Whether it’s down to stress, diet, hormones, a distinct lack of zzzzzs, or very possibly even a combination of all of the above, we all suffer from the odd energy slump here and there (hands up who turns to the biscuit barrel and a strong dose of builder’s tea in the mid afternoon *BALANCE waves from the laptop*). Here are some far better choices we can all make to bring about a natural energy boost, and a wellness boost, to boot. 

1 The Transformation Chef

Because ready meals don’t have to mean a soggy microwave veggie lasagne that looks like it’s never seen a courgette or a tomato, even in passing. Indeed, being time poor doesn’t have to mean eating nutrient-lacking rubbish. The Transformation Chef brings a whole new meaning to frozen dinners with its gluten-, dairy- and refined sugar-free home-cooked meals delivered to your door. Choose from over 30 options, from a banana blossom curry or a hearty mushroom ragu for vegans, to duck shepherd’s pie and Caribbean goat curry for flexitarian and red meat devotees, via an Asian seared tuna. The meals range from £5.95 to £8.25 and we they deliver across the UK the next day.

Stock up your freezer and you’ll never need to resort to a depressing, insipid, flavour-free zone of a ready meal ever again. 

Buy them here

2 La Rue Verte Santé

The fancy CBD skincare brand is branching out into cocktails. Because why not. Alas, we do not mean of the Pina Colada or Sex on the Beach varieties. Santé is a vitamin-enriched water-soluble CBD formulation to add to any drink, not to mess with the flavour but to deliver a health and energy boost. Their website has a host of cocktail recipes, from a CBDaquiri to a CBD High Ball that we’ve found to make alcohol free evenings (almost)  as high-spirited as their boozy counterparts.

Buy it here

3 Spatone® Iron-Rich water

Because sometimes you just need a nutritional helping hand, and, here at BALANCE, we like to turn to Spatone when we’re feeling a little, or a lot, on the sluggish side. It’s easily absorbed, gentle on the stomach and helps your body to release natural energy. 

Buy it here

4 Myzone heart-rate tracking sports bra

We all know the power of a damn fine sports bra and would never so much as break into a light jog without one. And heart rate monitor gurus Myzone have just raised the bar; their new one has an inbuilt sensor strap so that you can track your heart rate directly from your bra the next time you’re out for an energy-boosting, endorphin-releasing run. Each bra (£49) is also sweat wicking, removing humidity, keeping you dry and minimising any temperature fluctuations. The things they can do with a bit of cloth these days, eh?

Buy one here

5 Supergreen Organic Superfood Mix

Hold the latte with an extra shot because a green juice to start the day gives us life. And we’ve taken to adding a spoon of this Supergreen Mix (£24.90 for 150g) featuring wheatgrass, barley grass, moringa, baobab, spirulina and chlorella into our morning smoothie concoction. If that doesn’t have you skipping through the day like a giddy kiddy, we don’t know what will.

Buy it here

6 Better You Magnesium Sleep Body Spray

Did you know that magnesium is needed for over 300 biochemical reactions in the body? Chief amongst them is breaking down glucose into energy, so if your levels of this vital mineral are low, you might well feel a drop in your levels. As well as mainlining kale and spinach, and making sure tofu and tempeh are regular cooking staples, we do like a bath with Magnesium Sleep Mineral Bath Flakes (£7.45) and a spritz of Better You Magnesium Sleep Body Spray (£7.75) before bed (rubbing it in to your feet is said to be great for restless leg syndrome) to wake up ready to take on the world and his wife.

Buy it here

7 Anya Hindmarch Gym Household Tote

Forget that scraggy old gym bag with the musty towel and the half-eaten energy bar in it, treat yourself to a designer number that will give you a reason to skip to the gym, rather than skip the gym. This Anya Hindmarch tote, which will set you back the princely sum of £195, has eco credentials too, being made from recycled plastic bottles, and has two sets of (snazzy) handles for shoulder or hand held purposes.

Buy it here