3474: [Part 1] 9 Natural Ways to Boost Your Energy Levels by Helen West with Healthline on Natural Energy Boosters

[00:00:00] Have you ever noticed how a calm mind can really set the stage for a good night's sleep? That's the idea behind our new podcast, Good Sleep. Greg, our host from Optimal Relationships Daily, is here to help ease you into a peaceful night's rest with some positive affirmations. And these affirmations aren't just comforting, they can help ease anxiety and nurture positive thoughts, setting you up for true good sleep.

[00:00:24] So, press play on Good Sleep tonight because a good tomorrow starts with a good night's sleep. Just search for Good Sleep in your podcast app and be sure to pick the one from Optimal Living Daily. This is Optimal Health Daily, 9 Natural Ways to Boost Your Energy Levels, Part 1 by Helen West with Healthline and I'm your host and narrator, Dr. Neal Malik.

[00:00:49] Hey there, happy Wednesday and welcome back to Optimal Health Daily, where I read some of the best health and fitness blogs to you, usually with a little bit of commentary at the end. Now, today's post is a bit on the longer side, so I'll read the first half today and then finish it up for you tomorrow. And I always love reading from Healthline.com. That's because they back up whatever they say with actual research.

[00:01:11] Oh, and it's Wednesday, it's the middle of the week. Every Wednesday, I like to provide a quote that gives us that little bit of extra boost to get us through the week. Now, this week's inspirational quote actually came from a documentary that I was watching on Netflix. It was all about the competitive driver, Carroll Shelby. It's called Shelby America. And the documentary started out with a fantastic quote from Carroll Shelby himself. So here it goes. Quote, Perseverance is the most important thing in life.

[00:01:39] Believe in what you want to do and go do that. And don't let anybody else sidetrack you. Carroll Shelby. Alright, finally, without further ado, let's get to today's post and start optimizing your life. Nine Natural Ways to Boost Your Energy Levels. Part 1 by Helen West with Healthline

[00:02:04] With increasingly busy lives, many people regularly find themselves feeling tired and drained. However, if the tiredness you're experiencing is lifestyle related, there are lots of things you can do to increase your energy levels. This article looks at nine ways you can change your lifestyle and boost your energy levels naturally. One, get more sleep. Sleep is something that easily gets put on the back burner when you're busy. From pushing back bedtime to meet a deadline, to missing out on a few hours of sleep due to shifts at work,

[00:02:34] many people cut back on hours that should be spent in bed. Furthermore, it's been estimated that 20-30% of the general population may experience poor sleep, hence missing out on vital rest time. This lack of sleep can result in you feeling lethargic, grumpy, and tired. If you often feel this way, you may want to consider whether you're getting enough sleep. Sleep is recommended that you aim for around 7 hours of sleep per night, although some people require a little more and others need a little less. If you don't sleep as much as you need to,

[00:03:04] you can try winding down from your day with relaxing behaviors before bed. This could be taking the time to have a bath, reading a book, or getting into bed half an hour earlier than usual. You should also try to avoid using phones and other screens around bedtime. The use of screens before bed has been linked to poor sleep quality, lack of sleep, and increased sleepiness throughout the day. If you're trying to get more sleep, but are struggling due to worries and stress keeping you awake at night,

[00:03:31] you could try meditation or mindfulness practices to calm your busy mind. Summary If you often feel tired throughout the day, you may need more quality sleep. Try going to bed earlier and reducing screen time before bed. 2. Reduce stress It's not uncommon for people with busy lives to feel stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed. Feelings of stress can mean that you struggle to concentrate, experience racing thoughts, and have difficulty switching off.

[00:03:59] This can take a toll on your physical and mental health. Feeling stress has been closely linked to tiredness. In many cases, it may not be possible to completely remove sources of stress from your life. However, if you minimize lifestyle-related stress, it could increase your energy levels. Strategies to improve your energy levels include taking some time for yourself to relax, reading, or going for a walk. You could also try mindfulness or meditation techniques, which may reduce anxiety.

