With the right energy, you can greatly improve your quality of life. There are various ways to achieve this. People in excellent health can feel more energetic by making major changes in nutrition, physical activity, and other aspects of their daily life. In addition, you need to get enough sleep every night, so that you wake up more refreshed.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Eating Properly to Store Energy
Step 1. Avoid processed foods
This way you can guarantee yourself a healthy and substantial diet. Fresh, unprocessed foods are a better choice than processed foods because they contain more nutrients and vitamins. Furthermore, processed foods - such as frozen foods, ready-to-eat and pre-cooked foods - are high in calories. They often contain preservatives, added sugars and fats, dyes, and much more. They have a low nutritional value and, consequently, are less energetic.
Unprocessed foods - rich in nutrients - provide much more fuel to the body. They include fruit, vegetables, unsalted nuts, lean meats, fresh fish and shellfish, eggs, low-fat milk, plain yogurt, and low-fat cheeses
Step 2. Maintain a balanced diet
Don't overlook the importance of unprocessed foods and eat a balanced diet, which should include all food groups. By doing this, you can nourish yourself properly and feel more energetic every day.
- Fruits and vegetables should make up half of everyone's diet.
- As for grains, consume them by measuring portions based on age, gender and activity level. On the Internet, you can consult sites that help you find the right quantities, half of which should be whole grains. If you speak English, consider considering the US Department of Agriculture's USDA MyPlate initiative.
- As far as proteins are concerned, consume them by measuring portions based on age, gender and activity level. You can consult the Internet or a nutritionist. Alternatively, there is always the MyPlate initiative.
- Dairy products are also part of a balanced diet and MyPlate can also help you calculate their consumption.
Step 3. Eat at the right time and in the right quantities
Eating too much (or too little) can compromise the body's energy level. Skipping meals or decreasing calories slows down your metabolism because your body is forced to put aside what little it gets, making you feel lethargic. On the other hand, overeating (especially refined carbohydrates and sweet snacks) can cause blood sugar spikes that result in a burst of energy followed by a sudden drop that promotes fatigue (and also irritability). Try to have 3 meals a day or 6 smaller ones, spread evenly throughout the day.
- Don't eat uncontrollably. You sure know how to measure portions well. However, if you suddenly lose control and swallow everything that comes your way, you risk bingeing. This behavior can undermine the benefits of healthy eating. If you can't control yourself, keep any tempting dishes away from your pantry. When you feel like letting go, find some distraction, like manual labor, some sport, and so on.
- Don't skip meals. Always have a healthy snack on hand in case you are in a hurry and don't have time to eat.
- Avoid nervous hunger. If you have a tendency to eat when you feel upset, angry, happy, sad, or lonely, allow these emotions to act as a stimulus to gorge yourself on food. Nervous hunger impairs the results of a balanced diet. Instead of giving in to this temptation, find other activities to relieve emotional stress.
- Avoid eating at night. A higher calorie intake after dinner time can be problematic, especially if it comes from unhealthy or high-fat foods. You can defeat this habit by spreading your calorie consumption throughout the day. Try to eat more for lunch than dinner.
Step 4. Drink lots of water to keep yourself hydrated
It is essential to hydrate during the day to feel more energetic and avoid fatigue. If you are not used to drinking enough water, you may feel tired.
- Adult men are advised to take around 3 liters of water per day.
- Adult women need only 2 liters per day (2, 2 to be exact).
- When you work out, water supplies are consumed through sweat, so be sure to replenish them by drinking more water than recommended daily.
Step 5. Avoid illusory energy sources
There are many products on the market that claim to provide the body with the energy it burns, but this is only partially true, because the effects are often short-lived. They can also produce negative effects that are far greater than the energy intake they are able to give.
- Coffee is able to recharge you quickly and, according to some studies, it is not as harmful as previously thought. However, caffeine is mildly addictive and the time it takes for the body to work off it can affect sleep quality, thus interfering with the energy needed the next day. Also, if you add sugar and cream to your coffee, it becomes more fat and caloric: consider these aspects when you drink it.
- Energy drinks have a high concentration of caffeine and, by themselves, are no worse than coffee. However, they can trigger heart problems if consumed in excess. In addition, the sugars they are rich in provide empty calories and can promote a drop in glycemic levels throughout the day.
Step 6. Consider herbal teas and supplements
On the market you can find numerous herbal teas and supplements that allow you to feel more energetic. Always consult your doctor or pharmacist before taking a supplement, especially if you are taking other medications.
- If the vitamin B intake is low enough, it should be supplemented. You can increase your strength by taking vitamin B with a daily multivitamin supplement. Ask your doctor if it is suitable for your health condition.
- If you are deficient in vitamin B12, supplementation can improve your energy.
- Siberian ginseng helps increase stamina, counteract fatigue and reduce the effects of stress. You can take it in the form of herbal tea or a supplement.
- Ginkgo is another plant which, by promoting the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), contributes to the metabolization of glucose in the brain and, consequently, provides energy and mental clarity. You can buy it at health food stores, but you can often find it in herbal tea blends and in supplement form.
