You can see a variety of herbs, vitamins, and other supplements at every convenience store these days. Touted as energy boosters, these products are added to soft drinks and other foods. However, there’s still little to no scientific evidence to the health benefits credited to substances like chromium picolinate, guarana, and ginseng. Fortunately, there are things you can do to enhance your own energy levels naturally. Consider these tips:
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Drink Water
Surprisingly, the only dink proven to get you through endurance activities isn’t some fancy sports drink, but plain water. Fatigue is one of the first signs that your body is short of fluids. If you feel that your energy levels are running low, hydrate with a glass of water. Sometimes the solution is as simple as that.
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Control Stress
If you’ve been under a lot of stress latterly, the resulting emotions you feel can make your body feel more exhausted. The National Institutes of Health defines stress as, simply, “the brain’s response to any demand.” It may come from all directions – illness, finances, work, relationships, and major life changes such as marriage, relocation, a new job, or divorce.
Talking with close friends or relatives. Seeing a psychotherapist. Or joining a support group can help diffuse stress. Relaxation activities like yoga, meditation, and tai chi are also effective at reducing some of the mental burden.
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Avoid Smoking
Smoking threatens almost every part of your body. Furthermore, it can siphon off your energy by causing insomnia. Being a stimulant, the nicotine in tobacco speeds up the heart rate, stimulates brain-wave activity linked with wakefulness, and raises blood pressure. All of these make it harder for you to fall asleep. Once you’re asleep, you might even wake up in the middle of the night with a craving to smoke.
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Exercise
Physical activity causes your body to release norepinephrine and epinephrine, stress hormones that, in modest amounts, make you feel energized. It also helps circulate oxygen in your body and gives your cells energy to burn. It can even almost guarantee a better night’s sleep.
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Eat For Energy
Instead of having three large meals per day, consider eating snacks and small meals every few hours. Science shows this approach can reduce your perception of tiredness because your brain needs a constant supply of nutrients.
Choose a diet with a low glycemic index – where the food you eat contains sugars that are absorbed slowly by the body. They may help you avoid the lag in energy that usually happens after consuming quickly refined starches or absorbed sugars. Opt for high-fiber vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and healthy oils like olive oil. Fats and proteins have glycemic indexes that are close to zero. On the other hand, high-carbohydrate foods have the highest glycemic indexes.
Almost every person feels tired on some days. However, that shouldn’t be a daily occurrence. Before exhaustion gets the best of you, try out organic ways to boost your energy and performance. Since they are all-natural, they will be able to affect your health in other positive ways as well.
