Your diet and nutrition are some of the biggest factors in your daily energy levels.
The fatigue you experience around lunchtime or the lethargy you feel after eating a meal heavy in carbs and fats-these are examples of how your eating habits affect your energy levels.
So, if the way you eat can bring your energy down, is it possible that healthy eating can improve your daily energy?
Absolutely and it can be done without copious amounts of caffeine or wild supplementation!
Disclosure: there are some special circumstances that may cause you to require a more customized approach to your nutrition and meal plan-if this describes you, please contact us for a complimentary appointment with a nutrition coach!
It’s actually quite simple and can be done by following 5 Daily Nutritional Rules.
Print these out and put them on your fridge or desk as a reminder to fight fatigue by eating clean!
Here are my 5 Daily Nutrition Rules for Higher Energy Levels:
- Start every day with a full glass of water and drink water periodically throughout the day.
In my experience, dehydration is one of the biggest causes of fatigue and low energy levels. Considering that your body is about 70% water, you can imagine why it can be so tiresome for the body to get through the day without enough of it-imagine a dehydrated plant and how tired and depressed it looks. Boost your energy and your mood by making sure you have enough water in your diet!
- Avoid foods that swiftly spike and drop your blood sugar levels.
This includes simple sugars such as white sugar, candies and most treats, as well as foods high in processed carbs such as white breads, pastas, and chips. These types of foods are indulgences-not daily nutritional needs. When consuming these foods on a regular basis you are depositing sugar into the blood stream that will both hit you quickly and leave you quickly. The result is an energy high, and then a sudden and harsh energy crash. The more you do this, the more you put yourself at risk for insulin resistance and diabetes. Fight fatigue by removing foods that spike and drop blood sugar levels, and instead replacing them with energizing foods that offer valuable nutrition.
- Eat regularly throughout the day.
Having a set meal plan in which you follow regular eating times is one of the best things you can do for energy, healing, managing cravings and so much more. Regular eating times can include organized intermittent fasting (we go into more detail about fasting in our Spring Cleaning Blog), and small snacks or meals every 4 hours or so. This helps to ensure that your body is getting a steady stream of nutrition, and also prevent the metabolism from slowing down as a result of low energy intake.
- Eat more fresh fruits and veggies for energy-boosting vitamins.
A diet low in fresh produce is not only tied to chronic disease, but also inflammation and low energy levels. Your body needs the water, vitamins and minerals from the fresh fruits and vegetables to assist with recovery, keep your hormone levels even, detoxify your body from toxins that contribute to fatigue, and so much more! Aim for 2-5 cups of fresh fruit and veggies a day to make sure that you are getting enough energizing foods!
- Be cautious with caffeine!
This may sound counterintuitive-I know everyone goes straight for the caffeine the first time they yawn! But caffeine can actually hinder liver function, and cause adrenal dysfunction that creates chronic fatigue along with a myriad of other symptoms. Keep your caffeine intake modest and instead, increase you’re the nutrient intake in your diet!
It’s really that simple!
Try implementing the habits for 2 weeks and see how you feel-I’d be willing to bet that you notice not only increased energy but also reduced pain, even moods, and more regular and comfortable bowel movements!
Check out our 7 Day Cleanse for an example of what a week of clean eating looks like!
This mini-article was written by Elexis Smolak CPT, CNC, founder of Adapted Fitness and Master Trainer. Learn more or schedule a virtual coffee at AdaptedToYou.com