Energy. It’s something we all need, all want, and all have to have. You have to have energy to be vibrant and present in your life. The real value of having energy is that you feel good. Nothing compares to feeling good, right?!
Six reasons your energy levels may be zapped:
You aren’t eating enough
When you don’t eat enough food, you are going to feel like crap and not have energy to do the things you enjoy doing! Your body cannot carry out it’s normal processes without enough fuel. Healthy food=healthy fuel.
You aren’t sleeping enough
You hear me talk about sleep a lot. That is because it cures a lot of things. When we are rested, it’s a total game changer. Getting too much sleep however can leave you feeling fatigued. There is no magic number of hours of sleep you need, because the optimal amount of sleep is different for everybody.
Most adults require 7-8 hours, but that all depends on your individual requirements and lifestyle. Sleep experts recommend going to bed at the same time every night and waking up at the same time every morning. Your body gets into a routine, and habit that way!
You are loading up on carbs
Don’t get me wrong, carbs are AWESOME, and we need good carbs for our hormones. When you eat the bad fast carbs, it’s going to spike your blood sugar super fast and you will come crashing down HARD. Like a roller coaster. When I say fast carbs, I am referring to highly processed, starchy, refined carbohydrates. You want to eat the slow carbs. Slow carbs are low-glycemic and don’t spike your blood sugar or insulin.
You are scared of fat
Ok, y’all, its almost 2020. We are past the marketing gimics of the 90’s, right?! GOOD FAT IS GOOD FOR YOU. In fact, you need to eat fat for sustainable, slow burning energy!
Some of the highest quality fat sources you can include in your diet are olive oil, fatty fish, nuts, and seeds. Bonus: these support a healthy weight, reduced risk of diabetes, and improved neurological function. To optimize the positive impact these healthy fats have to offer, choose fresh, properly stored, and properly sourced products. I always suggest choosing wild caught fish too.
You are over exercising
Gone are the days where we go to the gym and do steady state cardio for hours upon hours. Or are they?! Excessive over exercising puts A TON of stress on your body. Yes, it may give you that initial “runners high” but it’s likely you aren’t refueling properly or giving your body the rest it needs and desires. It’s possible to have a quick yet effective workout, trust me! Over exercising also decreases immunity. We want to have a strong immune system all year long! Try strength training with weights, HIIT, or Tabata. All are quick and effective while still getting your heart rate up! Don’t forget to mix some lower impact recovery days in. Yoga, pilates, barre, and even walking are great!
Your stress is out of control
Stress kills and zaps energy. It doesn’t matter if the stress is real, imagined, or anticipatory. We go from one thing to the next day after day, month after month, year after year without expecting it to catch up with us. We must slow down and get control of our schedules and routines. Take some time, look at your calendar, what is something you can get rid of? What is something that really isn’t serving you or your family? What is something you want to do more of? You are in control of your schedule.
Remember, we make time for the things we value.
We can’t talk about energy zappers without talking about ways to boost your energy. I know it seems like a lot to take in, but it’s important that you realize that these things add up. Your little daily actions add up over time whether they are good or bad.
Ways to boost your energy:
Intermittent Fasting
If you practice IF, you may need to tweak your fasting window up or down. Or you may need to change the times! Figure out what works for you if you are practicing intermittent fasting.
Balanced Meals
Eat balanced meals to keep your blood sugar stable. You want to think health carb, healthy fat, healthy protein, and FIBER. These four things together are key.
AM sunlight
Morning sunlight signals the brain and boost energy from your adrenals. Open your blinds or go outside!
Stress management
Find ways to manage your stress with deep breathing, mediation, journaling, walking, yoga. Something to calm you down every single day! Yes, it sounds simple. That is because it really is that simple! My fav guided meditation app is Unplug.
Walk
Get up and walk around at least once an hour. If you are working at a desk all day long every day, set your timer or alarm to alert you to get up and walk around for at least 10 minutes every hour. This will get your creativity and blood pumping. If you can get outside during that 10 minutes, even better. The sun will be an energy and mood booster!
How to avoid those afternoon energy crashes + sugar/coffee cravings:
- Get your circadian rhythm in check, this is a non-negotiable. AKA your sleep+wake cycle, it’s essential for consistent energy. Morning light in your eyes! This can go way way deeper than this, but the am light helps! Also, if you are on your phone or watching TV before you go to bed, get some blue light blockers! My fav ones are here.
- Be smart with the exercise that you do. We cannot outsmart biology. Recognize that the body will first create energy to keep you alive. Second, it will create extra energy for exercise and other things! You must balance that correctly. This goes back to over-exercising like I mentioned above!
- Eat in a way that your blood sugar and cortisol are balanced. Avoid the peaks and valleys that will impact your energy, mood, and cravings. You want to eat in a way that keeps your blood sugar stable. Like I mentioned earlier, plenty of healthy carbs, healthy fats, healthy proteins, and fiber. If you need food ideas, click here. I post a What We’re Eating series every single week, usually on Friday’s!
Low energy is a very common theme with most of my holistic health clients. When you get your energy up, its a total game changer. Do you struggle with lack of energy or afternoon energy crashes?!
If this is something you are looking to tackle in a more strategic way, don’t hesitate to book a complementary discovery call to discuss a 1-1 program. This will give us a chance to make sure we are a good fit for each other, talk about where you are and where you want to be! Click here to inquire!
