Feeling out of energy and tired of working lately? A rest can help you with that or maybe, it’s now time for you to work on increasing your energy levels. Yes, you read that right you just need a little push and effort to keep yourself energized throughout the day.
Right now you might be wondering how to boost your energy?
Essentially, aside from taking energy boosters, there are various habits that you should develop into a habit to increase your energy levels. Gradually incorporating these “habits” in your daily routine benefits your health and improves the quality of your lifestyle.
In this article, we aim to help you understand and find habits to develop in order to elevate your productivity, whether you are at home, school or work. Read more to learn about varying factors to boost your energy and its health benefits.
Sources of energy
Since we are talking about increasing energy levels naturally, it is imperative to understand where energy comes from. Obviously, you should already know that energy is derived from the foods and drinks that we take. These will then be broken down into smaller components and will be absorbed and used as fuel for the body to perform its functions.
In fact, there are three main nutrients that we should look into when boosting your energy level. If you are looking for ways to boost your energy naturally, these are some of the essential nutrients to consider:
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are one of the most important and commonly used sources of nutrients in the body to help boost energy levels. Why? The reason goes beyond the idea that most foods contain carbohydrates. In fact, carbohydrates are considered as the chief source as it can be easily processed once ingested.
Listed below are some foods rich in simple and complex carbs:
- Milk
- Nuts
- Grapes
- Sugar
- Bread
- Potatoes
Proteins
Although not commonly used, protein like any other nutrients is also an essential to give you a boost in energy. Aside from it being the building block of our muscles, it also serves as stock to use in cases where the body receives insufficient carbohydrates and fats.
The ideal protein intake to sustain the body is around 60 grams per day (these may vary for other age groups). Below are the rich sources of proteins to gain more energy:
- Seafoods
- Eggs and poultry products
- Lean Beef
- Pork Tenderloin
- Soy
- Cheese
Fats
Unlike the negative connotation about fats, fat is just as essential as any other main nutrients to boost energy in the body. Fats, composed of glycerol and fatty acids, are needed by the body to help in its growth and energize it.
There are different types of fats that are found in various meals that we eat. These are:
Saturated and Trans Fat
Saturated and trans fat are considered as “bad fat” which you should avoid. Simply put, too much intake or even in small amounts of these can put your health at risk.
According to the University of California, these fats can stimulate the production of cholesterol in the body which can increase the risk of developing heart disease.
These types of fat are typically found in processed food. Here are some example of foods that are high in these type of fats:
- Pizza
- Fried meals (i.e. chicken, meat, fries)
- Non-dairy products
- Butter
- Doughnuts
Saturated Fats
There are two types of unsaturated fats that are healthy and good for the body – monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. This type of fat, unlike saturated and trans fat, have a significantly lower disease risk brought to the body.
Here are some of the foods containing unsaturated fats that you should try:
- Fish
- Vegetable oil
- Seeds
- Nuts
Energy management is just as important as time management
Time management is one of the most important aspects that many people highlight in order to achieve productivity. But there is one more ingredient required to be “productive,” and that ingredient is what we call energy management.
So what exactly do we mean by this? Maintaining the right amount of energy along with managing your time is also an important part of productivity. Simply put, to manage your time effectively, you should also ensure that you have enough energy to accomplish these tasks.
For instance, before you start managing your time, you should first think about how long your energy lasts. It is important to have an energy management plan that revolves around your productivity plan if you are going to work all day. You do not want to incorporate a lot of tasks that you where you will end up feeling tired and unable to accomplish.
Keep in mind that to manage your energy levels you will have to first recognize how long it takes for you to accomplish these tasks without running out of energy. Thus, in this process one important aspect to do is for you to allocate manageable tasks that you can work on within your energy level.
Once you have realized these we are sure that making yourself productive will be a piece of cake and you low energy won’t even be a problem.
Need Energy Boost? Check out these factors that affect your energy levels
In a world where multi tasking and speed has become a byword, energy is a must as it is the key to consistency and alertness.
We need energy to be physically and mentally capable of accomplishing our daily tasks. This is one of the reasons why many people resort to taking caffeine and highly caffeinated sugary drinks. These can give you a temporary boost of energy but you have to expect a crash when its effect subsides.
In order to avoid the “crash,” you should take natural energy enhancers to make you last longer especially when work is quite demanding. These are safe, effective and guaranteed to energize you without a subsequent crash.
