I have a serious coffee problem. I am not ashamed to admit this, but it has become more apparent over the past few years. The main issue with drinking too much coffee is that you eventually feel no benefits from it at all and in some cases it can make you even more tired....which REALLY isn't the point.
As part of my research into my health, the illnesses and more overall outlook on life, I have looked closely into the role my diet plays. The first thing that I need to have a minor rant about is the people that promote cures through diets alone. Please never stop the medications you have been given without you doctors telling you to do so and put all your hope into diet alone. It will not work and equally it can be extremely dangerous to just stop some medications.
Right, rant over. It is time too actually look at what drinks can help with the fatigue other than my ever favorite cup of coffee......milk, sugar.....perfection.....
Also please note these will help with general fatigue as well, maybe from stress, over work, getting over a cold etc. Please check before making these that none of the ingredients are bad for your medical condition or react with medications etc.
Finally, I live on an extremely tight budget and although a lot of websites will project fresh is best etc, I simply can't afford them. I have found buying frozen fruits and vegetables is just as good and works ok with my budget. I have also frozen larger batches of the smoothies before so now fruits have gone to waste.
The Fiery One....This one has a kick, a temper and will leave you feeling more alert...
I am a fan of a little gingery goodness, so I shall start with my favorite smoothie. This one helps to combat fatigue, has been said to help with adrenal function (I have no medical proof of this) and also gives you a great boost of vitamin C. If you love a slightly spicy and fruit based smoothie, there is no milk products in this one or oats.
What you will need.
2 X Carrots
A Pineapple - you wont use the entire pineapple in one smoothie....that's ridiculous.
Fresh Ginger
1 X Banana
1 X Glass of Apple or Orange Juice
In terms of making this smoothie it really is a version that you can tailor to your own tastes. I prefer this to have more of a juice consistency, so I only add one banana for thickness and more juice. The amount of ginger and pineapple also is determined by how much of each you fancy, but the ginger is the most important ingredient here.
The banana will give you a dose of potassium, known for keeping you going through post exercise fatigue. The pineapple gives you your vitamin C as well as being a natural anti inflammatory - who doesn't need some joint relief? Carrots are an excellent sauce of multivitamins known to help with fatigue and clean your system. Finally Ginger is known as an Adaptogen, meaning it helps to normalise your hormones excreted from your adrenal gland, thus boosting your energy.
The Green One....As mean as it is green.........
Now, this one is not one that I particularly enjoyed at first, I think it was the color that put me off and the original recipe needed some tweaking so that I could enjoy it. This smoothie is packed full of Chlorophyll, which is the pigment that makes these veggies and fruits green. This pigment is known to have energy boosting and body cleansing abilities. If you can get over drinking something that is green, then this pone really does make me feel like I have more energy, rather than being more awake.
What you will need.
Romaine Lettuce
1/2 a bag of Spinach
3 Stalks of Celery - I use two but the original recipe was for three.
1 Apple or Kiwi - I have kiwi as I find apples make the joint pain worse.
1 X Soft Pear
1 X Banana
Apple Juice - Now I use coconut water sometimes to substitute the apples again.
Again, you can tailor this too your needs, I know I did as I really am not a fan of lettuce. I prefer to add more spinach, which is one of the best energy boosting foods there are. I like this again to be very easy to swallow, it is not a smoothie I like to sip, so I add more juice and only a single banana. The fruits here are great for adding sweetness and if you opt for he kiwi, the sharpness works well with the spinach. For something slightly different, try adding a small amount of green chilli if you can have chilli with your medications. I find this really helpful when I get a cold or a virus.
Other fruits and veggies that promote energy so that you can make up your own recipe.
Here are some of the energy boosting foods that I have found to work.
- Green tea
- Bananas
- Coconut milk
- Spinach
- Kale
- Flaxseed Oil
- Pro Biotic Yogurt - especially if your fatigue comes from digestive problems
- Oats - I love Muesli and porridge as they are slow realising energy
- Nettles - yes I know what you are thinking!
- Sea Salt - in very small amounts it can support your adrenal gland
- Ginseng - To be avoided if you are on certain medications so check with your GP first
- Chocolate or plain cocoa
- Apricots
- Honey
