Want More Energy? Tips to Boost Energy & Fight Fatigue
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› Unlabelled › Want More Energy? Tips to Boost Energy & Fight Fatigue

It’s estimated that nearly 80 percent of people admit they feel tired or exhausted all the time, experience too much stress, low energy and fatigue. Many mistakenly associate it with getting older. Contrary to popular belief, low energy, fatigue and even weight gain, memory loss, and aches and pains are not inevitable consequences of aging and getting older.

Low energy and fatigue are symptoms that your body and life are out of balance; and may also be signs of a deeper, underlying health problem. Low energy affects everything including our relationships, workouts, job performance, motivation and mood.

Men, women, teens, even young kids rely on and are addicted to stimulants such as sugar, energy drinks (that are laced with sugar, artificial sweeteners, pesticides, contaminated water and toxic chemicals), psycho-stimulating OTC and Rx drugs, and an excessive intake of caffeinated beverages in an attempt to boost energy. In reality, all of these provide a false sense of energy.

Everything is energy. Our energy is affected by the foods and beverages we consume; the activities we do; people, places and things we spend time and surround ourselves with; hormone levels; feelings and thoughts we experience; underlying infections and health disorders; our gut health and the integrity of the microbiome; the music we listen to; and things in our environment that we take in knowingly and unknowingly.

It’s important to realize that the reason your sister, co-worker, friend or anyone for that matter is experiencing fatigue may be completely different than the root cause of your low energy.

Below you’ll find several tips and solutions that will shift your energy 180°. Select one or two bullet points from the list. Commit to put forth determined and dedicated action into those one or two changes and notice how you feel. Be consistent. Next week add one or two more items from the list.

Increase Energy & End Fatigue in mind, body & spirit with the four powers: Real Food, a Healthy Lifestyle, Smart Exercise & Quality Supplemental Nutrients

