3519: Top Ten Ways to Increase Your Energy by Laure Carter on Natural Energy Boosters

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[00:01:00] This is Optimal Health Daily. Top 10 Ways to Increase Your Energy by Laura Carter of LauraCarter.com. And I'm Dr. Neal Malik, your host and narrator. Hey there, happy Sunday if you're listening in real time. And welcome back to Optimal Health Daily or OHD, where I read to you from some of the most popular health and fitness blogs online. I'm going to keep this intro nice and short, so let's jump right into today's post as we optimize your life.

[00:01:31] Top 10 Ways to Increase Your Energy by Laura Carter of LauraCarter.com. First, let's talk about some factors that decrease your energy. One, the foods you eat that can decrease your energy. Coffee, tea, and soft drinks.

[00:01:49] According to David Crowe, owner of Floracopia.co, stimulants are almost always used to support an overworked lifestyle or to push the body and mind to perform at the expense of sleep and cumulative nutrient and immune deficits. Coffee and tea in certain circumstances may hide a deep fatigue. They may be putting a band-aid on a gushing wound. As a result, we may be even more deprived because we haven't addressed the core of the issue. Processed Foods.

[00:02:17] Too many processed foods that contain simple sugars or excessive amounts of salt can also decrease our energy. They lack the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals necessary for vitality. Too much protein or not enough. Protein takes our bodies longer to digest. So when we eat too much of it, our digestive system may spend a lot of energy metabolizing it and getting rid of its waste. The result may be low energy, fatigue, fogginess, and even this feeling of heaviness.

[00:02:45] But too little protein could also be a problem, especially if you live on a mainly vegan or raw diet. From the point of view of Ayurveda, some of us need a little more grounding foods depending on our nature. By the way, this has nothing to do with the blood type diet. Some of us have a tendency towards being highly hyperactive and prone to overthinking, anxiety, and worry. In Ayurveda, we call this a vata imbalance. In order to feel more balanced, we need to make sure we have foods that ground us.

[00:03:13] If we don't address this, then chances are we will start experiencing low energy. It's even more important to have a little more protein than usual during the wintertime. In its infinite intelligence, the body might be able to cater to our need for energy-giving protein in the winter by creating more bacteria in the gut that can metabolize protein. Alcohol, artificial sweeteners, and trans fats. Trans fats are found in processed baked goods and are used to help that product have a longer shelf life.

[00:03:40] Harder to digest than fresh baked goods made with little or better quality fats, trans fats and chemicals and artificial sweeteners may decrease our energy. Alcohol also has a depressant effect that slows down our nervous system and disturbs normal sleep patterns. 2. A lack of exercise and movement. A sedentary life robs us of our energy. Sitting long hours in front of a computer at work and then sitting long hours in front of the TV set once we're home

[00:04:08] only makes us more tired and unmotivated to move. 3. Emotional stress. Stress, especially emotional stress, can decrease our energy big time. That's because emotional stress is usually long-term. Most of us are not just able to easily let go of our distress. Rather, we can hold on to it for months, sometimes years. That then creates a state of chronic stress. Anytime we're reminded of the situation or the person that was the origin of the distress,

[00:04:36] our body is flooded with stress hormones that waste all of our energy to prepare for flight or fight. 4. A lack of profound, restful sleep. Now, can you think of other factors that rob you of this energy? How about hormones? Well, yes and no. Our hormones are affected by stress and how sedentary we are and diet and sleep. So, how can you gain your energy back? Here are the top 10 ways to increase your energy. Number 1. Reduce caffeine.

[00:05:06] Let's say you rely on caffeine as a band-aid. You're really sleep-deprived, but you realize that you use caffeine to perk you up. You may want to consider reducing your caffeine intake so that you're better able to address the underlying fatigue with lifestyle strategies. 2. Drink water. Many of us are chronically dehydrated. We don't drink enough water. And as we age, we lose our sense of thirst. Oftentimes, when we have low energy, all we need is to hydrate.

