Think back about 10 years - what were your energy levels like then? Now answer the questions below and see where you are right now.

• Are you rarely awake within 20 minutes of rising?
• Do you need something to get you going in the morning (coffee, tea)?
• Do you have tea, coffee, soft drinks, sweets or other snacks at regular intervals during the day?
• Do you often have energy slumps during the day or after meals?
• Do you get dizzy or irritable if you don’t eat often?
• Do you often get irritable, angry or aggressive unexpectedly?
• Do you sometimes lose concentration?
• Do you avoid exercise due to tiredness?
• Are you ‘addicted’ to sweet foods?
• Is your energy less now than it used to be?

How do you think you did compared to what you were 10 years ago? More than 3 'Yes' answers and I'd say there is room for improvement. What you eat makes a huge impact on your energy levels as food is the fuel we run on. And it's not just what you eat, but also when and how much. And it varies from one individual to another as we are all biochemically unique.

Having a nutrition consultation will give you a chance to receive a personalised diet plan that will not only address the energy levels but can also help with many other health complaints. Check out my special spring promotion in the side bar or just give me a call to find out more.

Most of us nowadays don't have time to bring home made lunches to work, so it's helpful to know what is available in the shops for healthy nutritionally balanced lunches. Pret a Manger has been around for a while now, and has shops across the country. They also have a very helpful web-site (www.pret.com) that tells you exactly what's in their foods in terms of calories and nutrition breakdown. So here are my best picks from them:

Sandwiches
The problem with sandwiches is that you end up getting a lot of bread and less of the filling, and that’s where the nutritional value really lies. To keep your energy levels constant for longer you need to look for a good amount of protein (meat, fish, poultry, or eggs, cheeses, nuts, beans and pulses from the vegetarian side).

Many sandwiches also unnecessarily add to the total calorie load by using fatty dressings. Couple of the sandwiches stand out as having a good amount of protein:

Poached Salmon & Rocket Sandwich
Chicken & Avocado Sandwich
Classic Tuna Sandwich

Salads
Salads tend to be a lower calorie option and the protein content can also be higher, which will help your energy up. The total calories from a bowl of salad is also lower, so could also squeeze in a pudding with a clear conscience. Good salads to go for are:

Tuna Salad Bowl
No Bread Crayfish & Avocado

Sweets
If you are having a sandwich, I would recommend sticking to the fruit salad as your sweet. With the salad though you might want to indulge in a Honey & Granola Pret Pot or a Pret Bar and still end up with same total calories as with any of the sandwiches alone.

Snacks
Pret now also offers some nuts and dried fruit as healthier snacks. The thing to be wary of with dried fruit is that they can be incredibly high in sugar. For example, a bag of mixed fruit and nuts called Nuts & Bolts contains nearly 8 teaspoons of sugar. Instead, opt for Nutty But Nice, a bag of mixed nuts.

Nuts are a great snack as they contain protein which helps keep your energy levels up, and also give you a good dose of healthy fats which are good for your skin and can actually help speed up your metabolism. So not all fats are always bad.

This recipe gives a slightly new twist to the traditional British version of the apple crumble. I grew up in Finland, and this is how my mother used to make it. This version of apple crumble is also completely wheat free and a great pudding option if you want something sweet but nothing too naughty.

Serves 2
3 apples (Braeburn or Cox’s are good, as cooking apples shouldn’t be too sweet)
handful of fresh raspberries or frozen red berries
For the crumble:
2dl/70g porridge oats
30g butter
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp xylitol
2 tbsp desiccated coconut (optional)

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
2. In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, heat the butter until melted. Add olive oil and the porridge oats. Mix well together on low heat.
3. Add xylitol and coconut (if using). You can adjust the sweetness of the crumble according to taste, but I found 2 tablespoons gives a subtle but not too sweet a taste.
4. Core the apples and cut each into approx 8 or so segments. To make your life even easier, you can buy a little slicer that cores and segments the apple in one swift move. If you want to serve this dish as a dinner party pudding you could peel the apples to make the dish less rustic and a little more up- market.
5. Divide the apples between 2 oven proof dessert bowls. Add some red berries on top. Then layer the crumble on top of the dishes.
6. Put the bowls on a baking tray, cover loosely with tin foil and place in the oven. Bake with the tin foil on for approximately 50 minutes. Then remove the tin foil and bake for 10 more minutes to give the crumble a golden brown colour. Keep an eye on the dish at this point as the crumble very quickly turns dark brown or starts to burn if you leave it in for too long.
7. Serve on its own or with some soya cream flavoured with vanilla.
8. If you are making the dish for more people, use a large oven proof dish and multiply the amounts accordingly.

Xylitol is an all-natural sugar substitute, and you can now get it from most supermarkets under the brand name 'Perfect Sweet' (usually in the health food isle). Xylitol is a natural sweetener found in fruit and vegetables and has the same sweetness as sugar but 40% fewer calories, and it's actually beneficial to your teeth. It works really well in most recipes and you can also use it to sweeten hot drinks.

I am a Nutritional Therapist trained at the Institute for Optimum Nutrition, a leading establishment in the field of nutrition education.

I'm now sharing this knowledge at my nutrition consultations and newsletter and believe that good nutrition is the corner-stone of health and well- being. I'm passionate about making healthy food appetising and easy to prepare and my approach is to work with my clients’ unique circumstances to help them achieve their goals.