5 Caffeine-Free Energy Boosters for Mums

Scenario: You’re woken up by a zany-eyed toddler, fall out of bed and into the kitchen, and forget to eat your own breakfast. Neglecting to care for yourself in the morning can make you feel like you never completely woken up. So try this instead:

• The night before, set an alarm so you’re up a smidge before your kids to give yourself some quiet time to start your day right (optional but highly encouraged!)
• Slap that alarm and wriggle out of your pyjamas.
• Open the curtains and let the light in (this gives your brain a boost of serotonin and makes you feel alert and happy).
• Take a shower if you can.
• Bonus tip: don’t laugh, but putting on some activewear actually makes you feel more energetic, even if you’re not doing anything active that day! Try it for yourself.

Pancakes, toast, croissants, muffins, and sugar-laden cereals will spike your blood sugar and end in a spectacular energy crash. Instead, a breakfast that includes really simple good fats and protein will fuel your slow-burning energy.

It doesn’t have to be complicated or fancy. For example:

• A quick smoothie with some greens, fruit and some extras like avocado, chia seeds, cacao powder or almonds will do the trick.
• For food on a plate, you can think about eggs with avocado or homemade baked beans, or a good quality muesli with coconut yoghurt and banana.
• Try a really simple acai bowl with chopped nuts, cacao nibs and coconut yoghurt (your kids will be flummoxed at being served something that looks like ‘ice cream’ for breakfast and will instantly crown you queen of motherhood, guaranteed).

Sometimes a flat mood looks and feels a lot like fatigue. To turn your frown upside down, pump up some crazy loud, high energy, dance music and go nuts around your lounge room.

Music increases our heart rate, releases happy hormones and let’s face it, once you’ve done a few dozen running man’s across the lounge room, you’ve worked up a bit of an energy sweat too (see how that activewear just came in handy!). And doing it with your kids makes you the coolest mum on the block.

Even a teeny decrease in your body’s water volume can make you feel tired. Crazy, right? Increase your good liquid intake to snuff out mental fog and a sluggish body.

Try these beverage ideas:

• Water. Yes, snooze-ville, I know. But you can infuse water or mineral water any combo of fruits, berries and citrus for some extra zing.
• Drink hot or cold cacao drinks. Cacao is an amazing superfood that naturally stimulates your brain without affecting your nervous system and releases those blissful post-workout endorphins.
• Non-dairy smoothies. Dairy suppresses your body’s ability to absorb nutrients, so choose water or non-dairy milks as the base of a delicious smoothie.

Are you scouring the cupboard for stale biscuit crumbs or hacking away at some dried-up milo in a ten year old can every afternoon?

Unfortunately, we tend to reach for the worst kinds of energy-sapping foods when we’re tired. Sugar, empty carbs in bread and baked goods, dairy and processed foods will feel good on the lips but wreak havoc on the inside, ending in even less energy than before.

Instead, fill up on fruits and vegetables, proteins and good fats. When you feed your body energy foods, your body responds in kind by providing vitality and energy for you to be your best and most vibrant self, every day.