Diet: 10 ultra-energizing foods

10 Ultra-energizing foods to beat fatigue

Aurélie Buhagiar

12 Sep 2014

mis à jour le 4 May 2019 à 07:35

You find it hard to get out of bed in the morning? You can get more strength by adjusting your diet and consuming more of these healthy and energy-packed foods - as recommended by a TCM expert.

1/10
Mushrooms
Its soft flavour acts as a general stimulant. Mushrooms are all full of energy, even the modest button mushroom. Cooked in a wok with some lamb and a little fresh ginger, mushrooms are make for a great anti-tiredness dish. Consume it in small doses, and do not cook it for too long.
2/10
Raw egg yolk
It is used in traditional Chinese medicine, especially to fight anxiety and insomnia. As with oysters, we say that it feeds the yin of the heart. You can cook it, for example, as fried egg by adding the yolk at the end. Obviously, organic eggs would be best to consume.
3/10
Banana
Ripe bananas moisten the intestines and lungs. They are recommended for treating a hacking cough (steam it without the skin with a little sugar) or to calm thirst (consume it raw), but it is not recommended to consume them when you have a cold or flu. Rich in slow-burning sugars and in vitamin B, they are excellent anti-tiredness foods.
4/10
Carrot juice
In Chinese dietetics, roots and tubers, neutral and soft-flavoured, strengthen the digestive functions and energy production. To use it at its best, prepare the carrot juice with some honey, or cooked with a little fat that protects its carotenoides. Lipo-soluble , it is good for the skin and eyesight.
5/10
Honey
Honey is almost venerated in TCM, and it is no surprise, considering the plethora of benefits it provides. Besides not spoiling for years, this golden goodness also kills germs and improves digestive functions. Doesn't hurt that it's tasty as well. Honey is usually consumed in small quantities, pure or mixed with a hot liquid. However, you can even rub a spoonful onto a wound to reduce blood flow and pain while preventing infections.
6/10
Oysters
"In TCM, we assert that the heart manages the mental and emotional state. Oyster feeds ‘blood of the heart’,” explains Philippe Sionneau. Rich in omega 3 antidepressants, zinc and selenium immunostimulants, oysters cheer up the morale.
7/10
Sesame oil
As with other vegetable oil of soft flavour, it is moisturizing. Its peculiarities: it contains some linoleic acid, anti-cholesterol and natural antioxidants. It comes in an amber version - obtained from the grilled seeds - and clear - derived from natural seeds. It is better to consume it raw, but it bears soft cooking.
8/10
Pears
"In the Chinese tradition, each season has characteristics exercising an influence on man and nature. So, the autumn is associated with the drought. Food to be favored has to be moisturizing, as the pear, soft and acid fruit (better to consume riped, more easily digestible). In TCM, we indeed consider that the combination of soft and acidic flavours generates liquids in the body and calms the thirst," comments Philippe Sionneau.
9/10
Duck
A great classic of Asian gastronomy but also TCM, where it is recommended for coughs and dry throats, and classified as a tonic and moisturizing food. Its flesh supplies phosphor, zinc, iron, copper and vitamin B. Its fat contains some oleic fatty acid, and is anti-cholesterol. You can use it from time to time for cooking as a replacement for butter or oil.
10/10
Walnuts
In China, they are recommended to convalescent people or to women after childbirth to give them back some strength. They contain glutathione, an antioxidant that boosts the immunity system. They also contain vitamin E, which has anti-free radicals, some precious phosphor for the brain, some magnesium with antistress properties and some alpha linolenic acid. Eating 3 to 5 walnuts a day covers our daily needs of omega 3.

To fill up with energy naturally, bet on foods that are known for their tonic virtues. Here is the advice of Philippe Sionneau, an expert in Chinese traditional medicine.

Aurélie Buhagiar

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