Tired of Being Tired? 10 Ways To Increase Energy Level Naturally

      As the summer heat finally arrives and days get longer, sometimes our sleeping patterns can take a hit. But it’s important to remember that sleep does matter a lot. Sleep is a critical component to living a healthy lifestyle. Without it, our bodies are unable to restore, rejuvenate, grow muscle, repair tissues, and synthesize hormones. So it’s important to remember that without it, we won’t be able to reach our full potential. But, sometimes we have to surrender sleep to balance work, social life, personal responsibilities, and physical activities. This can leave you waking up groggy, lethargic, and suffering from a lack of energy in the afternoon. Here are 10 ways you can improve your energy level.

 

Work Out Midday

Studies suggest that working out midday can increase someone’s productivity, energy, and creativity. Therefore, when work stamina begins to slow down, hit the gym!

 

Power Nap

A number of studies have shown that the optimal amount of sleep needed for a midday power nap is 10 to 20 minutes. This short amount of time is enough to rest the body and leave you feeling refreshed without interfering with your nights sleep.

 

Dark Chocolate

Dark chocolate is richer in cocoa meaning it contains more flavonoids. These flavonoids have revealed improvements in one’s mood and cognitive abilities. As well, the darker the chocolate, the less sugar and milk it contains - meaning you’re less likely to experience a sugar crash. All the more reason to eat chocolate everyday!

 

Caffeine

If you’re addicted to caffeine like me, then you’ll understand the energy swings that occur. You’ll feel great then you crash and reach for another caffeinated beverage. It’s an on-going battle. Caffeine causes blood-sugar fluctuation and stress to the adrenal glands. This causes the dreaded ‘crash’ and the more caffeine you consume, the less effect it will actually have. Those energy swings become shorter and the crashes worsen. Eliminating or reducing your intake will help to ease pain, menstrual cramps, reduce stress, and body tension. The best way to ensure caffeine is not giving an insomnia-like side effect is to not have caffeine 6 hours before your desired bedtime.

 

Herbal Tea

If you rely heavily on caffeine and enjoy the idea of having a beverage to sip on for energy, then here is a healthy solution! Herbal tea provides a natural boost of energy with tons of health benefits without the addictive substance that caffeine contains. The two best herbal teas are Green and Rooibos tea. For those green tea lovers, check out Revitasize Green Tea Matcha Latte. Revitasize has 4 herbal-based organic cold- pressed juices available so everyone can reap the benefits regardless if you’re a tea lover or not!

 

Vegetable Juice

Vegetable juice, such as Revitasize Bloody Beet and Just Green Products are a shock to the body – in the best way possible! Juicing helps to diminish fibers, which helps the body digest and absorbs the nutritional benefits faster. This means more energy faster! As well, vegetable juice helps the body remove toxins and nourishes your cells, which leaves you feeling refreshed.

 

Another great benefit from vegetable juice is it’s a great way to stop illness and keep energy levels up. But be careful, some store bought juices are loaded with sugar and preservatives.

 

Carbohydrates

Sugary drinks, cookies, and processed foods (ex. white bread and pasta) contain heavy carbs that give our bodies a quick burst of energy; but leave us fatigued shortly after. This doesn’t mean all carbs are bad, you just need to focus on low-glycemic carbohydrates such as nuts, legumes, sweet potatoes, non-starchy vegetables, and barley. Carbs are great at fueling our bodies with energy, but heavy carbs can drain us.

 

Incorporating a low glycemic diet in to your every day lifestyle has a number of other added benefits such as:

• Reduces risk of developing diabetes
• Reduces risk of metabolic syndrome (heart attack & stroke)
• Reduces cravings

 

Eat Chia Seeds

These little seeds give off an impressive amount of energy. Chia seeds contain omega-3 and omega-6 that help the body regulate glands, fight fatigue, and reduce inflammation. On top of that, high level of protein and fiber will help to regulate blood pressure and reduce sugar crashes. Chia seeds are easy to add to salads, oatmeal, yogurt, spreads, seasoning, and much more!

 

Water & Electrolytes

Our bodies are mostly made up of water. The smallest change could trigger signs of dehydration and a common effect is fatigue. If you’re someone who does not drink enough water, your exhaustion problem could be as simple as drinking water or eating high water content foods (watermelon, celery, strawberries, cantaloupe, etc.). The recommended daily intake of water is 9 cups for women and 13 cups for men. An increase of intake is recommended for those who are sick, workout, pregnant or nursing. Remember, food does contain water so even if you’re not drinking the recommended amount, you can acquire water through fruits and vegetables.

 

For those who have intense workout routines that involve a lot of sweating, replacing electrolytes is important to prevent dehydration. Forget those sugary sports drinks and grab coconut water, natural flavored lemon water or honey water instead!

 

Vitamin B12

We rely on our food or supplements to provide us with Vitamin B12. B12 helps to keep our nerves and red blood cells healthy. Our bodies are unable to store excess; therefore daily intake is critical to prevent fatigue. The recommended dietary allowance for B12 for males and females age 14 and up is 2.4 mcg/day.

 

Please feel free to share your comments, opinions, questions, or any other ways you find help give you that needed boost of energy!