Christmas exhaustion
Am I the only 30-something who finds the party season exhausting? Last year, after rushing from party to party in December, I spent most of the holiday itself in bed. What can I do now to build my reserves and get enough energy to carry me through to January 2nd?
To boost your energy levels you need to target the place where energy is made - in the cells. The powerhouse of the cell is a structure called the mitochondria which produces a substance called Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) that fuels the body. There are between 500 and 2,000 mitchondria present in every cell, except red blood cells and the lens of the eye. You will also find more in the organs that work the hardest which are the heart, the kidneys and the brain.
Almost all your mitochondria - 99.9% - come from your mother, but as we age, the mitchondria age too. They produce less and less ATP so you become like a car that is slowly running out of petrol. Also, to make ATP the body has to use ATP. So, if you don’t have enough energy in the first place you can see how easy it is to run out of steam.
There are two supplements which can boost flagging energy levels. Both are good on their own but together, they are fantastic. They are Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and Carnitine and you should start taking these now.
CoQ10 - known as The Energiser - is found in every cell. It plays a role in the production of energy and works as an antioxidant to protect the body from otherwise damaging free radicals. Carnitine, which is sometimes called The Capsule of Youth, is an amino acid that the body produces naturally in the brain, heart and kidneys. It transports fatty acids into the mitochondria to be converted into energy, so take 1000mg of evening primrose oil or a good fish oil too. Sadly, Carnitine levels drop off with age.
Magnesium is also part of the chemical reaction that produces energy but if you take a supplement, you will have to take calcium too since levels of one affect the other. The ratio most nutritionists favour is 2:1 in favour of the calcium so take 400mg of magnesium and 800mg of calcium. You can adjust the doses of Carnitine and Coenzyme Q10 but to start off, take 500mg of Carnitine and 30mg of CoQ10 twice a day, with breakfast and with lunch. With extra stress, step up the Carnitine to 3,000 mg and increase the Coenzyme Q10 to 90mg a day.
*Nobody makes a combined carnitine and co-enzyme Q10 supplement so you will have to buy them individually. Country Life makes both. 30 x 60mg capsules of Co-Q10 cost £16.95. 30 x 500mg capules of carnitine cost £14.95. Mail order on 0800-146215.