Keep the yawns at bay by upping your intake of these ten foods
1. Greens
All dark-green leafy vegetables are amazing superfoods, containing lots of vitamins, carotenoids and iron. Popeye knew a thing or two, because spinach also contains the co-enzyme Q10 for energy production.
Eat more: Leafy vegetables, eating them both raw and cooked. This is because cooking makes the carotenoids easier to absorb but heat destroys vitamin C and folate.
2. Carrots
These contain powerful doses of carotenoids, which help to boost our immune system and keep us feeling fit.
Eat more: Higher levels of carotenes are found in winter carrots than in new-season baby ones. For maximum nutritional value, eat them as soon as possible after buying. Beta-carotene is not destroyed during cooking and, as with greens, it actually helps break down the active compounds. Try carrots mashed with other root vegetables, roasted with olive oil and herbs, grated raw in salads or cut into crudites and served with dips. Try other carotene-rich foods such as sweet potatoes, pumpkins, apricots and mangoes.
3. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are a great power food whether raw or cooked. We all know they’re rich in vitamin C, but they’re also one of the best sources of the powerful antioxidant lycopene.
Eat more: Use chopped tomatoes in soups and stews. Make up tomato dips and salsas or roast cherry tomatoes in the oven with olive oil and garlic for a warming salad.
4. Blueberries
Blueberries contain more antioxidant power than any other fruit or vegetable. They also contain a soluble fibre that can help relieve diarrhoea and constipation – both of which can make you feel tired.
Eat more: Blueberries come fresh, dried or frozen. Add them to desserts, cereals, smoothies, pancakes – and that classic favourite, muffins. Eat other berry fruits too: blackcurrants, redcurrants, cranberries, blackberries and raspberries.
5. Oats
Oats are an excellent source of complex carbohydrates that your body needs to sustain all-day energy. And they’re low on the Glycemic Index, meaning they don’t cause a rapid increase in blood sugar, followed by a crash that can leave you tired and even hungrier.
Eat more: Use them as breakfast cereals, as flakes in toppings for gratins and in cake and biscuit recipes.
6. Soya
Soya is a great energy-boosting food that's high in protein yet low in fat.
Eat more: Soya beans come whole, fresh, frozen or dried, or made into tofu. Use the firm tofu sliced in stir fries and casseroles, and the silken form in dips, smoothies and desserts. Check labels on soya milk, as the amounts of protein and calcium vary. Soya flour is useful in baking.
7. Tea
Tea is believed to stimulate metabolism, which increases energy levels.
Eat more: Green tea is healthier than black. As well as drinking it, use it as a marinade for dried fruit or, in powdered form, as a baking ingredient.
8. Beans
Pulses such as beans, peas and lentils are nutritional powerhouses, packed full of health-promoting properties. They can steady blood-sugar levels by slowing the release of glucose into the bloodstream.
Eat more: Beans can be purchased dry (soak before eating), or canned for quick meals.
9. Walnuts
The high fat and protein content of these nuts can help you feel fuller for longer, increasing your energy levels.
Eat more: Add walnuts to salads or sprinkle over pasta dishes or soups. Grind up nuts and use in smoothies and salad dressings.
10. Salmon
Salmon, with its rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, can boost your mood and play a crucial role in brain development and concentration.
Eat more: Tinned salmon is a convenient store-cupboard ingredient that can be eaten on its own with salads, or used as a basis for mousses or in fishcakes. Or buy fresh salmon fillets and grill them for a quick and easy supper. Other oily fish that come in cans are herrings and sardines. Eat oily fish at least twice a week.