How to beat Lethargy

I am so brimming with ideas at the moment, I think I might burst!  It’s snowing outside and I’ve had an enforced stay at home this morning.  So, I’ve been taking this opportunity to make the beds and sort the washing (even managed to marry 25 pairs of odd socks, only another 25 to go!).  While my body has been catching up on some household chores, my mind has been brimming over with  ideas on things like – how to revitilise our gites, new business ventures, decorating projects, marketing plans, new chapters for the books I’m writing.  I’m going to have to write them all down while they’re fresh in my mind. 

It’s so strange because only a few days ago, I was the complete opposite, slumped in a chair watching dribble on TV feeling positively lethargic.  (Can you be positively lethargic?  I think perhaps negatively lethargic is more accurate a description).  We had just come back from a lovely couple of days away in Spain mixing business and pleasure without the children.  We visited new suppliers for our Garden Centre in the Spanish mountains and brought some new stock.  We took advantage of the fantastic deals in January by staying at a 4 star hotel with views over a private beach.  We watched the sun rise over the sea, relaxed in the spa, ate some wonderful food, drank some wine, had time to talk without the usual interruptions.  It was wonderful.

I should have come back refreshed and ready to go, instead I felt lethargic.  Everything was an effort and I couldn’t be bothered.  It’s not a nice feeling, but it’s one I recognise from the past and I don’t like it!!  This is how I used to feel all the time.  It’s really hard to get motivated when you feel so sluggish.

It got me thinking.  Why did I suddenly feel so crap and why a few days later do I feel so energetic again?  It wasn’t because I was feeling down about anything – life is good at the moment.  So what else could it be?  It wasn’t even that post holiday feeling when you don’t want to get back to your normal life.   I love life at the moment and despite having a fantastic time, I’d missed my kids and was looking forward to getting started on some of the new ideas we’d discussed during our break.  I wasn’t ill, so what else could it be?

FOOD!!  

I’ve decided that it must have been largely down to the food I’d eaten while I was away.  Before I went I’d been on a 10 day detox.  No alcohol, no meat, cut down on coffee, ate lots of veg etc and I’d lost the few pounds I’d gained over Christmas and was feeling much fitter.  But, while I was away I’d had some wine, ate a very delicious (but very rich) 5 course meal, had buffet breakfasts and all you can eat Chinese buffet and on the way home a chicken and chips dinner in a motorway cafe (yuck!).  I had tried to restrain myself – I’d had yogurt and fresh fruit for breakfast (perhaps I should have resisted following this up with a plate of smoked salmon and scrambled eggs, but is was yummy).  However I did manage to resist the bacon, sausage and eggs, and, I didn’t eat as much as I would have in the past at the Chinese.  But, thinking about it my body must have been screaming Whoa, what’s going on here!

When I got back all I could think of eating was a nice big veg and bean stew, which is exactly what I had and after a week of eating my normal, more healthy diet, I’m regaining my enthusiasm and starting to feel the benefit our our few days away.  It must be the food I eat that is making the big difference here.  I know exercise is another way of improving your energy levels, but I can’t even think of exercising when I’m feeling so lethargic.  I need to get myself feeling more motivated before I can consider exercising and changing my diet for good is what has worked for me.  You can read about how I went about changing my diet and what motivated me to do in “Losing Weight in France”.

So, if you want to start feeling more energetic and motivated, start eating more healthily.  Your body will thank you for it and so will your mind!