Do you feel sluggish, tired and/or depleted in the afternoon? Or are you just plain exhausted all the time? If so, you might want to try one or all of the following in place of reaching for a caffeinated drink, which might lift you up momentarily, but will crash you right back down again. Check out these easy and healthy ways to keep your energy buzzing all day long.
1. Eat tons of plums or prunes! Fresh plums are coming into season right now in many regions, and if you can’t find organic fresh plums near to you, you can always find the dried version – prunes. This babies are natural energy-boosters because they contain antioxidant phytonutrients called phenols, which help to increase iron absorption into the body, which in turn raised the level of hemaglobin in the blood. This helps to oxygenate the cells. They also provide glucose to muscles, and are packed with essential minerals. Plums and prunes are a perfect snack at this time of year, especially if you have a sweet tooth, but don’t want to pack on any extra pounds.
2. Marvelous Magnesium! Your cells require magnesium to generate energy. Most of us who eat a less-than-perfect diet don’t get enough. Dairy products and too much salt can leach magnesium from our bodies. And the depleted soil that much of our food is grown in doesn’t help. Eat plenty of nuts and seeds to replenish your magnesium supplies. In particular: Almonds, Brazil nuts, and pumpkin, sunflower, and sesame seeds. I also love Natural Vitality’s “Calm” supplement. It is a white powder that you add hot water to and make a sparkling (and delicious) tea. It’s wonderful to sip on before you go to bed.
3. Eat An Early Dinner: When you eat dinner near to bedtime, your body will be trying to digest your food while you are trying to sleep. The result is that you won’t feel so rested when you wake up, and might even be foggy-headed. Moreover, your body detoxifies at night – the liver has to get to work and can’t do as good a job if it has to deal with digesting food too. Try to eat at least 3 -4 hours before you go to bed.
4. Brilliant B’s. Fatigue can come from not having enough B Vitamins, especially if you are vegan. The B complex provides co-enzymes that help to metabolize carbs into energy. Eat plenty of seeds, leafy greens, and if you are vegan, I recommend taking a B12 supplement daily. I like Solgar sublingual tabs best.