Here are some of the factors that help to boost your energy naturally:
1. Exercise
You expend energy when you exercise but it does give you an energy boost in effect. Involving yourself with physical activity offers a lot of benefits than you can imagine.
Here are some of the benefits of doing exercise:
- Improves you mental health
- Regulate stress levels
- Reduce anxiety
- Promotes good health
- Helps in weight loss
When you feel tired and lacking in vitality, you might need to improve your blood circulation and stimulate your brain to become more alert. You can achieve this by walking briskly around your office building for a few minutes.
2. Socialize
To boost energy is goes beyond working out and eating regularly, simply being active and talking to you relatives or friend can give you improve your energy levels naturally. This is one of the most effective ways to boost energy and elevate your mood.
The reason why you need to socialize is to alleviate stress which is caused by your daily activities. Stress is an energy sapper which can cause fatigue and loss of will power. Being in the company of supportive people can make you happy and energized.
3. Eat healthy foods
We could not stress how important it is to eat healthy foods to serve as your natural energy booster. Along with regular exercise you are guaranteed to improve your health conditions and have an increased energy.
Foods are your only source of energy and you won’t get energized on an empty stomach. You should eat energy giving foods like whole grains, fresh fruits and high fiber vegetables and lean protein.
Avoiding processed foods or any type of food that are harmful to your overall health is imperative to keep yourself from getting low energy levels.
You can have a good supply of energy by eating breakfast everyday. It is your most important meal of the day. You can sustain your energy needs further by eating small but frequent meals later in the day.
4. Get some rest
Sleeping is an important part of your energy cycle. It is the time when your body replenishes the energy you expended during the day. You should take seven to eight yours of sleep each night to allow your body to recharge.
Managing your sleep schedule right will help you get a good night’s rest. This will also help you fight fatigue and gives you more brain power. If you start to feel tired, fall asleep, replenish you energy and accomplish your tasks efficiently.
5. Take vitamins and supplements
Give yourself a quick boost by taking vitamins and other supplements. Vitamin and supplements intake can gradually maintain your energy and offers health benefits such as disease control.
Take vitamins and supplements to supply your body with nutrients that are not found in your diet. This will help to provide you with your daily energy requirements.
6. Get some sun
If you are looking for natural ways to boost your energy while doing exercise, sunlight exposure is a beneficial practice to try.
Sunlight is a great source of energy as it helps in vitamin D production. It stimulates your brain to send wake up signals to the body to make it more alert.
But sunlight can be harmful if you overexpose yourself to it. Try to get some sun in the morning to enjoy the best health benefits it can give.
7. Drink Plenty of Water
Drinking water is one of the most healthy ways to stay hydrated and feeling refreshed. Ideally, you will have to drink eight glasses of water per day.
Your fatigue maybe caused by the accumulation of toxins in your body. Flush toxins out of your system by taking plenty of water; this can give you the energy boost that you need.
8. Limit alcohol consumption
It is not new to anyone that they have to avoid drinking alcohol. Despite it is unavoidable to enjoy alcohol, it is a kind of beverage that you will have to drink with moderation.
Compared to drinking fresh fruit juices or water, alcohol can have the opposite effect to your health and could even develop harmful diseases.
According to several studies, excessive alcohol intake can increase the risk of kidney failure and liver diseases as well as cancer. Try switching to water, caffeine-free tea, or a “mocktail” some nights instead.
9. Avoid skipping meals
Boosting your energy levels means that you should not skip your meals.
Aside from getting quality sleep, eating meals are just as important to give your energy levels a spike. As energy are not finite, making sure that you replenish it by eating healthy foods is the best way to keep you energized and healthy.
Research suggests, that the recommended meal interval is every three to four hours that contains balanced nutrients.
10. Don’t get stressed
With all the work and duties that you have to do, having the time to relax and unwind is one thins that most people tend forget. And without them noticing they will start to feel drained and stressed due to their work piling up.
Stress has a significant effect to you energy levels and, at the same time, you mental health. It is not something that you should ignore and leave at be. To avoid stress, make sure to keep yourself energized by doing physical activities and having fun with your friend and family.
Sustained Energy is the Key to Productivity
Productivity means a lot to people that aims to spend a more meaningful everyday life. It gives a sense of satisfaction to some people when they found themselves accomplishing a lot of tasks within a day.
But you want to know something more satisfying? It is the fact that even after doing all these tasks, you still have sufficient energy to unwind and have fun.
Proper energy management and keeping the food you eat in check can sustain your focus and productivity. Find out more health-related tips and other ways to stay energized on our mind booster blog posts.
