ONE DAY AT A TIME –

Feb. 10, 2022 – When it comes to restoring energy, it’s all about balance. “Practically every nutrient plays a role in energy production,” says nutrition therapist Ian Marber. “Asking which nutrient to look for or which food to eat to get more energy is like asking which part of an aircraft makes it fly.”

The process of making energy is complex – but a good place to start when talking about it is the mitochondria. These are found in nearly every cell in the body and play a pivotal role in energy production. The number of mitochondria varies from cell to cell: those found in muscles typically have the highest concentrations, whereas inactive fat cells have far fewer.

It’s useful to imagine that mitochondria “burn” elements of the food we eat to generate a form of energy called adenosine triphosphate (or ATP), which can be stored and called upon when required, says Marber: “A core of nutrients are involved in ATP production, such as iron, the B vitamins, calcium, magnesium and vitamin C, among many others.”

To get adequate amounts of these nutrients, small tweaks to your diet can make a big difference. Every time you eat, make a conscious choice to give your chosen meal a nutrition boost: add a few spoonfuls of Greek yogurt and sprinkle of blueberries to your morning cereal; have a serving of mixed beans in dressing with your lunch; add carrots, broccoli and peas to dinner instead of just one portion of veg.

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