If you are wondering why your energy levels disappeared without a trace a long time ago you might want to look at your diet.

Not only do certain foods in your diet zap your energy, there is a host of other things going on in your body when you consume these foods that will put you seriously out of whack, leading to hormonal issues, insulin issues, weight gain, brain fog, depression, irritability and cholesterol issues, which can all lead to nagging illnesses or serious disease.

Who wants to feel like that?

No-one!

So here are the top energy depleting foods to avoid:

1. Refined sugar

This includes anything from a jar of pasta sauce (yes, check the back of the label, you will be surprised) store bought orange juice or a can of coke. Sugar is very inflammatory to the body, which can lead to insulin resistance and diabetes. Oh, and cancer cells love feeding off sugar too. Refined sugar is also an acidic food for the body.

2. Refined carbohydrates

Usually including one of the main bad boys – wheat, especially white flour. So avoid pasta, bread, pizza, muffins, cakes, white rice, in fact anything white usually means its been refined and processed in some way. They are usually high GI and give you an instant energy boost but then comes the crash, which has you reaching for that muffin, biscuit or piece of cake again in no time. Refined and processed foods = acidic body. Acidic body = disease.

3. Alcohol

Loaded with sugar also and has you feeling great at the time but feeling like death the next day. Just after 2 drinks your body treats alcohol as a poison and stops its normal processes in an attempt to metabolise the alcohol as quickly as possible. This includes digestion which sets off a cascade of a stop sign for everything else, disrupting normal liver function, the production of hormones, and providing nutrition for your body. Leaving you feeling tired, hungry and grouchy. Oh and alcohol is super acidic for the body!

4. Caffeine (taken orally)

So insidiously addictive! I remember when my Naturopath said I had to give up coffee. I was like “But I’m tired all the time!” I need my coffee to get me going!”. She said. “Well, that’s precisely why you need to give it up.” Coffee depletes your adrenals, leading you to burnout, leading you to exist on stimulants to get through the day. Have a day or two off the coffee and see the effects for yourself. If you want to be a little more gentle with yourself, wean yourself off coffee to minimise the effects but you may feel tired for a few days or weeks until your body adjust and gets back to normal.

Caffeine is also very acidic and feeds Candida. If you would still like to get your daily dose of coffee I recommend a much healthier way of taking it, via a coffee enema! Coffee taken this way behaves differently in the body and in fact has many health benefits and becomes a powerful detoxifier.

To find out more check out my article on “10 Reasons on Why You Should Try A Coffee Enema”.

5. Cooked foods and improper food combining

That sluggish feeling you get after eating a big cooked meal with a combo of carbs and protein, and maybe something sweet for dessert is a sign your body is working overtime using its own finite amount of enzymes to try and digest the food.

This is incredibly taxing for the body and over time weakens the digestive system and can lead to serious disease. Combining protein with a starch and then a sweet makes it very hard for your body to digest, often leading to fermentation in the gut which is a welcome mat for bad bacteria, fungus and parasites, making you feel sick and tired.

Try sticking to protein with vegetables and salad or low GI carbohydrates or even better, gluten free grains like quinoa, millet or amaranth with vegetables and salad.

Add more raw into your diet on a daily basis, by eating raw you are utilising the plants own enzymes to help your body digest the food, therefore keeping you alert and your energy levels high. Plus your tummy will thank you for it.