Morning energy varies from one person to the next, and while some drag their feet out of bed and others bound, there are a few ways you can improve this energy with simple changes to your health.

Evening meal
This can go two ways. One: you’re not eating enough, or two: you’re eating too much before you go to bed. While eating a lighter evening meal makes it easier for our digestive system to close the day, we still need to ensure we obtain optimal nutrition to energise our body for rest. When we sleep our bodies have to maintain hundred of biochemical functions and processes and therefore require energy to do so. On the flip side, if we are eating too much, or heavier meals, in the evening and too close to bedtime our body is pushed to process too much at a time when it needs a rest. The solution? Aim for a balanced evening meal focusing on quality protein and vegetables, and allow your body to digest this for two to three hours before you rest.

Sleep hygiene
Is vital for quality rest. A dark room free of technological interference such as phones, computers and televisions and a wind-down ritual (reading a book instead of checking emails or social media just prior to bed) are important elements for good sleep hygiene. Make these simple changes and you’ll notice the change in your energy in no time.

"If there is something burdening you ... take a breath and set an intention for how you want to feel instead of allowing the thoughts to override your state."

Morning routine
If you’re starting your day exhausted and foggy there may be a few reasons for this, but in order to understand them you need to make some kind of change. Switch the coffee wake up call to a glass of filtered water first, then a cup of black or green tea, and stave coffee off until later in the day. Take a cold shower to awaken. Or simply shift the way you think about waking each day. If there is something burdening you (work or emotional wellbeing), take a breath and set an intention for how you want to feel instead of allowing the thoughts to override your state.

Liver signs
Puffy, dark under eyes, bloating, fogginess, lethargy and lack of clarity as you step into your day can be signs that your liver needs some love. While the liver is the body’s main detox organ and is always processing and eliminating environmental and endotoxins, we can offer our liver support by reducing the ingredients in parts of our lives that drag it down. Consider your intake of alcohol, dairy, sugar and processed food and the quantity and quality of cosmetics being used on your skin if you have these symptoms.

Hydration
Nature’s golden elixir - water - is by far one of the simplest ways to feel more refreshed when it’s time to rise. Focus your evening on herbal tea after dinner to hydrate and calm. And in the morning, flush the body with water to cleanse. Ensure your intake of water is frequent throughout the day to support the body’s natural elimination processes and you’ll feel the benefits instantly.

Jacqueline Alwill is a qualified, practicing nutritionist, author of Seasons to Share and director at The Brown Paper Bag.