With all of us living these hectic, busy lives, it’s no surprise that our energy levels are so low. Especially for women, low energy and fatigue can be a huge issue. Luckily there are vitamins that improve your energy!
Now, I want to be clear here.
I’m not saying that once you take a vitamin supplement your fatigue will be cured.
That’s just not how it works unfortunately.
It’s important you are setting the foundation so that the vitamins can play their role in giving you energy.Because when it comes down to it, the vitamins are not giving you energy, they are simply going to help convert your food into energy.
That’s right!
While it’s super important you include these vitamins in your diet, it is more important that you are eating enough calories, carbohydrates, fats, and proteins!
Because calories is where your energy is coming from, while vitamins help convert the calories into energy.
Makes sense right?
So, while these vitamins are essential in ensuring you have energy, getting enough calories is even more essential.
You can’t build a pizza without the dough right?
So, I can just take a supplement… right?
Well, sure you can.
But, it is always best to get your vitamins from food.
On one hand, it’s much cheaper. On the other hand, getting your vitamins from nutrient dense foods ensures you are eating a well rounded diet with all the nutrients you need.
So, if you are really struggling reaching the recommended amounts of these vitamins in your diet, you may want to try a supplement.
But, it shouldn’t be too difficult to get these vitamins through your diet.
You’ll see that most of these vitamins are in foods you already eat.
Also… DON’T FORGET!
You must be eating enough calories and macronutrients (carbs, fats, proteins) to have energy.Supplementing with these vitamins without eating enough will not help you improve your energy.
In fact, it may just make you feel sick.
So, my recommendation for you (as a Registered Dietitian) is to eat nutrient dense foods that are high in these nutrients (and make sure you’re eating enough).
B Vitamins
Vitamin #1 is actually 8 different vitamins.
I put these into one category because they serve similar functions.
The B vitamins include:
- Thiamine
- Riboflavin
- Niacin
- Pantothenic acid
- Pyridoxine
- Biotin
- Vitamin B12
- Folic Acid
These vitamins are all important in releasing energy from food.
Here are some examples of foods high in B vitamins:
- Nuts
- Whole wheat bread
- Fortified breakfast cereals
- Liver
- Milk
- Eggs
- Mushrooms
- Yogurt
- Meat
- Fish
- Avocado
- Oats
- Soybeans
- Green vegetables (Folate)
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is not only great for the immune system, it plays a role in energy metabolism (or the creation of energy).
It helps transport fats throughout the body and helps create important hormones such as adrenaline (we know about this one right?)
Foods high in vitamin C include:
- Red pepper
- Oranges
- Kiwi
- Green pepper
- Broccoli
- Strawberries
- Brussels sprouts
- Grapefruit
- Tomato juice
Calcium
Calcium is not only great for our bones, it plays an important role in creating energy!
It is important for using your muscles and nerves, and plays a role in the production of energy.
Foods high in calcium include:
- Yogurt
- Orange juice
- Mozzarella
- Sardines
- Cheddar cheese
- Milk
- Soy milk
- Tofu
- Salmon
- Fortified breakfast cereals
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is a component of ATP, which is an essential part in the creation of energy.
Because it is a component of ATP, it is important that we get enough to create ATP, which in turn creates energy.
It’s typically not too difficult to get enough phosphorus, but it’s still important we are eating foods that contain phosphorus.
Foods high in phosphorus include:
- Yogurt
- Milk
- Salmon
- Scallops
- Cheese
- Chicken
- Lentils
- Beef
- Cashews
- Potatoes
Magnesium
Magnesium is a great mineral that has a multitude of functions, including energy metabolism!
Like calcium, it is important because it helps us use our muscles and nerves.
It also plays a role in breaking down foods into energy and reactions in the body that create energy.
Foods high in magnesium include:
- Pumpkin seeds
- Chia seeds
- Almonds
- Spinach
- Cashews
- Peanuts
- Cereal
- Soymilk
- Black beans
- Edamame
Copper
Copper is a trace element and plays a role in energy metabolism.
It is not too difficult to get enough of, but it’s still important to eat foods that contain copper.
Foods high in copper include:
- Beef
- Oysters
- Chocolate
- Potatoes
- Mushrooms
- Cashews
- Crab
- Sunflower seeds
- Turkey
- Tofu
Chromium
Chromium is another trace mineral that is super important in producing insulin, which encourages cells to uptake glucose or sugar in the bloodstream.
Foods high in chromium include:
- Grape juice
- Ham
- English muffin
- Orange juice
- Beef
- Lettuce
- Turkey
- BBQ sauce
- Tomato juice
- Apple
Iron
Iron is essential in transporting oxygen to your organs and tissues and in ATP synthesis.
Foods high in iron include:
- Fortified breakfast cereals
- Oysters
- White beans
- Chocolate
- Liver
- Lentils
- Spinach
- Tofu
- Kidney beans
- Sardines
Manganese
Manganese plays a role in converting carbohydrates into energy and creating glucose from protein and fat sources.
Foods high in manganese include:
- Mussels
- Hazelnuts
- Pecans
- Brown rices
- Oysters
- Clams
- Chickpeas
- Spinach
- Pineapple
- Soybeans
Zinc
Finally, zinc is important because it is an essential part of certain enzymes which are important in energy metabolism.
Foods high in zinc include:
- Oysters
- Beef
- Crab
- Beef
- Lobster
- Pork chop
- Baked beans
- Fortified breakfast cereal
- Chicken
- Pumpkin seeds
How do I keep up with getting all these vitamins?
Knowing all of this information can definitely be overwhelming.
But, just know, if you are eating a balanced diet with foods from every food category, you will likely be just fine.
When you begin cutting back on calories or eliminating whole food groups, you may run into some trouble.
Make sure you are eating enough calories, and eating fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, and dairy products (or calcium rich foods).
If you ensure all these bases are covered, you will notice your energy increase.
So, eat your calories, eat your nutrients and you will be bouncing around like the energy bunny in no time!
If you are eating a balanced diet with sufficient calories and are still tired all the time, there may be underlying issues. I suggest seeing a doctor to look more into it if you are in this situation.
I hope this article was helpful for you! If you have any questions, you can email me directly. Also, follow me on Instagram @tasteitwithtia for healthy recipes and nutrition tips!
