Kickstart the Year: The Role of Antioxidants in Overcoming New Year Fatigue
While the festive season can be a wonderful time of year, many people emerge from it feeling drained; mentally, physically, and emotionally. Late nights, more socialising, over-indulgent meals, and a change in routine between Christmas and New Year can leave us feeling fatigued and generally underpar. This can be a result of “oxidative stress”, which is a situation in the body where there are too many free radicals present and not enough antioxidants to neutralise them.
This blog will focus on how antioxidants, and some simple diet and lifestyle changes, can help recharge your body and mind as you step into the new year.
Why You Feel Fatigued After The Festive Season
Difficulty waking up and getting out of bed, sluggish mornings, and getting back to work feels like a slog. Sound familiar? You’re not alone! So many of us feel this way at the turn of the new year after an indulgent, busy and perhaps stressful few weeks.
As much as a “holiday” season should be time for a break and restoration, the Christmas and New Year season can actually be quite the opposite! Fun yes, but the toll it can take on our bodies (and mind) can be bigger than we might realise.
Oxidative stress can build up during the festive season - for many reasons, such as eating excess sugar and refined carbohydrates (all those mince pies!) and alcohol, but also poorer/less sleep, reduced physical activity and self care, and more stress.
Oxidative stress (when there are more free radicals than there are antioxidants to neutralise them) creates symptoms and situations such as fatigue, brain fog, headaches, sleep issues, muscle and/or joint pain, weight gain, increased susceptibility to infections and colds, and chronic inflammation, which can drive many of the chronic diseases we see today including cancer and autoimmunity.
This is where antioxidants come in. You can liken them to natural "bodyguards" for your health that scan for and neutralise free radicals, reducing oxidative stress and improving energy metabolism.
What Are Free Radicals?
The human body contains about 37 trillion cells, and each cell experiences around a billion biochemical reactions per second. So that’s trillions of biochemical reactions each second, with thousands of metabolic pathways taking place at the same time. Free radicals are the highly reactive (damaging) molecules produced naturally in the body during/as a result of these metabolic processes (also known as metabolism).
These highly reactive molecules can also be generated from external sources of stress such as traffic pollution, cigarette smoke, radiation, and certain chemicals.
Free radicals cause damage to cells, proteins, and even DNA. This damage is referred to as “oxidative stress”.
Understanding Antioxidants and Their Role in Health and Energy Production
In simple terms, antioxidants are molecules that protect the cells and tissues in the body from the damaging effects of free radicals. I like the analogy of free radicals causing a cell to age and rust, whilst antioxidants keep them rust-free and shiny.
When there aren't enough antioxidants in the body relative to the amount of free radicals being produced, we start to run into problems. Oxidative stress damages mitochondria, the tiny little energy factories within all of our cells, leading to low energy levels and fatigue.
Left unaddressed, this can soon manifest into serious chronic disease. Therefore symptoms such as fatigue, aches and pains, poor sleep, unexplained weight gain, brain fog, and low immunity should not be ignored - this may be your body’s way of telling you there is too much oxidative stress.
These protective antioxidant substances can be found naturally in many foods, particularly bright and deeply coloured vegetables, berries, nuts, seeds, herbs, spices. Common antioxidants include vitamins and minerals like vitamin A (as retinol), C and E, zinc and selenium, and plant compounds called “phytonutrients”, such as beta-carotene, polyphenols.
“Phytonutrients” (or “phytochemicals”) is the collective name for the active compounds found in all plant foods that are responsible for the deep and vibrant colouring of the plant. These compounds are also powerful antioxidants. Examples of these antioxidant groups, just to name a few, include, polyphenols, flavonoids, anthocyanins, carotenoids, and terpenes.
Foods to Recharge Your Body This January (and Beyond!)
Here are some of the most antioxidant-rich foods for you to increase your intake of:
Leafy greens (kale, chard, spinach) - Rich in beta-carotene and chlorophyll for cellular repair.
Berries (blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries) - Full of polyphenols and anthocyanins, which fight inflammation caused by free radical damage.
Herbs and spices (turmeric, ginger, paprika, cinnamon) - Contain polyphenols that fight inflammation.
Citrus fruits (lemons, limes) - Packed with vitamin C to boost immunity and energy.
Nuts and seeds (almonds, pumpkin seeds, cashews, walnuts, sunflower seeds) - For vitamin E and healthy fats.
You can also refer to our blog here for a full list of phytonutrient-rich foods.
Simple Ways to Increase Antioxidants Foods
Start your day with a smoothie packed with kale, blackberries, blueberries, pumpkin seeds, avocado, and cinnamon.
Take a shot of fresh lemon juice before meals to add a citrus antioxidant punch AND support digestion.
Drink one of our cold-pressed, organic juices everyday. With ZIP, ZAP, ZEN and SPA, we’ve got you covered on the phytonutrients front. Order yours here.
Eat 20-30 different plants everyday, which is easier than you think! Remember, this refers to any and all vegetables, herbs, whole grains, seeds, nuts, chillies and peppers, spices, citrus fruits, berries and other fruits rich and bright in colour, and legumes. Aim for 7-10 different plants with each meal, varying your choices meal to meal. Here’s an example of 10+ colourful plants in one meal:
Salad base of watercress, rocket, lambs lettuce, and spinach. Add chopped red chilli, yellow bell pepper, orange bell pepper, basil, coriander, red onion, tomato, grated beetroot, and olives. Add quinoa and kidney beans. Top with pumpkin seeds - and that’s 16!!
If you eat potatoes, buy sweet potato for its antioxidant-rich orange flesh, white potatoes with red skin and eat the skin, and purple sweet potato if you can find it!
Buy green, white, and red cabbage and shred the different coloured cabbage into salads, stir fries, and gently sautee to add to any meals.
If you like bell peppers, buy all the colours; red, yellow, orange and green.
For rice, alternate between red, black, and brown rice to expose your diet to a wider variety of antioxidants.
Lifestyle Factors and Habits to Boost Antioxidants
Beyond diet, habits that naturally promote antioxidant production and activity in the body include:
1) Daily movement increases the body’s production of natural antioxidants like glutathione.
2) Good sleep quality reduces oxidative stress and supports tissue recovery and repair.
3) Stress management and mind and body restorative practices are shown to lower oxidative stress markers in the body.
Here are some powerful habits to consider for each factor:
Implement a morning routine where you do even just a few minutes of some stretching, yoga or qigong, or get out for a walk.
Make an effort to go for a walk during your lunch break and again after work. Weave some yoga, qigong, swim, or gym workout into your days through the week.
Implement an evening wind down routine each day. Here you could keep the lights dim all around the home from early evening and in the hour before bed, put your phone and all other screens and tech away whilst you do some gentle bedtime stretching, relaxation breathwork, read a book in dim light, or do a Yoga Nidra body scan meditation.
Weave stress management practices in your days such as starting and ending each day with 4:6 breathing or box breathing to a count of 4 seconds each. These are simple breathing exercises shown to send calming signals to your brain which in turn calms your body's stress response. Getting into nature for a total of 2 hours split out through the week has also been shown to be a powerful stress reliever.
Start 2025 Strong with Antioxidants and Self Care
In summary, antioxidants are an essential part of a healthy lifestyle, not only for New Year fatigue and day to day sense of wellbeing, but also for prevention of, or control of, many of the chronic diseases we are seeing so much of today, including cancers, heart disease, and autoimmune disease. Think of January as a time to refuel and reset your body with the tips and habits we have provided within this blog, and set a tone of self-care and good health for the rest of the year ahead.