Let Food Be Your Medicine

  • Stabilize blood sugar. Avoid long periods of time between meals or skipping meals. Choose nutrient-dense, real food and quality protein at every meal. Avoid carb-heavy, sugar- and chemically-filled processed foods and beverages that’ll leave you exhausted, undernourished and hungry!
  • Eat a protein-rich breakfast and lunch (whole eggs, wild fish, poultry, red meat, wild meats, grass-fed, full-fat yogurt, some protein powders). Amino acids found in protein are precursors that activate feel-good neurotransmitters, stabilize blood sugar, fuel your brain, increase drive, energy and alertness.
  • Avoid energy-zappers: sugar, soda, energy drinks, gluten, wheat, grains including whole grains, GMOs, sugar-filled fruity yogurts and all processed, fake foods that zap energy, increase inflammation (and your waist line), spike insulin, intensify cravings, and deplete the adrenals.
  • Dehydration is one of the first signs of fatigue. Drink a minimum of half your weight in water to insure optimal oxygenation to tissues by building blood volume.
  • Balance electrolytes. Add a pinch of Himalayan or unprocessed Celtic sea salt to water. Low sodium can cause fatigue, especially during hot weather and increased sweating.
  • Sip on green, oolong, black, white or yerba mate tea before 2pm for energy. Use caffeine wisely. Too much caffeine provides false energy, stimulates the adrenals, negatively affects sleep and amplifies anxiety.
  • Poorly planned vegan or vegetarian diets directly affect energy levels and are often deficient in amino acids, omega-3 fatty acids, and vital nutrients including zinc and B12. 
  • Practice these daily Detox tips to reduce your toxic load. Over time, toxins accumulate, which are a direct cause of fatigue and lack of energy.
  • Identify hidden food sensitivities. Eating inflammatory foods your body’s sensitive to will leave you feeling exhausted and tired. If one feels better with meals, it’s usually due to blood sugar imbalances and hypoglycemia. If one feels worse after meals, this can be a symptom of eating the very foods that your body’s sensitive to. 
  • Follow the real food principles found in The Power of 4 and Fat Loss Revolution.
Lifestyle
  • Aim for 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night. Go to bed by 10pm at the latest. Sleep deprivation is detrimental to overall health, negatively affects the adrenals and other hormones, depresses immunity, increases cravings and belly fat, risk of depression, dementia and hypertension.
  • Run functional lab tests to rule out anemia and co-factor anemia (folate, B12 and thiamine), underlying viruses (Epstein-Barr, CMV, hepatitis), autoimmune disorders, infections (parasites, bacterial, fungi, mycotoxins, Candida), toxic load, IgG food sensitivities and toxic heavy metals. Order lab tests here.
  • Identify nutrient deficiencies (i.e. iron; B12, vitamin D, magnesium, amino acids). It can take weeks or months for a specific vitamin or mineral deficiency to eventually present itself. You’ll notice a huge change in your energy, especially if you’re supplementing with a particular nutrient you’re deficient in.
  • Address hormone imbalances, specifically adrenal insufficiency, hypothyroid and low testosterone.
  • Optimize digestion and healthy gut function. Rule out malabsorption issues (gastritis, SIBO, leaky gut, Crohn's, ulcerative colitis, GI inflammation) and underlying infections (Candida, parasites, fungi, bacterial, mycotoxins) that drain your body of energy. Contact my office.
  • Poor posture can amplify fatigue due to the bodies unnecessary expenditure of energy to keep the body erect.
  • Unplug. Take a digital detox. Addiction to electromagnetic stressors (cell phones, iPads, computers, TV) trigger fatigue, tiredness, disrupt sleep, increase psychological stress, hormone problems, symptoms of depression, anxiety and mental health problems
  • Go outside. Enjoy nature. Get you daily dose of vitamin D from the sun. Just 20-30 minutes of daily sunlight boosts vitamin D and serotonin (which later converts to melatonin).
  • Put an end to multi-tasking, endless commitments and filling your life with noise, non-stop busyness and chaos that only makes the soul more distressed. Schedule less. Your adrenals will thank you.
  • Use salt lamps. The natural amber light is better for mood and resembles both a sunrise and sunset. This helps signal the brain to make specific hormones to coincide with our sleep and wake cycle.
  • Address emotional depression and psychological stressors. Chronic stress is draining and depletes energy and the adrenals. Emotions and lifestyle choices affect ever cell in our body, impacting biochemistry and overall health. Stress-less   
  • Support and love your liver. Reduce toxic load with these simple detox tips safe enough to do every day.
  • Beware of your thoughts and how you speak. Change “I’m soooo tired” to “It’s a great day to be alive. I’m feeling energized and alert.” Thoughts transmit an invisible energy that have a profound affect your mental and physical well-being.
  • Be mindful of who and what you surround yourself with. If a certain activity or person drains your energy, have the discipline to set healthy boundaries and eliminate that activity or person from your life.
  • Apply feng shui principles to your home and work environment.
  • Observe and notice (without judgment) what sucks the life out of you and drains your energy versus what lifts you up, makes you feel good and elevates your energy.
  • Read something positive every night. Listen to something inspiring every morning.
  • Meditation sustains energy. Aim for at least 5-10 minutes in the morning and again in the evening.
  • Aromatherapy. Energizing essential oils include lemon, peppermint, Rosemary, bergamot, orange
  • Consider alternative therapies: chiropractic, EFT, Reiki, reflexology, massage, acupressure and acupuncture.
  • Listen to your favorite music. Music is a natural healer proven to release dopamine and lower cortisol.
  • Follow the lifestyle principles found in The Power of 4 and Fat Loss Revolution.
Exercise
  • Walk every day and get a natural dose of vitamin D from the sunlight. Hippocrates said it best, "Walking is a man's best medicine."
  • Sit less. Stand more. Take a stretch break or a brisk walk. Bounce on a mini trampoline, do periodic posture checks, sun salutations, the 5-Tibetan rites, squats, pushups, lunges, jumping jacks or jump rope to get the blood circulating and energy flowing.
  • Practice mindful breathing techniques that will revitalize and energize every cell in your body. I used to teach these techniques and many others in seminars that I taught, and the shift in energy was so evident: Breath of fire (strong inhale with forceful exhale through the nose); energy breathing; breath walking; or alternate nostril breathing (activates both hemispheres of the brain).
  • Instead of long, slow distance endurance-style cardio, opt for shorter, smarter and more efficient workouts such as those found in Fat Loss Revolution.
  • Avoid excessive exercise, which will exhaust the adrenals. Clinical Pearl: Increased fatigue the day after exercise indicates vitamin B deficiency.
  • Love what you do. Waking up every morning and looking forward to the day is a natural energy-booster and motivator.
  • Yoga, Tai Chi, stretching, meditative walks, the 5-Tibetan rites and Qi Gong promote internal energy, release blocked energy and dissolve physical and emotional tension. Yoga asanas such as backbends and sun salutations are stimulating and energizing.
  • Start your day with the energizing 5 Tibetan Rites, exercises used by Tibetan monks to live long, vibrant and healthy lives. The Tibetans claim that these exercises activate and stimulate the seven key chakras, which stimulate all the glands of the endocrine system. The 5 Tibetan rites are performed in a specific sequence. Start off with 5 reps of the 5 poses every day, then each week add 2 until the goal of 21 is reached. Breathe deeply and fully using your diaphragm inhaling through the nose when the body raises and exhale through the mouth as you return to start position. Take 2 energizing breaths between each rite. The benefits of consistently practicing the 5 Tibetan rites include more energy, less stress, increased chi, calm, clarity and flexibility, better sleep and better posture.
  • Need a little energy boost before your workout? Lie on your back on a firm surface (not a cushy carpet). Tuck your knees in toward your chest and wrap your arms around your shins. Rock ‘n roll on your spine from the tailbone to the upper spine 10-20 times.
  • Follow the exercise and workout principles found in The Power of 4 and Fat Loss Revolution.
Supplements
  • Optimize vitamin D, magnesium and B-vitamin status. Consider supplemental support such as B12 and other B-vitamins, HCL with digestive enzymes, L-carnitine, CoQ10, amino acids, probiotics, essential fatty acids and R-alpha lipoic acid.
  • Be aware of the negative side effects from OTC and prescription drugs.
  • Adaptogens help restore harmony and balance, and work uniquely to improve the entire body’s resistance to stress, not just one particular system or organ and normalize imbalances. Some of my favorite adaptogens for fighting the effects of fatigue and boosting energy are ginseng, Rhodiola rosea and ashwagandha. Avoid adaptogens during pregnancy, breastfeeding or if taking any other medications. Rhodiola can be stimulating and cause insomnia in sensitive people.
  • Be smart. Always seek the professional guidance from a functional health practitioner to determine an ideal protocol for your unique biochemistry. 

The higher your energy level is, the more efficient your body is and the better you feel. Have a happy, healthy, energizing day!

Schedule a free-15 minute consult. I consult with men and women around the world via telephone or Skype and with clients locally in the Phoenix area. I will determine the root cause of any underlying imbalances and design a custom lifestyle plan and protocol for healing and restoration of health so you can live a healthy, vibrant, energizing life.

Copyright © Paula Owens. All Rights Reserved.

Please note that all content on this blog is copyright © Paula Owens and may NOT be used, reproduced or copied without expressed written permission. You may cite with an author credit for personal use. Reproduction of any article found on Paula Owens’ blog may be shared and are permissible ONLY when instructions found at the bottom of this blog are followed. Thank you.

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