When looking for an energy boost, we often gravitate towards unhealthy options such as caffeine, energy drinks, sugary snacks and other items. However, there are some healthy, natural alternatives to help increase your energy when you are in a slump, that will help you feel great and provide the boost your need!
NJ Diet would like to share the best healthy and natural “energy boosters” that will keep you going throughout your busy day!
Natural Energy Boosters
Eat a Healthy Breakfast
The old cliche that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day” is actually quite true! A good breakfast packed with all the right vitamins and nutrients will give you energy — and help you to burn calories — all day long. For a healthy start that will get your energy going, aim to eat a breakfast that includes a small dose of whole grains, a larger dose of protein, and a little bit of fruit.
Reduce Stress
People with busy schedules tend to be stressed or feel overwhelmed, and while it’s not possible to completely remove stress from your life, restructuring different elements and activities may help minimize how much stress you’re experiencing. Some natural energy boosters to try include meditating or writing down what’s stressing you to calm your thoughts and reorganize them. Doing some calming activities is good for getting a more restful sleep—and for your mental health.
Regular Exercise
Exercise gets your blood flowing and reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease. While getting up and moving around may seem like the last thing you want to do if you’re feeling tired, activities a simple as a brisk walk can be a natural energy booster. In the morning, start your day with a few sit-ups or push-ups to get your blood moving and give yourself an added boost. Starting the day off this way will actually help you beat your afternoon slump more than a candy bar or another cup of coffee.
Eat A Well-Balanced Diet
Your diet plays a large role in how energized you’re feeling. A good start is by eating less carbohydrates and reducing sugar — two ingredients that leave you feeling groggy. While sugar may provide a short-term boost, it wears off quickly. Instead, fill your diet with foods with low glycemic levels like beans, whole wheat bread and brown rice, which all take the body longer to digest while still providing a natural energy boost. Low glycemic foods keep your blood sugar at an even level, which will keep your energy levels from spiking and dropping. Natural energy foods are high in protein and fat content and are low on the glycemic index, meaning their sugars are absorbed by the body slowly and provide a longer-lasting energy source.
Food and nutrition are also vital to disease-prevention and longevity. Natural energy foods keep our various systems operating at their optimal levels for proper health, and eating too much of the wrong foods can lead to nutrient deficiencies and conditions that affect metabolism and cause chronic fatigue.
Keep Hydrated
The source of your exhaustion could be as simple as not drinking enough water! One of the first symptoms of dehydration is feeling tired, so you should drink about nine cups of water per day for women and 13 for men, according to the National Academy of Medicine. Additionally, eating certain foods can help hydrate you as well, such as fruits and vegetables. For example, apples are both hydrating and awakening. They’re packed with all the right ingredients to give you a natural energy boost—Vitamin C, fiber and complex carbohydrates!
Rosemary
Rosemary is a natural ingredient that can safely be used for an instant pick-me-up. Rosemary’s intense scent is commonly known as a stimulant to invigorate the mind and fight exhaustion and fatigue, both physically and mentally. It also improves memory retention and can provide a natural energy boost!
Aromatherapy/Essential Oils
Aromatherapy is the use of essential oil extracts to create a pleasant and therapeutic aroma for stress-management and healing. Essential oils like peppermint, orange and cinnamon are refreshing to the senses, helping to wake you up and make you feel more alert and energized. Dabbing some peppermint on your wrist can help you regain focus and stimulate your brain’s ability to concentrate.
You can use aromatherapy as a natural energy booster by adding a few drops of your favorite energy-boosting essential oil or oil blend to a diffuser. Or you can rub essential oils on your wrists or neck and breathe in the stimulating scent.
Enjoy The Great Outdoors
Fresh air can do wonders for the mind, body and soul, and increased outdoor activity has been proven to improve concentration and creativity. Additionally, being in nature and sunlight has benefits for improved memory and elevated mood, making you less likely to feel the effects of fatigue. By merely spending just five minutes outdoors, you can help stimulate your circulation and give yourself a jolt of energy you need to regain focus. If you’re suffering from an energy drop, being outdoors can help reinvigorate your body and wake up your mind!
Be More Active
Just getting up and moving may be just what you need to up those energy levels, without doing a full-on workout. Picking yourself up and and walking around, taking a flight of stairs instead of the elevator, or even to stand up and jog in place for a few minutes can get those endorphins flowing and give you a natural energy rush to push you through the rest of your busy day.
Get Plenty Of Sleep
When you don’t get enough sleep, you will inevitably feel groggy, fatigued and irritable. It is estimated that only 20-30 percent of the general population gets an adequate amount of sleep, so the obvious cure is to try to get in your eight hours of sleep a night. To help settle down, make sure to limit screen time and work activities an hour prior to bedtime to give your brain time to unwind. Instead, take a bath or read a book to relax yourself before you fall asleep. Keep your bedtime and waking time consistent, and be sure to eliminate caffeine after 3 p.m., as its effects can last as long as 12 hours.
Getting enough sleep has also been shown to reduce cravings and make sticking to your diet- and thus losing weight- a whole lot easier.
B Vitamins
B12 is also known as the “energy vitamin” and is the most complex of all vitamins. It is also one of the best vitamins to boost energy, supports energy production and keeps blood cells healthy. In fact, if you’re vitamin B12 deficient, one of the first signs can be lower energy levels.
Herbal Teas
Coffee isn’t the only option when you need an energy boost. Sipping on an herbal tea can provide an all-natural boost in energy levels without the risk of stimulants or processed ingredients.
Green tea has many benefits for your body; it is loaded with catechin, an antioxidant that helps fight damage in the body’s cells. In particular Matcha tea is high-grade, finely ground, concentrated green tea that is proven as a fat-burner. And studies have shown that naturally occurring chemical compounds in matcha are anti-carcinogenic by inducing cancer cell death and inhibiting cancer cell growth. Matcha is also rich in antioxidants and encourages your body’s natural detoxification systems.
Dark Chocolate
Yes, you read right! Dark chocolate is heart-healthy and, when consumed in moderation, it can give you a nice bit of an endorphin rush and a small energy boost without harming your diet. While we repeat that you should indulge ‘in moderation’ (or you’ll find that your calorie counts are too high for weight loss) there’s nothing wrong with reaching for a small piece of dark chocolate every once in a while.
* * *
As you can see, if you find yourself constantly dealing with fatigue and low energy levels, there are plenty of natural remedies that can help boost energy levels.
By switching up your diet, including more physical activity in your routine, improving your sleep quality and using peppermint oil are all easy ways to get a quick burst of energy.
It is also important to keep in mind that low energy may also be a symptom of other conditions, including thyroid problems, depression or anemia. Consult with your doctor to address possible concerns if fatigue persists to determine the best method of treatment.
The NJ Diet program is not only aimed at promoting healthy weight loss, but aims to improve your total wellness — where the side effect is weight loss, but the end result is better overall health and well being!
We provide the support you need to be successful on your weight-loss journey at NJ Diet! When you come in for your initial consultation, we will explain how our unique individualized system works to reduce hunger and feel healthier, and how our 4 component approach makes it possible to lose 20-40 lbs. or more of fat in only 40 days! We assess the many metabolic factors to genetically make sure you not only lose weight, but we ensure you’ll keep it off and stay healthy for a lifetime.
Make your health and wellness a priority this summer!
Save $72 off Initial Evaluation and Consultation price of $99. Register today and your visit will cost ONLY $27!
Register Now at NJ DIET to learn more about setting weight loss goals today!