- Green tea is sold in the form of an extract and, of course, tea bags. Contains theine and other health benefits, such as antioxidants. Helps you feel more active and energetic.
- Peppermint essential oil is another dietary supplement that improves physical performance. Studies have shown that it promotes a feeling of vigor when taken during a physical activity regimen.
Method 2 of 3: Practice Regular Physical Activity
Step 1. Train daily to always feel energetic
Even if you are sometimes too tired to play sports, you will feel more energized as you move. If fatigue is looming, even moderate-intensity exercise, such as a walk, can invigorate you and restore the energy and motivation you need.
- A 10-15 minute walk around the neighborhood equates to moderate exercise and can be even more energizing than an intensive workout, such as a 45 minute treadmill run.
- Practice yoga. This discipline can produce an energetic calm that makes you more productive than typical adrenaline energy would, which doesn't last long and can even lead to depression. It is a vigor that instills self-confidence, vitality and optimism, without generating tension.
- Practice Pilates. It is another moderate intensity activity that can help you develop energetic calm.
- Go for tai chi. Tai chi can also help you achieve a state of energetic calm.
- Train your muscles. When practiced slowly and calmly, muscle strengthening can also promote energetic calm.
Step 2. Listen to music while exercising
Combined with moderate intensity activity, music helps develop energetic calm.
- The confirmation comes from the studies currently in progress: music favors this state of soothing energy. This is especially true when combined with moderate exercise.
- Listening to music while exercising generates an energetic calm that can make you feel more vital for a long time.
Step 3. Know your limits
Even moderate activity can strain the body to the point of overcoming the state of energetic calm and causing fatigue.
- Initially a high intensity workout leaves you without strength, but later on it makes you feel much more energetic than you would be if you weren't moving.
- Keep in mind that very intense physical activity can generate a combination of energy and tension, which helps you to be productive, but it can also promote severe fatigue.
Step 4. Eat fruit before exercising
There are numerous health benefits from consuming fruit, especially when associated with movement.
- Fruit helps the body digest food, allowing it to absorb more nutrients.
- The absorption of nutrients determined by the consumption of fruit before a workout provides energy during physical activity and throughout the rest of the day.
- Oranges, bananas, and apples are great options.
Method 3 of 3: Regularize the Biological Clock
Step 1. Go to sleep at regular times
To have enough energy during the day, it is essential to get to sleep at regular times. The sleep-wake alternation should be natural: if you respect the times you have set, you will accustom your body to feel awake or tired at the right time.
- Get enough sleep every night. Adults need 7-9 hours of sleep, while teens need 8-10 hours of rest.
- Avoid naps if you can. They can affect the alternation between wakefulness and sleep.
- Avoid stimulants, such as caffeine, after noon.
- If you need to go to bed within a few hours, opt for moderate physical activity. Train more intensely in the morning or in the middle of the day.
- Relax before going to sleep. Leave the stress out of the bedroom, and especially when you are in bed, don't argue or argue if you can do without it.
- Make sure the bedroom is adequately exposed to sunlight. Darkness and natural light allow you to regulate the circadian rhythm.
- Avoid eating or watching TV in bed. Make sure that the environment in which you sleep does not have another intended use, otherwise you may have difficulty falling asleep.
Step 2. Get help if you feel too tired
If you get up and fall asleep at regular times but always feel exhausted, you probably need help. Tell your doctor about your sleep problems.
- Write down what time you wake up and go to bed to spot any abnormalities.
- If the data you have collected shows that your rhythms are regular, report it to your doctor.
- He or she will likely order diagnostic tests to find out if you have any ailments that cause fatigue, such as thyroid disease, depression, anemia, or chronic fatigue syndrome.
Step 3. Plan your daily activities
To have energy, it is essential to organize daily life. By avoiding stressful factors, you will be able to focus on more enjoyable activities.
- Use an agenda or calendar to prioritize your activities.
- Check your schedules regularly and stick to the commitments you have made.
Step 4. Don't be too helpful
Sometimes we have to stop and realize that we can't do everything we want. Instead of filling every spare moment with commitments and meetings, give yourself some respite to relieve stress.
- Find some space of freedom to dedicate to yourself. Planning your free time is just as important as planning your daily chores.
- Make rules for enjoying your breaks. For example, turn off your mobile phone or avoid checking your email and social media profiles. You can also get software that disconnects Internet access for certain periods of time. These applications are intended to increase productivity, but can also be used to organize free moments.
Advice
- The mind follows the body. Even when you feel tired, wake up and start the day. By stimulating the brain you will be able to move forward smoothly. If not, take a nap once your homework is done.
- If you feel like you're daring, increase your physical activity. If you are tired, do just enough to increase your heart rate, then relax and allow your body to recover the energy it needs for the next workout. If you feel more and more tired as you play sports, stop or try a different exercise. Don't insist, otherwise it could be counterproductive.
- Energy bars are an excellent source of nutrition between meals.
