We’ve all experienced the dreaded energy nose-dive in the afternoon. But, are you constantly dealing with fatigue, tiredness, or sleepiness? Are you unsure of how to get your energy levels back to tip-top shape?
We went ahead and researched 5 ways to boost your energy naturally. Keep reading to learn more!
Lighten the load
Feeling overwhelmed and just too tired to do anything else at the end of the day? You may be overworking yourself—and we don’t just mean professionally. Overwork can look like wearing yourself thin career-wise, socially, in familial settings, or in other obligations you might have committed to. Here’s what you can do:
- Make a plan. Streamline your list of “must-do” activities.
- Set your priorities in order from most important to least, and work from there.
- Consider asking for extra help with tasks or activities if needed.
- Prioritize yourself, too. Set aside time just to unwind, relax, and regain your energy.
Be mindful of stress
Your mind is a powerful place. Stress-filled emotions and thoughts can be incredibly draining.
To combat the energy-depleting power of stress and anxiety, there are a few natural approaches to consider.
Add nutritious supplements to your diet
Supplements can be a great way to fill nutritional gaps in your daily diet, and also a super easy way to boost your energy naturally and effectively.
Revamp your sleep
If you’re feeling fatigued throughout the day you may be lacking enough quality sleep. If you are struggling with persistent fatigue, we recommend consulting with your healthcare provider as there may be an underlying health issue at play. Here’s the first step—address the common lifestyle causes for fatigue [8]:
Do any of these hit the nail on the head? If so, you’ll need solutions to enhance your energy by promoting nights of more restful sleep, like: [9,10,11,12]
- Avoid napping during the day, or at least very late in the day, which could throw your circadian rhythms off balance and ruin both the quality and quantity of your sleep.
- Make a consistent sleep schedule for yourself. As an adult, you’ll want at least 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Sleep experts say that 9:00 to 10:00 PM is prime snooze time.
- Come up with a relaxing pre-bedtime routine that will calm your nervous system, like reading a book, taking a bath, or meditating.
- Don’t use any form of technology for at least 30 minutes before bed.
Boost your metabolism
A healthy metabolic rate has tons of health benefits, including supporting higher energy levels throughout the day. And getting there is as easy-peasy as these three food consumption habits:
- Eat Protein-Rich Foods: Protein has been shown to increase metabolic rates by roughly 30%. Did you also know that humans burn more calories digesting protein than we do eating carbs or fats? Not to mention, the hunger hormone, ghrelin, can be suppressed by eating protein, helping you to feel fuller for longer. Some high-protein foods to try include chickpeas, quinoa, almonds, chia seeds, avocados, wild rice, mushrooms, eggs, spinach, guava, apricot, cherries, and bananas. [13]
- Avoid Foods With A High Glycemic Index: Low glycemic index foods like whole grains, high-fiber veggies, nuts, and healthy oils (like olive oil) can help you to fight the lag in energy that can happen after eating quickly absorbed sugars or refined starches. In general, high-carbohydrate foods have the highest glycemic indexes—so limit or avoid those and opt for healthier options to boost your energy levels. [14,15]
- Drink More Water: According to H2O experts, drinking water increases metabolic rates by up to 25%. Not getting adequate water intake on a daily basis can slow your metabolism down, so it’s important to make sure you’re drinking the recommended 8 glasses or more every day. You can also get water by eating certain fruits and vegetables that have high water content. Queue goodies like raw melons, cucumbers, bell peppers, lettuce, oranges, and peaches. [16, 17]
Ready to start your energy-boosting journey? Click here to discover even more everyday feel-good supplements made with natural, pure ingredients to keep your mind and body feeling their best!
