7 easy ways to become more energetic
Here holistic nutrition specialist, Dr Libby, shares her top tips to reignite your energy when you’re feeling tired.
In all my years working with people on an individual level or in a group, regardless of their age, sex or current health status there is often one thing that unifies people's health and wellness goals – energy and the desire for more.
When you ask someone how he or she is these days the most common response I tend to hear is "tired, so tired". And hence our reliance on caffeine and refined sugars or anything that gives us more energy increases.
So how can we get more energy?
Eat more green vegetables
Eating green vegetables, particularly those with green leaves, is like eating sunshine. Green vegetables are a good source of antioxidants and contain a number of different vitamins and minerals needed for efficient intrinsic energy production. They're also a good source of non-haem (vegetarian) iron, a critical mineral for effective oxygenation.
Drink green tea
Green tea is a wonderfully uplifting beverage to consume. It contains an amino acid called l-theanine which boosts energy levels but also helps to keep us calm, packed full of antioxidants it's a health promoting alternative to coffee.
Check your iron levels
Iron deficiency anaemia is the most common dietary deficiency in the world. Without healthy red blood cells, your body can't get enough oxygen; the consequence of not having sufficient oxygen in the body is constant fatigue. Ask your GP to check your iron.
Incorporate muscle building exercise
Incorporate more resistance training or muscle building exercise. This helps to build lean muscle mass. More muscle means more energy-producing mitochondria in our cells – resulting in a higher metabolic rate, which assists with body fat management as well as energy production.
Close open tabs
Work on closing what I call "open tabs"- these are tasks, emails or jobs that haven't been resolved. It's as if we walk around each day with so many tabs open – like websites sitting open on your computer screen, that it's no wonder we feel drained or flattened. Schedule tasks instead of just listing them.
Explore your perception
Be conscious of how your perceptions influence your mood and energy state. Write a list of what makes you feel alive and energised, and what saps your energy - your "energy vampires." Actively work on doing more of the things that make you feel energised whilst simultaneously reducing your energy vampires.
Look at the whole picture
Remember how you eat, drink, move, think, breathe, believe and perceive all impact how you show up each day. Your biochemistry, the nutrients you consume, as well as your beliefs impact whether you experience energy or not. We must give our body what it needs to create the conditions inside of us that allow us to feel energised.
Written by Dr Libby. First appeared on Stuff.co.nz.
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