[00:05:33] 3. Eat fresh green vegetables. Green vegetables are full of nutrients. They're great for lifting the mood and strengthening our immune system. 4. Use less processed sweeteners. Avoid artificial sweeteners or chemicalized sugar as often as possible. If you do use sweetener, consider honey, maple syrup or sugar, coconut palm sugar, and whole fruit paste. But of course, use those in moderation. 5. Get physical activity.

[00:06:03] Start with simple activities like walking or even a yoga class. Start with 15 minutes a day and increase 5 minutes every week. 6. Get more sleep, rest, and relaxation. Go to bed a little earlier. Studies show that you don't get the same kind of rest when you sleep from 12 a.m. to 8 a.m. when compared to if you had slept from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Take a break from your hectic life. Disconnect from social media for a day.

[00:06:31] 7. Evaluate the amount of protein you eat. Fill your plate with well-cooked and spiced green vegetables like broccoli, zucchini, cauliflower, collard greens, and spinach. 8. Take time for self-care. Find activities that make you feel good. Take a bath. Get a massage. Watch your favorite movie. Read an inspiring book or whatever you enjoy. Learn how to do something new. 9. Practice spirituality. Find ways to connect with your spiritual nature.

[00:07:01] Pray. Meditate. Listen to affirmations. Go out in nature. And 10. Surround yourself with like-minded people. Seek out people in your life who support and love you unconditionally. Hang out with people who inspire and elevate you. So, what's one action step you can take today to increase your energy? You just listened to the post titled,

[00:07:28] Top 10 Ways to Increase Your Energy by Laura Carter of LauraCarter.com. And I'll be right back with my commentary. Ultra running shoes are all about space. The space to go further. To feel better. To do something you never thought possible. And this space starts with ultra fit. Unlike traditional running shoes, ultra fit gives toes more room to move naturally. So every step is strong, balanced, and comfortable.

[00:07:56] Whatever you're lacing up for, stay out there. With ultra. Shop now at ultra running.com. That's A-L-T-R-A running.com. Cozy season is ahead, and you'll be spending way more time inside. Is your home ready? Don't worry. With Wayfair, you can upgrade your space without breaking the bank. Score up to 70% off during their Labor Day clearance on furniture, area rugs, mattresses, and more. Plus, surprise flash deals you can't miss.

[00:08:24] Whether it's one room or the whole house, Wayfair has pieces for every style and budget. Shop Wayfair's Labor Day clearance now through September 7th at Wayfair.com. Wayfair, every style, every home. Dr. Neal here for my commentary. Now what's the difference between sleep, rest, and relaxation? Because each of those is different, but we use them synonymously. Sleep. That's probably the highest priority. Getting deep, restful sleep. Now each of us have our own rhythms.

[00:08:53] A few weeks back, I read an article about how our circadian rhythms are different depending on which age group we fall in. Some researchers are discovering that there are some prime hours, again, depending on your age, where it may be best to actually be asleep. We're finding that younger folks tend to do better when they fall asleep later or even in the early morning hours and then sleep till noon the next day.

[00:09:18] Whereas others of us function better when we do go to bed at, let's say, 9pm or 10pm and then wake up at 6am or 7am the next day. This will take some self-experimenting to see what works for you though. I know for me, I do perform a lot better when I'm in bed by 9.30, 10pm and I'm up at roughly 6 or 7am the next day. So I would say the first priority would be to get some uninterrupted sleep and aim for at least 7 hours per night. Rest.

[00:09:48] Rest is a little different. Rest, you might still be awake or maybe you don't get into that deep REM restorative sleep. But it's still important. Resting your body and your mind, even though you may not be falling asleep, is still a great thing. Relaxation. I think rest and relaxation are pretty synonymous, but for me, I always think of relaxation involving some sort of light activity like yoga or meditating or getting a massage. For me, that's relaxing.

[00:10:16] I'm not really resting, but I'm doing something that's helping me relax. You may define it differently and that's fine. The point is, you want to be sure that you get enough sleep and enough rest and relaxation. Alright, that'll do it for today. Again, thank you so much for being here. Thank you for sharing this show with someone. Thank you for listening every day and being a subscriber. Apparently, I can't thank you enough. So, I hope you have a great rest of your day and don't forget, I'll be back here tomorrow

[00:10:44] as usual where your optimal life awaits.