Resources:
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- Stojanovska, L., Law, C., Lai, B., Chung, T., Nelson, K., Day, S., Apostolopoulos, V., & Haines, C. (2015). Maca reduces blood pressure and depression, in a pilot study in postmenopausal women. Climacteric: the journal of the International Menopause Society, 18(1), 69–78. https://doi.org/10.3109/13697137.2014.929649
- Gonzales-Arimborgo, C., Yupanqui, I., Montero, E., Alarcón-Yaquetto, D. E., Zevallos-Concha, A., Caballero, L., Gasco, M., Zhao, J., Khan, I. A., & Gonzales, G. F. (2016). Acceptability, Safety, and Efficacy of Oral Administration of Extracts of Black or Red Maca (Lepidium meyenii) in Adult Human Subjects: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland), 9(3), 49. https://doi.org/10.3390/ph9030049
- Campbell, M. S., Carlini, N. A., & Fleenor, B. S. (2021). Influence of curcumin on performance and post-exercise recovery. Critical reviews in food science and nutrition, 61(7), 1152–1162. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408398.2020.1754754.
- Mishra, S., & Palanivelu, K. (2008). The effect of curcumin (turmeric) on Alzheimer's disease: An overview. Annals of Indian Academy of Neurology, 11(1), 13–19. https://doi.org/10.4103/0972-2327.40220.
- Depeint, Flore, et al. "Mitochondrial function and toxicity: role of the B vitamin family on mitochondrial energy metabolism." Chemico-biological interactions 163.1-2 (2006): 94-112. https://reven.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/depeint2006.-Mitochondrial-function-and-toxicity.-role-of-B-vitamin-family.pdf
- Gupta, C. P. "Role of iron (Fe) in the body." IOSR Journal of Applied Chemistry 7.11 (2014): 38-46. https://www.iosrjournals.org/iosr-jac/papers/vol7-issue11/Version-2/G071123846.pdf
- O'Connell, K. (2020, March 29). Fatigue: Causes, diagnosis, treatment & more. Healthline. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/health/fatigue
- Johansson, A. E., Petrisko, M. A., & Chasens, E. R. (2016). Adolescent Sleep and the Impact of Technology Use Before Sleep on Daytime Function. Journal of pediatric nursing, 31(5), 498–504. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedn.2016.04.004
- Shechter, A., Kim, E. W., St-Onge, M. P., & Westwood, A. J. (2018). Blocking nocturnal blue light for insomnia: A randomized controlled trial. Journal of psychiatric research, 96, 196–202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2017.10.015
- Max Hirshkowitz, Kaitlyn Whiton, Steven M. Albert, Cathy Alessi, Oliviero Bruni, Lydia DonCarlos, Nancy Hazen, John Herman, Paula J. Adams Hillard, Eliot S. Katz, Leila Kheirandish-Gozal, David N. Neubauer, Anne E. O’Donnell, Maurice Ohayon, John Peever, Robert Rawding, Ramesh C. Sachdeva, Belinda Setters, Michael V. Vitiello, J. Catesby Ware, National Sleep Foundation’s updated sleep duration recommendations: final report, Sleep Health, Volume 1, Issue 4, 2015, Pages 233-243, ISSN 2352-7218, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sleh.2015.10.004.
- The best temperature for sleep: Advice & tips. Sleep Foundation. (2022, March 11). Retrieved from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/bedroom-environment/best-temperature-for-sleep#:~:text=The%20.
- Gunnars, K. (2017, May 29). How protein can help you lose weight naturally. Healthline. Retrieved from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-protein-can-help-you-lose-weight#:~:text=In%20fact%2C%20protein%20has%20a,22%20%2C%2023%20%2C%2024%20
- Hever, J., & Cronise, R. J. (2017). Plant-based nutrition for healthcare professionals: implementing diet as a primary modality in the prevention and treatment of chronic disease. Journal of geriatric cardiology: JGC, 14(5), 355–368. https://doi.org/10.11909/j.issn.1671-5411.2017.05.012
- Keep your weight down and your energy up with the glycemic index. Harvard Health. (2014, November 13). Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/keep-your-weight-down-and-your-energy-up-with-the-glycemic-index
- Dubnov-Raz, G., Constantini, N. W., Yariv, H., Nice, S., & Shapira, N. (2011). Influence of water drinking on resting energy expenditure in overweight children. International journal of obesity (2005), 35(10), 1295–1300. https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2011.130
- Boschmann, M., Steiniger, J., Hille, U., Tank, J., Adams, F., Sharma, A. M., Klaus, S., Luft, F. C., & Jordan, J. (2003). Water-induced thermogenesis. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 88(12), 6015–6019. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2003-030780
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