Natural Ways to Boost Energy

Why are we always so tired? Feeling like you need coffee to get through the day? Having an afternoon nap? Can't get out of bed in the morning when your alarm goes off? While many of us feel tired and worn out at the end of the day, there are some changes you can do to increase your energy levels naturally.

It's important to know that while some level of fatigue is normal, we should not be tired all day, everyday. Many of the elements noted below are all related and can have impacts on one another. Overall, improving the points below are part of a balanced, healthy lifestyle.

Here are some simple strategies to boost your energy naturally:

Get more sleep: This one seems obvious, but, are you getting enough sleep? We need at least 7 hours of sleep a night, but it's one of the first things to go when we are busy. That, or we are not sleeping well. Sleep is important for energy because this is the time that our body heals and takes time to regenerate. ATP, the body's energy molecule, increase when we sleep. Lack of sleep can also impact our blood sugar levels and put us at risk for disease including diabetes. For some tips on how to get better sleep, see my previous blog post on tips to get better sleep.

Eat more protein: Protein helps to build muscle mass and helps to boost metabolism which equals more energy! It also makes is more satiated (more full), so if you are waking up in the middle of the night hungry, increasing your protein intake may help. Increased protein can also help with weight loss. This is tied to sleep because people who are overweight or obese have worse sleep patterns than those who are not overweight.

Reduce Stress: In today's fast paced world, our level of stress is exhausting. While we cannot completely eliminate stress from our lives, high levels of stress will definitely impact our sleep and could make us feel more tired. Reducing stress levels can improve sleep quality. Identifying causes of stress is of course, the first step, and creating a mindfulness and/or meditation practice can help reduce stress. For tips on how to start a mediation practice, check out this video.

Stop eating Refined Carbs: When I say carbs here, I mean processed foods and things in a box. Refined carbohydrates are high in sugar and can cause a spike in our blood sugar levels which may impact our level of energy.

Less Sugar: Related to the point above, eating too much sugar can get us on that sugar rollercoaster. Eating sugar may give you an initial energy boost, but an hour after eating a donut, do you crash? This can lead us to thinking we are hungry or need another pick me up... cue the cup of coffee to give us an energy boost.

Move more: On the days that you exercise, do you feel better? Sleep better? Eat better? Exercise can help to boost your energy not only by increasing blood circulation levels, but it supports our mitochondrial health. Our mitochondria are used to produce our body's energy. Healthy mitochondria means better energy.

Drink more water: If we are dehydrated, we are more likely to be tired. Dehydration affects energy levels and brain function. If we are dehydrated, we can experience confusion and brain fog which can make us tired. Making sure we are drinking enough water also helps to keep our muscles energized which can help to support our metabolism and increase our energy.

Which one of these things most resonates with you? I would love to hear from you and invite you to send me an email at tara@yellowfroghealthcoaching.com to connect. For a more expanded version of these tips, watch this video.