What would you do if you had more energy? Most people I know, including myself and my clients, would like to have more energy throughout the day. We all want energy so we can be productive and creative at work and at home. But we also want energy so that we can enjoy our downtime, rather than feeling too tired at the end of the day or the weekend to play.
Your energy slump about 15? You have a difficult time getting out of bed in the morning? You find that you need coffee and sugar all day to keep yourself going? If so, read on. It's no fun being tired all the time, and I'm here to tell you that it doesn't have to be this way.
I know this because I was once where you are. A few years ago I was addicted to caffeine. Literally I couldn't function in the morning without a cup of coffee. In the middle of the day would collapse my energy and I had to run to the closest Starbucks to get another Cup of coffee. I was a slave to the stuff and I didn't feel my best in the morning or in the afternoon.
But here's the thing. I didn't realize I could feel better until I made some changes. I'm going to tell you about three changes that boosted my energy, of course. These changes may seem simple, but they worked for me.
Change # 1 increased water consumption
I always thought I had a lot of water. After all, I had a bottle of water with me wherever I went. When I started the water monitoring how little I was consuming, I was shocked! Increase my consumption of water immediately increased my energy. This is just one of many reasons to increase water consumption.
Change # 2: on my sweetener
When I was a coffee drinker, I always put milk and several packages of sugar in my coffee. I was then introduced to and quickly fell in love with a delicious, 100% natural, unrefined sweetener called agave nectar. This sweetener from a cactus plant, is sweeter than sugar and has a low glycemic index, which means it does not affect blood sugar levels as much as sugar. Agave nectar is one of many natural sweeteners to choose from. I found, making this switch, my energy has remained more stable throughout the day.
Change # 3: Something I never thought I would do
I love coffee and I used to love the feeling of having that first Cup in the morning. I never thought I would give it up. What I learned as I gradually removed himself coffee, is that caffeine was giving me a false sense of energy. Yes, the coffee gave me a pick me up that I needed the morning and afternoon, but when I finished the coffee I have found that I don't need the pick me up again. When you consume caffeine, pump adrenaline into the body. As my mentor Joshua Rosenthal says: "the problem is it's like being broken and get a cash advance on a credit card, one day you have to repay the money along with heavy interest."
There are many ways to increase your energy, of course. When I work with my clients, I get all the way down because they don't have all the energy you want and need to enjoy life to the fullest. Then, step by step, I work with them to resolve the underlying issues. It could be because of their sleep schedule, what they're eating, what they're not eating or their exercise.
Food Focus: Collard Greens
Cabbages or Collard are a nutritional powerhouse. They are an excellent source of vitamin A, vitamin C, manganese, folate, dietary fiber and calcium. In addition, Collard Greens are a good source of potassium, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, and a good source of vitamin E, magnesium, protein, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B1, vitamin B6, niacin, zinc, phosphorus, and Iron.