[00:04:26] However, it's important to note that if you feel very stressed and your anxiety is severe, you may need to seek medical and psychological support. Summary High levels of stress can make you feel tired and drained. Finding ways to minimize lifestyle-related stress can help keep up your energy levels. 3. Move more Regular exercise is important for reducing your risk of developing chronic diseases like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

[00:04:54] If you live a sedentary lifestyle, it could be draining your energy levels. Now, when you're feeling tired, getting up and moving your body can feel like the last thing you want to do. Luckily, you don't need to take part in killer workouts to experience these energy benefits. In fact, one study found that sedentary people with persistent, unexplained fatigue decrease their tiredness by around 65% just by regularly participating in low-intensity cycling. Other studies have suggested that going for a 10-minute walk when you feel tired

[00:05:23] is a superior pick-me-up compared to having a snack. To incorporate exercise into your day, you could try getting away from your desk and going for a walk on your lunch break or walking to and from your place of work. Summary If you live a sedentary lifestyle and feel low on energy, participating in regular exercises like brisk walking or cycling can boost your energy levels. 4. Avoid smoking Smoking is one of the worst things you can do for your health.

[00:05:52] The smoke from cigarettes is extremely harmful and increases your risk of numerous health conditions such as lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke. The toxins and tar in the smoke also reduce the efficiency of your lungs. Over time, this can reduce the amount of oxygen transported around your body, making you feel tired. If you're a smoker, the best thing you can do for your energy levels and your health is to quit smoking. Some find it helpful to switch cigarettes for a nicotine replacement like gum or an e-cigarette.

[00:06:20] However, once you have made the decision to quit, reach out to your doctor who can point you in the direction of the support services that will suit you best. Summary Smoking can reduce the efficiency of your lungs and make you feel tired. Quitting smoking is great for both your energy levels and your health. 5. Limit alcohol Drinking alcohol is another lifestyle habit which may make you feel tired. This is because alcohol can act as a sedative and make you feel drowsy.

[00:06:48] Because of this, many believe that an alcoholic drink or a nightcap will send them to sleep and help them sleep more soundly. However, regularly drinking alcohol before bed can interfere with the quality of your sleep. This can make you feel more tired than you otherwise would. Alcohol can also act as a diuretic, meaning that if you drink it before bed, it can make you get up at night to pee, disturbing your sleep. If you want to enjoy a drink, make sure to drink within recommended guidelines and try

[00:07:17] to avoid drinking alcohol close to your bedtime. In the US, the alcohol guidelines are a maximum of one drink per day for women and two per day for men. A standard drink is one beer, which would be about 12 ounces, or a glass of wine, which would be about 5 ounces. However, keep in mind that this is a maximum recommendation and that when it comes to your health, limiting alcohol as much as possible is advised. Summary Alcohol can make you feel drowsy, but it can also interfere with the quality of your sleep.

[00:07:45] If you drink regularly, limiting the amount of alcohol you consume could help improve your energy levels. 6. Hear that on tomorrow's episode. You just listened to part 1 of the post titled, 9 Natural Ways to Boost Your Energy Levels by Helen West with Healthline.com. And I'll be right back with my commentary. One thing I love about summer is how easy everything feels.

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[00:09:58] status it deserves at Indeed.com slash podcast. Just go to Indeed.com slash podcast right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast. Indeed.com slash podcast. Terms and conditions apply. Need to hire? This is a job for Indeed Sponsored Jobs. Dr. Neal Malik here for my commentary. I totally agree that it sounds so counterintuitive that when you're feeling exhausted and tired,

[00:10:28] going out for a walk is actually the best thing to do. And just as the author mentioned, it doesn't have to be like this crazy high-intensity workout because that might make you feel more tired. But even just getting up, moving, five-minute walk outdoors can actually boost your energy levels. And that's not her opinion. It's not my opinion. That's actually what the research shows. Now, when it comes to using alcohol as a nightcap to help you get to sleep, the data completely agree with what today's author was talking about.

[00:10:57] Consuming alcohol before bed actually increases the likelihood that your sleep will be disturbed. So basically said another way, alcohol can interfere with your quality of sleep. Why? How does that happen? Because you might say to yourself, look, I know it helps keep me drowsy. I know when I have a drink, I am out like a light and I hit the pillow and I'm snoring. What we're finding is for most people, yes, you may fall asleep fast after consuming alcohol,

[00:11:23] but after the body has processed that alcohol, it starts to wake up. So once the alcohol has cleared your system, there's a rebound effect. That rebound effect causes your body to want to wake up. And that rebound effect doesn't take all that long to happen. So yes, you may fall asleep soon after you consume that alcohol, but not long after that, your body's going to clear the alcohol from your system and now you're going to get this rebound effect and your body's going to start to wake up, which will disturb sleep.

[00:11:53] All right, that does it for me for today. I hope you have a great rest of your day. I'll see you back here for tomorrow's show where we'll finish up this post and where your optimal life awaits. All right. All right. All right. All right. All right. All right.