Exhausted & Burned Out? Try These Natural Energy Boosters
Energy slumps suck. Nonstop yawning, droopy eyes, deflated posture. All you want to do is take a nap, but it’s only 3pm and you have a lot more day to get through before you can sleep.
Walk into a convenience store and it’s like everything they sell is to keep you awake. Sugar in a million different flavors, fresh brewed coffee, iced coffee, soda, energy drinks, little packets for sale that promise to keep you awake and alert. If you read my blog, you already know that none of these things are going to give you lasting, sustainable energy, as tempting and as tasty as they may be.
So, what can you do? How do you re-energize with real food when you’re in an energy slump and need to get going? Here are some suggestions:
1. Eat plenty of superfoods and take vitamin B.
They’re called superfoods for a reason. Citrus, blueberries, whole grains like oat, dark, leafy greens like spinach or kale, fatty fish like salmon, colorful veggies — these are all so packed with vitamins and minerals, your body gets a ton of nutrients to work with and keep you alert. If you’re going to have something sweet, make sure it’s something with protein in it, like a granola bar. Protein alone isn’t going to give you a boost, but it will sustain the energy you get from the sugar coating it. Combining sugars with fats can also minimize the crash. Add some avocado to a smoothie.
Vitamin B is really helpful in making your body more efficient at using the food you consume for energy. B12 only occurs in animal protein, so if you’re a vegan and feel like you’re sluggish, you should consider taking a B12 supplement. Keep a small bottle of them handy to help your body make the most of what you’re eating.
2. Let your nose work for you.
Our sense of smell is one of our most important senses for storing memory. Have you ever caught a whiff of something that transported your mind to a person or to a place? Well, don’t underestimate what your favorite scent can do for refreshing you. The smell of coffee is sometimes enough to wake people up. Keep a little spray bottle of peppermint oil and water handy to shoot into the air when you need a pick-me-up. You’ll be amazed by the results!
3. Keep breathing!
Need a quick boost of energy but don’t have time to stop for a granola bar and can’t find your spray bottle? BREATHE!!! LAUGH! Give yourself a case of the giggles, dance in your car. Do 20 jumping jacks. You don’t have to break a sweat to get the oxygen flowing in your blood again. You’ll be surprised how much better you feel!
Of course, the best way to give yourself the gift of energy is to create habits that make it sustainable throughout the day, so you don’t even experience slumps.
Eating raw or vegan, eliminating sugar and caffeine, exercising regularly, getting a good night’s sleep are all the best ways to create that. I know … you just snorted at the idea of getting to sleep, let alone a good night’s sleep, but some solid rest can help you go for miles on a long day. Try to shut off all of your electronics, including the TV, an hour before bed. Get your room as dark as you can to encourage quality, uninterrupted sleep. Ultimately, you won’t have to resort to tricks or tactics to get through the slumps if you’re living healthy.
I’ve just given you really important advice for how to get through energy slumps, by rocket fueling yourself with real food. Do you have good tricks for healthy re-energizing that you want to share? Leave a comment!
Hayley Hobson is an author, speaker, business coach, yogi, Pilates and holistic nutritional expert based in Boulder, CO. Hayley creates lifestyle transformations by coaching her clients to strengthen, nourish and evolve through the cycles and shifts in life. Combining cutting edge understanding in all three disciplines due to years of anatomical study and dietary theory, Hayley’s approach leverages their blended benefits and results. Her unique and intelligent style promotes strengthening while softening–empowering her client’s to heal not only their physical bodies, but their hearts and minds as well. Hayley studied at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, continues her studies with David Wolfe, raw food expert and is an essential oil expert in her own right. She is a doTERRA Certified Pure Essential Oil Diamond Director and a Pangea Beauty Ecologist. Her insights and articles can also be found on her blog, Elephant Journaland Islaorganics. She has also been featured in Pilates Stylemagazine, Natural Health magazine and Triathlete Magazine. She has fun running and playing in the mountains with her husband, former world-ranked triathlete, Wes Hobson and their two beautiful daughters, Makenna and Madeline . To learn more about her nutritional courses, events she’s hosting and custom programs go tohayleyhobson.com or follow her on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest.Source: http://www.mindbodygreen.com
