Guest Post by Stephanie James
Natural Ways to Stay Energized
Without Caffeine
With a societal sleep deprivation
crisis, fueled by pressures to achieve, without slowing down, it’s easy to
become reliant on caffeine for energy. This desire for an instantly gratifying
boost of energy comes with a price, however – the crash.
You see, grabbing a double espresso or
an energy drink to keep you energized might seem like an ideal solution, but it
can really make your body’s systems go haywire. What’s happening when you jolt
yourself with caffeine only to come down quickly an hour or so later is that
your body is trying to maintain homeostasis, but to no avail because you’re
relying on a short-term fix.
The truth is that real, long-term
energy comes from real, long-term solutions. When energy is thought of as
something you can drink in a cup or a can, the concept of making lifestyle
changes that keep your energy supplies up tends to be thrown to the wind. With
that in mind, let’s look at some all-natural ways to stay energized without caffeine,
which you can incorporate into your daily life for a real, long-term energy
transformation.
Start
Your Day Off Right
Movement: How you start your day is how you live
your day – that’s the power of momentum. Our bodies thrive on consistency and
adjust very well to healthy routines. Regular exercise is one of the most
effective ways to maintain a consistently high energy level and making it your
first priority of the day is even better. If you’re preparing your brain and
body for action by supplying them with endorphins, they will respond
accordingly by craving healthy food and aiming to keep the momentum going.
Take a Cold Shower: When you have a
commitment you really need to meet and you just don’t feel like you have the
energy reserves, jump in a cold shower. Even if it’s just for 20 seconds, it
will wake you up, and help you feel refreshed.
Don’t Skip Breakfast: Eating a healthy breakfast packed with
protein, fiber, and healthy carbs is another way to get your brain and body
moving in the morning. And when you give your energy-loving body healthy fuel,
that’s what it will crave for the rest of the day. Eating a good breakfast
every morning will help you avoid cravings for sugary or fatty foods simply
because your body has already had a dose of “the good stuff” and doesn’t want
to ruin the fun with a greasy cheeseburger.
Eat Balanced & Healthy Meals: Eating healthy meals, especially
breakfast, and eating regular snacks during the day keeps your blood sugar
count normal, helping with energy. Foods with a low sugar index are absorbed
more slowly and don’t cause an energy drop. Additionally, a mix of protein and
fats, with carbs, helps you to not burn energy too fast. A sugar low due to
quick energy burn, caused by sugary foods, leads to mental fogginess and lethargic
feelings. Don’t be tempted by a sugar high, like eating a muffin or drinking
too much caffeine, because that will send you crashing!
Stockpile Healthy Snacks: Another way to
avoid reaching for caffeinated beverages is to consistently feed your body
healthy, mini-meals throughout the day. Have fresh vegetables and fruits sliced
and ready to go, as well as nuts and whole grain snacks. It’s when you allow
yourself to get too hungry that you resort to quick fixes like fast food or a
candy bar. It’s best to think of your meals as providing ongoing energy as
opposed to a surge. Reading up on superfoods that really pack a natural
energy punch can help here, too.
Avoid Sugar: Sugar is similar to caffeine in that
it gives you a burst of energy followed by a crash. Replace sugary foods with
fresh fruit and consider using stevia as a sweetener when you have
a sweet tooth. Stevia doesn’t spike your blood sugar the way table sugar and
most artificial sweeteners do.
Stay Hydrated: Did you
know that fatigue can be a sign of dehydration? In addition to fatigue,
dehydration also causes confusion and even fainting. Dehydration causes a
reduction in blood volume, which causes less blood flow and nutrients to the
brain. Consuming six to eight glasses is typically recommended daily, yet often
it is said that the amount of water you should consume depends on your body
weight. Food high in water content like fruit and vegetables help too. Keep pure water
and other hydrating beverages handy, along
with your nutritious snacks, as your go-to instead of coffee or an energy
drink.
Adults should be drinking between 30 and 50 ounces of water a day.
If that number surprises you, you’re not alone – many people don’t know how
much they should be drinking. Make it a point to push the hydration.
Chia Seeds: This is a superfood packed with
protein, healthy fat, and fiber that can be added to your morning cereal,
smoothie, or yogurt. Chia seeds also have a high concentration of antioxidants,
nutrients, and Omega-3 fatty acids (even more than salmon, gram for gram).
Raw Cacao: Eating or drinking raw cacao is not
technically like drinking coffee. Instead, it contains phenylethylamine (PEA), which may
increase energy levels depending on your body’s responsiveness.
Supplement with Magnesium: Magnesium helps
your body to convert glucose to energy. You can take a supplement, add magnesium-rich foods to your diet,
or both.
Herbs: Get ready for some big words. Throw
these herbs into your diet and see what happens: Rhodiola, Ginseng, and Ashwagandha
are all good for energy and focus. They can help you boost your energy levels
sustainably and give you a bit of an extra edge with which to get through the
day.
Exercise
Boost Your
Energy: Fatigue is one of the most common complaints doctors hear from
patients – and usually their first suggestion to remedy this is to exercise.
