Seven Practices to Help Naturally Increase Your Energy

July 08, 2019

We all know people who appear to have an overflowing amount of energy. We either feel exhausted after we’re with them or we feel energized because we are able to feed off of their enthusiasm. But as is true for a majority of the population, many of us are tired or struggle to get through the day without mainlining caffeine, sugar, a meltdown, or a two-hour nap. Our natural Circadian Rhythm may be partially to blame and/or it can be a less than stellar lifestyle that has caught up with us. Thankfully there are some strategies that we like to refer to as “practices” to help get your groove back so that you too, can be one of those peppy people who go through life with energy to spare and share.

Practice #1: Exercise

If you regularly workout in the morning and still notice a major midday slump, you may want to switch things up a bit. Give yourself just 10 minutes in the morning for a quick “burst” training or yoga (we love sun salutations). In the afternoon or evening get outside for a power walk or mix it up with intervals and strength training.

If you work at a desk, make sure to get up at least every hour and take a loop around the office, drink a glass of water, do some push-ups – something to encourage circulation (and give your officemates something to talk about). Consider taking one full minute of deep belly breathing (we tend to shallow breathe most of the time). Deep breathing will help re-oxygenate the brain, which will help energize the body.

Practice #2: Stop watching negative television

Do we really need to give reasons why we should all just stop this? Blood, gore, slander, bitterness, murder, scheming, war, death, politics – just writing this list is exhausting. Do you ever walk away from the television set feeling energized after watching the news? Chances are it leaves you feeling more anxious than before and that drains energy big time. It sets you up for disturbed/interrupted sleep, which then creates the vicious cycle of fatigue and insomnia. So, give it up for a little while or at least limit viewing time to weekends.

Practice #3: Stay Hydrated

Dehydration can stagnate the blood, thus reducing and slowing down blood flow to your organs. This may not only leave you feeling tired and sluggish, but it can also be harmful to your health, certainly to your kidneys and digestive system.

Practice #4: Schedule (Adequate) Sleep and Wake hours

If you’re not staying up watching bad television, there is no reason you cannot be in bed by 10 pm (and ideally 9 pm) every night. There’s something to be said for early to bed, early to rise people – they tend to have more energy than night owls for starters. We may be biased but our Healthy Skoop Sleep Protein is the bomb. The Tirami-snooze flavor is the bomb and not only fuels your muscles overnight but delivers on a great night's rest!

Practice #5: Don’t Skip Meals

Skipping meals can lead to major fluctuations in blood sugar, which can impact not only our energy but our health. Aim for 5 small meals throughout the day or 3 meals with 2 decent snacks (100-300 calories depending on your caloric needs) every day. Choose natural, whole foods that don’t come from a package. Eat plenty of fresh vegetables, a few servings of fruit, and alternate whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, amaranth, millet, and oats. Choose lean natural meats and deep sea, cold-water fish. Our Healthy Skoop Energy Protein isn't just quick and efficient, it's delicious and delivers 16 grams of plant-based protein!

Practice #6: Consider Green Tea (and other things like Acetyl L-carnitine, Quercetin)

Green tea contains potent antioxidant polyphenols that are pretty darn good for our health. As long as you stick to drinking green tea before 3 in the afternoon, you should be good in terms of sleep.

Nutrients like Acetyl L-carnitine, an amino acid derivative, have been shown to help the body produce energy. Quercetin is a bioflavonoid nutrient found in red wine, the skin of apples and onions (especially red onions), berries, buckwheat, and green tea. Quercetin has a positive effect on blood sugar, and energy expenditure, supporting optimal metabolism. It has been shown to increase the production of mitochondria, which are the part of cells responsible for energy production, in brain and muscle cells.

Practice #7: Practice Self-Love and Self-Care

I believe that self-love and self-care are forms of social activism. When we lovingly and willingly see ourselves in a positive light and are willing to take action to shift what no longer serves us, we set ourselves up for positive action and thriving. When we practice self-love and self-care, we not only increase our energy and positivity, we impact everyone around us and that continues to spread throughout the community and beyond.

---

Also in Blog - The Skoop