to kick-start your day instead of any of those sugar-laden cereals and orange juice.

Snack through the day with healthy raw nuts, seeds and fruit instead of shop-bought snacks, which also are full of sugar, artificial sweeteners and additives.

Try these for the next week and see how your performance improves.