1. Drink Water to Energize. Thirsting for energy? You may be…more than you know. Dehydration is the number one factor in fatigue, yet people do not realize this. Start to increase your intake by doubling what you do now until you reach eight 8 oz. glasses a day.
2. Eat for Energy. Looking for the next best thing to a youth potion? Try eating strategically, with a focus on timing, balance and variety. When it comes to having all the energy you want and need, eating right foods at the right time will be one of the most powerful and long lasting energy impacting choices you can make.
3. Jump Start Your Energy With Exercise. The fastest way to feel energized is to exercise. Thirty minutes a day will boost your energy, moods and alertness because it releases beta-endorphins, the naturally occurring opiates that help you feel happy, less stressed and more dynamic. For a quick boost-get moving!
4. Breathe to Energize. There is a big difference between breathing to live and breathing to recharge. Actually, the way you breathe can boost or drain your energy. Take time to breathe and recharge.
5. Rest for Energy. Aside from food, one of your body’s main sources of fuel is sleep, yet many people are sleep deprived, and it is taking a toll on health and productivity. If you are feeling weary, irritable, unable to concentrate fully and lacking pep, try to get more sleep.
6. Take Time Outs for Energy. Spend time outdoors in the sunlight. Our neurotransmitters in our brains respond well to sun-bathed light and to air rich in negatively charged ions. That is why we feel refreshed and stimulated when we are near waterfalls, mountains and the beach. The brain produces “feel good” chemicals.
7. Energize Your Domain. Our living space and workplace can make a significant difference in our energy response. Light, color, noise and smells all have the power to energize you or exhaust you.
8. Mind Your Mind for Energy. There are key foods that contain nutrients that sharpen your mind and bring clarity and alertness to your thinking abilities.
9. Lift Your Mood to Lift Your Energy. Mood awareness can help you match activities with your energy levels. You can also be equipped with a strategy of managing your moods by stabilizing your brain’s neurochemistry.
10. Boost Your Immunes to Boost Your Energy. A strong immune system not only better protects us from disease, but helps us to feel good in all ways. Check out my Immune Boosting RX in THE ENERGY EDGE.
These tips are the best ways to diffuse stress in the physical arena of your life. Ironically, when we are the most stressed, we throw out the very keys that will allow us to maintain and thrive. We then become more drained and energy is a distant commodity. We then think “shoulds” and become guilty. Make a choice today to think “coulds” and start to put these Energizers into your life. Take some little steps…take some radical steps.
Pamela Smith, RD,is an internationally known nutritionist and energy coach, radio host, culinary consultant, best-selling author, and the creator of The S.M.A.R.T. Weigh® Strategy through which thousands of people have won back their health and energy. She provides wellness and menu coaching to professional, corporate and life athletes — from the NBA’s Shaquille O’Neal, Orlando Magic and LA Clippers and the PGA’s Larry Nelson and Brad Faxon, to the executives and culinary development teams at Darden Restaurants, Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Lines, Hyatt Hotels and Resorts, McDonald’s, Cracker Barrel and Aramark Business Dining.
