If you’re leaning on coffee and energy drinks to keep yourself toned all day, but you keep wondering why you keep feeling sluggish most of the time, you might want to try changing your lifestyle. Bonus: Many of these healthy habits will not only reduce fatigue, but will also contribute to your overall health and well-being!
How to get energy in the morning
To energize your day, make some changes to your morning routine. Start the day with light physical movements, drink water with lemon, and be sure to have a protein-rich breakfast.
- Try to get out into daylight within minutes of waking up, as the day/night cycle affects your circadian clock, sleep and wakefulness. Your body responds to light as a signal to wake up, so increasing the amount of natural light (pull the curtains as wide as possible) that you are exposed to during the day helps you maintain a high concentration of mindfulness.
- Get moving. Whether it’s simple stretching, walking the dog, doing yoga, or whatever exercise you enjoy. Since your muscles are literally paralyzed after sleep, reactivating them with stretches and gentle movements releases energy-boosting endorphins.
- Instead of drinking coffee, drink a glass of water with a lemon added to it. This simple habit aids digestion, keeps you hydrated, has powerful antioxidant properties, and provides about 15% of your daily value of vitamin C. Remember that fatigue is a common symptom of dehydration, so drink plenty of water throughout the day, not just at breakfast.
- Start your day with a well-balanced healthy breakfast. Research shows that a protein-rich breakfast helps reduce afternoon sugar cravings. Need breakfast ideas? Try a vegetable omelet, high-fiber whole grain cereal with skim milk, a fruit smoothie with low-fat yogurt, or oatmeal with a little vegetable or nut butter.
What Foods Boost Energy
Bad eating habits can play a big role in your energy levels. Charge your body throughout the day with portioned meals and snacks to keep your energy levels stable.
Try to eat every three to four hours and include protein, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats at every meal. Eat a variety of nutrient-dense foods from different food groups (e.g. avocados, nuts, olive oil). As a snack, use protein and carbohydrates, foods rich in fiber, for a long-term energy boost.
Eat low glycemic foods such as whole grains, high fiber vegetables, and nuts.
Focus on complex carbs (found in whole grains, beans, and some starchy vegetables) over simple carbs (like white bread, pasta, and cookies). Complex carbohydrates provide a steady supply of energy and help stabilize blood sugar levels. This avoids spikes in high blood sugar and spikes in low blood sugar throughout the day that usually occur with simple carbohydrates. In general, high-carb processed foods have the highest glycemic indexes, while proteins and fats are among the lowest.
Also, be aware that some nutrients play important but different roles in your energy levels:
*For example, vitamin B (especially vitamin B12) helps with “energy metabolism” by breaking down the food you eat into energy your body can use throughout the day.
*Magnesium helps convert carbohydrates and fats into energy your body can use.
*Iron, which the body cannot produce on its own, but receives from food or supplements, is needed for energy production.
*Finally, if you don’t get enough vitamin D, it can lead to feeling overly tired or fatigued. Since many nutrients can affect whether you have low energy levels, it’s important to eat a wide variety of healthy foods.
Try these healthy snack or light meal combinations:
*Whole grain toast with avocado
*An apple and a handful of unsalted nuts
*Low-fat Greek yogurt with fresh berries and chia seeds
*Hummus with chopped fresh vegetables (such as carrots, cucumbers, or bell peppers)
*Whole grain pita stuffed with chicken, tuna or falafel
What to do to feel less tired
To get started, recognize the signs of stress so that you can more effectively deal with the negative emotions it causes, as they can be extremely tiring, as they expend a lot of energy. Practice healthy ways to manage stress, from relaxation techniques like breathing exercises and yoga to having fun with other people. Effective stress management helps to avoid stress and limits its impact on mental and physical health, including energy levels.
Maintain physical activity throughout the day. This will help reduce daytime sleepiness, providing you with the energy you need throughout the day. In addition, the necessary physical activity helps to fall asleep easier in the evenings.
Get enough sleep! Sufficient and quality sleep on a regular basis is of great importance for providing the necessary energy. Age and lifestyle play a role in how much sleep you need, but experts from the National Sleep Foundation recommend that most adults get at least 7-8 hours of sleep.
Do not smoke. In addition to causing cancer (you know this for sure), this unhealthy habit can drain your energy, causing insomnia. The nicotine in tobacco increases your heart rate, raises your blood pressure, and stimulates wakefulness-related brain wave activity, making it harder to fall asleep.
Limit or avoid alcohol. As a sedative, alcohol can also drain your energy. If you drink at lunch, you will have low energy levels during the day, and enjoying an evening cocktail will guarantee you an evening energy drop, and can also negatively affect the quality of your sleep.
Energy Replenishing Nutrients
At SUNBOX Nature, we use science-based solutions to help you get energy naturally to reach your health and wellness goals, whatever they may be. Our Super Mega Multi SUNBOX Nature Vitamin-Mineral-Vegetable Complex of 27 essential vitamins and minerals in the most biochemically active form, with a unique V-Rich Complex formula to optimize absorption, contains B vitamins (B1, B6 and B12) and ferrous gluconate ( 11.58% iron) for energy production throughout the day, high magnesium content (5.4%) to convert carbohydrates and fats into energy, sufficient vitamin D and capsaicin from cayenne pepper to improve metabolism for a more energetic life and support for comprehensive human health.
If you regularly feel tired, start by choosing a healthy lifestyle to boost your energy levels, fortify your diet with Super Mega Multi for a nutritious diet, get at least 7-8 hours of sleep, stay hydrated, and control your stress and physical activity for day.
Keep checking back at the SUNBOX Nature Blog for the latest evidence-based content to help you take charge of your health.
This information is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice or the recommendation of any particular product. Consult with your healthcare provider for more information.