Guest Blog by LINDSAY REINSMITH
With contributions by STEPHANIE BONCICH
Over 2.2 million Americans complain every day of feeling withdrawn or lethargic, making it difficult for them to make it through their day-to-day activities. While these individuals feel overworked and under rested, the truth is that your energy levels depend on several everyday habits as well as your environment.
There are many factors in the modern world that put stress on our body. Most of us don’t realize how important regular physical activity is and how beneficial it can be to your body and the overall way you feel.
EXERCISE
Your exercise level greatly impacts the amount of energy you feel throughout the day. Living a sedentary lifestyle, as many of us do, can actually change your brain structure. This is because inactivity affects the nervous system, which regulates many physical functions in our body. When we are active, the body’s internal mechanisms including blood flow and metabolism increase, along with your mood and alertness. Exercise also enhances cardiovascular efficiency and elevates neurotransmitter levels, which are known to improve energy.
DIET
Your diet goes hand in hand with your exercise routine to supplement your body’s functions. Once your metabolism increases from exercising, your body needs to be refueled with substantial, nutrient-rich foods that provide your body with more energy. An inadequate diet leads to physiological and chemical changes in the brain, altering our mood and behavior. Food is fuel to the body just like gas is fuel to a car. The body will not function properly and will immediately lead to a feeling of withdrawal when it is deprived of nutrients.
TOXINS
However, if you are refueling with unhealthy food, such as refined grains, sugar, and processed foods, it can negatively impact your energy level. These are known as dietary toxins, and can significantly increase the risk of developing diseases. Dietary toxins affect the body’s organs and weaken the immune system, leading to withdrawal symptoms.
Most people will not get sick or feel incredibly withdrawn from eating small amounts of these potentially toxic foods, but when consumed regularly or in excess, our body will be exposed to dietary toxins, which negatively impact our body’s functions and the way we feel. Toxins are chemicals or poisons that cause harmful effects on the body. Toxins do not strictly come from the food we eat. They enter our body through trace amounts found in the air, the water we drink, and the chemicals used to grow and prepare the food we eat.
With more and more pollution in the air and highly processed, genetically modified food on the market, it can be inevitable for toxins to enter our body. Many times, our body is exposed to more toxic substances than our natural detoxification in our body can handle. This is when it will start to affect our health. It is beneficial to remove them, or else they will remain in the body’s bloodstream and harm our organs and bodily functions over time. Toxins leave the body through the urine and feces we expel daily, but can linger in cases of poor digestion or dehydration.
To better improve your alertness, don’t just reach for that third cup of coffee. Reflect on your exercise, diet, and toxin-intake and ask yourself: am I providing myself the best environment for sustainable energy?
Lindsay Reinsmith is the founder and CEO of Kaeng Raeng, a leading creator of natural cleansing, vegan dietary supplements and cosmetics. She is a Certified Personal Trainer and regular contributor to health and fitness publications.
