So you’re tired all the time? Out of energy in the middle of the day?
You go to the store and stand in front of a horde of supplements, energy boosters, herbs, and vitamins…
But do they really work? Or do they just fix the problem for today… and tomorrow you’ll be exhausted again?
Today I’m going to show you a few of my tricks to boost your energy levels naturally and to actually fix your problem.
In this video, I’ll explain what may be causing your lack of energy, and what you can do about it…
And in the article below, you’ll find more information on the subject.
Exercise
The last thing you want to do when you’re super tired is to exercise… I know!
But what you need to understand is that exercising will actually give you more energy.
All you need is a kick in the butt and as soon as you’ll start moving, you’ll have more energy.
Exercising encourages your cells to burn and circulate oxygen. It also pushes your body to release the stress hormones epinephrine and norepinephrine, which can make you feel full of energy.
Exercising will also help you sleep better at night!
And you don’t need to go hike Mount Everest… Just going outside for a walk is a good start!
Manage your stress
When you are stressed, you are using a huge amount of energy.
And the emotions linked to stress (like anxiety and sadness) are extremely tiring…
This is why it’s important to be able to manage your stress levels if you want to have more energy.
I encourage you to try meditation or breathing exercises…
To meditate, sit comfortably on a chair or cushion. Close your eyes and breathe naturally…
Focus your attention on your breath.
Feel the air going in and out of your nose with each inhalation and exhalation.
Whenever your mind starts wandering, bring back your focus to your breathing.
Set a timer for 15 or 20 minutes to start. Do this once or twice daily.
I promise you this will give you more energy!
You can also sign up for a yoga class at the nearest studio, or simply try yoga videos online.
Yoga is great because is doesn’t only relaxes you, it also works your muscles and gives you a nice toned body.
Lighten your work load
Overwork is one of the main reasons people have chronic fatigue.
When we think of overwork, we think of a job that is too demanding… but overwork can also come from family and social obligations…
This is why it’s important to set your priorities if you want to lighten your work load and have more energy.
What’s more important to you?
What are the “must-do” activities and which ones could you do later?
Write down your goals for the week and cross off the things that are less important.
Delegate and ask for help at work and at home!
Limit alcohol
Having a drink is fun, but don’t forget that alcohol also has a sedative effect.
If you have a glass of wine at lunch, you’ll need a strong coffee to finish your day at work!
My best advice is to avoid alcohol at lunch if you want to have more energy at work.
Likewise, avoid the happy hour cocktails if you want to be fully present in the evening with your family!
And when you’re out late drinking with your friends, keep in mind that tomorrow will be a downer…
Alcohol might be a lot of fun and you may feel like you have lots of energy while you’re drinking… but in reality, you know you’ll feel like crap tomorrow.
Your chronic fatigue will be back tomorrow and probably worse than it was.
My advice is to stay away from alcohol.
Fix your gut
There’s something else about alcohol that needs to be mentioned… it kills your gut microbes.
Your digestive tract is the home of trillions of bacteria living in an ecosystem.
They help you digest the food you eat, they are part of your immune system and they are linked to your central nervous system.
Your mood and energy levels are closely linked to the activity in your gut.
So when you have low energy levels, it’s important to make sure that your gut flora is healthy.
Which brings me to my point: Alcohol is a very powerful antimicrobial agent.
In fact, it is used in hospitals to sterilize medical equipment (kill microbes).
So just imagine what it does to your gut microbes!
Every time you take a sip of alcohol, you’re slowly killing your gut flora…
And that affects your energy big time!
So of course, avoiding alcohol is a must…
One more thing you should do when you’re tired is to take probiotics.
If your gut flora is unhealthy, you need to repopulate it with new beneficial bacteria.
Probiotics are found in fermented foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, kombucha, yogurt, pickled vegetables, miso, and tempeh.
But an even better way to repopulate your gut flora is to take probiotic supplements.
You can learn more about probiotics in this article.
Caffeine is not the answer
Drinking coffee, tea, or any other caffeinated beverage will for sure help increase your alertness, but its only a short term solution.
And to me, short term solutions aren’t the solution!
Caffeine is a drug that makes you believe that you aren’t tired… But you are.
In fact, caffeine is just suppressing your fatigue and making it worse.
If you can’t function in the morning without your coffee, it’s because you’re addicted…
And just like any other drug, you CAN detox from coffee and live without it.
The first few days will be hard. You’ll have headaches and you’ll feel exhausted…
But once the drug is out of your system, you’ll be fine.
And it will only be a matter of breaking your habit, which you can do easily with a bit of will power.
You’re stronger than your habit, I promise you!
Stop smoking
Ok, you all know that smoking is bad for you… Nothing new there.
But did you know that cigarette smoking also causes insomnia?
That’s right! Tobacco contains nicotine, which is a stimulant.
Nicotine increases our heart rate, raises your blood pressure and your brain-wave activity linked to wakefulness.
This makes it harder for a smoker to fall asleep at night.
Plus, your addiction to nicotine can kick in during the night and wake you up with cravings!
Cigarette smoking literally poisons your body with thousands of chemicals every time you take a drag.
It weakens your immune system and puts you at risk of catching all sorts of diseases.
Smoking is definitely something that will suck the energy out of you!
The right food
You might think that eating food is what gives you energy…
And you are right… but certain types of food and the amount you eat can actually make you more tired…
If you eat very large meals, your digestive system will require more energy to break down the food.
This is why it’s best to eat smaller portions and not overeat.
Certain foods take more energy to digest, like processed food and animal protein.
Foods that are easily digested are whole plant foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.
Adding superfoods to your meal is also a very wise idea if you want to have more energy.
For example, adding 2 tablespoons of chia seeds to your breakfast cereal will provide you with an additional 10grams of fibre, 5 grams of protein, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and iron.
Check out this article for my favourite chia pudding recipe.
Other interesting superfoods include hempseed, flaxseed, dates, figs, cacao, and protein powders.
Be careful with protein powders though…they’re not all good.
Avoid the stuff you find at the gym which is usually whey protein, a by-product from the dairy industry. This stuff is acidic and not meant for human consumption (dairy is for cows).
Choose a plant-based protein instead. I personally use Vega protein and Organifi protein.
Get a green juice powder. It will boost your energy levels, nourish your cells, and straighten your immune system.
Check out this article for a review of my favourite green juice and get my special discount.
Stay hydrated
If your body is dehydrated, one of the first symptoms is a feeling of fatigue.
Water is needed for so many functions in the body…
Digestion, temperature regulation, detoxification, brain activity…Water is the number one nutrient for the human body!
According to the Mayo Clinic, adults lose about 2
So it’s very important to drink water throughout the day to avoid dehydration.
Still no energy?
So you’ve tried everything on the list and you’re still out of energy…
I think it’s time that you talk to your doctor and get a blood test done.
Your doctor will check your hemoglobin to make sure you don’t suffer from anemia.
This could be caused by a deficiency in iron, B12, or B9 (Folate or folic acid). Diabetes and kidney disease can also cause anemia.
In the meantime, take a daily supplement to ensure you get all your micronutrients (vitamin and minerals).
I hope that this article was helpful. Let me know what you did to have more energy and thrive…