While you may be caught in a cycle where you’re sitting on the couch and “too
tired to exercise” you may be surprised with how much exercising actually
boosts your energy levels.
And while some energy comes from your diet and ability to sleep
each night, another source of energy has to do with your body’s ability to
produce energy – which is affected by your daily movement and activity.
Furthermore, when
we exercise, our brain releases two chemicals – endorphins and a protein known
as Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF).
Endorphins minimize discomfort and BDNF protects and restores memory neurons.
What’s more, Penn State University recently found that exercising for just 20
minutes each morning was the optimal time for exercising to improve your mood
and energy levels.
If you’re less than thrilled about the idea of hitting the gym
every day, or simply do not have the time, start by taking a 20 minute walk
around your building during your lunch break, or beginning your day with a quick
yoga exercise, you might just be shocked by the difference it can
make in your energy levels.
Be
Mindful
Journal: Sometimes the “to-do’s” floating
around in your head can cause so much mental clutter that all of your energy
completely dissipates. This is also true of things that are worrying you and
the ruminating thoughts that go along with them. Writing down your loose ends
and thoughts can help you better organize them and free up your mind to
effectively take on the tasks at hand.
Practice
Meditation: Due to the various stimuli we encounter on a daily basis, our
bodies unnecessarily trigger our flight-or-flight response, which releases
harmful chemical like the stress hormone “cortisol.” If you’re looking to
maintain a natural and stable
energy supply, the less cortisol you produce, the better.
Meditation
is one way to reduce this stress hormone. In a study done by Rutgers
University, they found that meditation reduced the amount of cortisol produced
in the body by 50% allowing for test subjects to have more stable and lasting
energy. You don’t have to be an expert to practice successful meditation. Now
there are even phone apps that you can download that will help guide you
through the meditation process.
Go Outside: You might be
surprised with how even small amounts of outdoor exposure and sunlight can lead
to increased energy levels. If weather permits, try to spend 30 minutes a day
in natural sunlight and see what happens to your daily alertness and awareness.
Natural sunlight impacts your circadian rhythm as well, which helps to
reinforce a healthy sleep-wake cycle.
In addition, walking in
natural settings, sitting and watching trees, the ocean or even ducks on a pond
are all proven ways for calming an anxious and reducing stress, and in turn
helps us maintain energy levels. Combining natural settings with exercise is
even better – you’ll get the BDNF and endorphin boost at the same time. If
that’s just not possible, a
five minute walk in the park has been shown to have a positive effect
on self-esteem, mood, and energy.
Rest
Nap: Sometimes a quick power nap is needed to
recharge. If for some reason you’re not feeling 100% and you have a little
chunk of time, by all means take a snooze. In order to avoid throwing your
circadian rhythm off kilter, however, limit your nap time
to no more than 30 minutes.
Avoid Blue Light
Before Bed: If you wake up feeling groggy or tired, or even have trouble
staying asleep at night, consider eliminating exposure to blue light before
bed. Blue light stimulates your brain to the point where it believes it’s time
to be awake and active, not resting and asleep. Dimming your lights can
bring upon sleepiness and accelerate tiredness, and result in better, quality
sleep. Brightening lights can ease fatigue and increase alertness, so while
this may be a useful tactic during the day, make sure you are properly
preparing your brain for sleep each night by avoiding TV, computers, and phone
screens.
Avoid Alcohol: If you have trouble sleeping at night, stay away from alcohol.
While many people believe that alcohol helps you sleep, it actual negatively
impacts your sleep quality and ability to have a proper, deep REM cycle, and in
turn have you waking up feeling groggy and the opposite of well-rested. Boozing
before bed not only affects your sleep cycles, but can impact the amount of
times you wake up to use the restroom, can increase snoring, may promote sleep
walking, and cause night sweats – all things that make you feel less rested
when you wake up the next day.
Quality Sleep: Developing
healthy sleep habits, or sleep hygiene, will work wonders for your energy
levels throughout the day. Part of prioritizing sleep is establishing your
sleep and wake times, as are eating healthy foods throughout the day. However,
there are several other ways to prioritize getting restorative sleep every night.
Developing a wind-down routine that
you engage in every evening for about 30 minutes before bedtime, for example,
will indicate to your body that it’s time to relax and prepare for sleep. This
can include reading, journaling, a warm bath, meditation, or stretching.
Creating a bedroom environment that is
conducive to sleep is also important for both shortening sleep onset as well as
the quality and duration of your sleep. Always keep your room decluttered and
avoid having a computer or television there. Make sure that you have the best mattress for your needs – one
that supports you well and hasn’t overstayed its welcome. And consider using a
color scheme of soothing, earthy tones. In addition, try to utilize
aromatherapy for relaxation with an essential oil diffuser.
Transition
Try a few of the tips listed above to
increase your energy naturally. It’s best to ease into this transition, and
don’t expect full results to happen overnight. If you’re finding that swapping
out some caffeine dependent daily habits with healthier ones are not doing the
trick, don’t give up! It may take time for your body to adjust.
If needed, seek advice from a
professional who can tailor a daily routine specifically for your body’s needs
to aid you in achieving proper energy levels to keep you going strong.
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