If you find yourself feeling sluggish mid-afternoon, struggling to stay alert throughout the day, struggling with adrenal fatigue, or just plain exhausted, then it’s time for a change! Luckily, there are easy, affordable ways to banish tiredness and get a spring in your step once again — naturally. Skip the extra cups of coffee or “energy” drinks and try these 5 easy and inexpensive ways to boost your energy levels instead.
1. Drink Vegetable Juice
Drinking fresh vegetable juice is a shock to your body — in a good way! Losing the fiber during juicing makes it easy for your body to absorb and digest. And because less work is required for your body to reap the nutritional benefits, you’ll notice an increase in energy. Additionally, drinking your veggies helps eliminate toxins from the body while also feeding your cells. If you feel an illness coming on, vegetable juice is also a good way to stop it in its tracks and keep energy up before it dips. Pass over store-bought juices, which are often loaded with sugar, preservatives, and other unpronounceable ingredients — they’ll leave you feeling worse and more exhausted! Get yourself a juicer and just make your own. It’s even better because you get to make it just how you like it.
2. Reduce Your Carbs
While they do provide your body with energy, foods heavy in carbohydrates can leave you feeling sluggish. The main culprit? Simple carbs, like those found in sugary drinks, cookies, and processed foods (think white bread and pasta), burns through your body quickly. Though they provide a fast boost of energy, it’s quickly followed by a crash as your blood sugar spikes and then drops.
The solution? Stick to whole-grain, low-glycemic carbohydrates that take the body longer to digest and avoid the crash and burn effects. Nuts, legumes, sweet potatoes, oats, and brown rice are all low-glycemic carbohydrates that will provide the body with a steady supply of energy.
If possible, slowly wean your body off the need for carbs and sugar and you will, in time, reach a state of “ketogenesis” in which fat and ketones become your primary source of energy. That’s where it’s at people!
3. Eat Chia Seeds
If your only experience with Chia seeds is the Chia pet, prepare to be pleasantly surprised. These magic little seeds will boost energy levels and provide your body with a lot of nutritional bang for the buck. The ancient Mayans and Aztecs used to ingest Chia seeds to keep up energy and alertness among warriors during war. For us mere mortals, the essential fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6) found in Chia seeds help regulate glands, fight adrenal fatigue, and combat inflammation, which keeps your body feeling fresh. Combined with high levels of protein and fiber, which keep blood sugar stable (no afternoon sugar crashes!), and it’s no wonder chia seeds are being heralded as a superfood.
4. B Vitamins = ENERGY!
Also known as the “energy vitamin,” B12 is the most complex of all vitamins. It supports thyroid function and keeps blood cells happy and healthy. If you’re vitamin B12 deficient, one of the first signs can be lower energy levels. Because it’s a water-soluble vitamin, your body cannot store extra amounts of B12 and relies on getting the vitamin from the foods you eat or supplements. Essentially, you’ve got to continuously renew your supply of these important nutrients. Try one of these top 10 vitamin B12 foods to restore your B12 levels when they’re depleted.
5. Peppermint Essential Oil
If you need an easy way to stimulate your mind and increase focus, peppermint oil might be what you’re looking for. Commonly used in aromatherapy, this refreshing essential oil increases oxygen to the brain, which heightens focus and stimulates the mind. Try dabbing a few drops on your wrists when you find your energy lagging, add some to your shower to get an early morning energy boost, or add several drops to a steam diffuser to breathe in the benefits throughout the day.
Like many things, beating that low-energy feeling is a habit. You’ll get better and it will get easier over time as you develop new ways of living and get used to them. Don’t give up. You’ll be flying high in no time with these tips.
Dr. Aaron Ernst, D.C. is host of News Talk 1110 WBT’s “AskDrErnst” show and clinic director of Maximized Living Charlotte.
He specializes in providing customized nutritional and detoxification total body healing programs, utilizing the 5 Essentials of Maximized Living.