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Have
you ever run out of toothpaste? You
squeeze the tube from every angle, roll it up from the bottom, just trying to
pinch the last bit out. The
amount of energy you have each day is a lot like your toothpaste:
it’s an essential part of taking care of yourself.
With toothpaste, though, if you run out, you know how to get more. When
you run out of energy, it’s hard to know what to do.
Many people try to restock their energy by reaching for a mid-morning
sweet or an afternoon latte, but what they don’t realize is that learning
to eat for energy can radically change how they feel each day.
Energy
can be purchased at the grocery
store, if we know what we are looking for.
Without a doubt, we are searching for it in many of our purchases. Americans spend millions of dollars each year
on energy drinks and energy bars.
While these quick fixes give us a temporary lift, lasting energy comes
from only real nourishment.
What
is real nourishment? Real
nourishment comes from foods and activities that feed our body and soul in a
way that create more energy. Many
foods do the opposite. Sugar and
caffeine, the two most common culprits, decrease our energy.
We use them as a quick “pick me up,” although they may give an
initial burst of energy, they are nothing more than “fake fuel”. The sugar and caffeine send us soaring for a little while,
but as they are processed in the body, they send us crashing.
Ouch! It doesn’t feel
too good down there, so we reach for more sugar and caffeine to temporarily
solve the dilemma.
This
constant up and down is an energy roller coaster. I rode that roller coaster until I decided it was time to get
off. If you want to jump off the
ride and experience sustained energy, the following tips will get you
started.
·
Choose
water instead of ‘energy’ drinks, caffeine and sugar-filled juices.
Your body is made of water and needs to be replenished.
When you do not consume enough water, you become dehydrated, which
decreases your energy as your body tries to cope. Drink two full glasses first thing in the morning to
jumpstart your energy.
·
Incorporate
whole grains instead of processed, refined grains.
Processed grains are in many of the foods on our grocery store
shelves, like baked goods, cookies, crackers, quick cooking rice, white
pasta, and many breakfast cereals. When
a grain is processed, it is stripped of the wonderful minerals and nutrients
that provide lasting energy. For
breakfast, replace your cereal with whole rolled oatmeal topped with dried
fruit and nuts.
·
Think
green!
Green vegetables are the number one food missing in most American
diets. Somehow, we thought that
eating French fries counted as our vegetable for the day. Green vegetables cleanse the body of toxins and impurities,
giving it more energy. Experiment
with some new green vegetables this fall and winter, like kale, Swiss chard,
collard greens and bok choy. These
amazing dark, leafy greens are filled with the vitamins and minerals our
bodies crave.
·
Relax
your body and mind.
If your mind is always racing, consider yourself normal.
Our busy lives often cause our thoughts to show up as worries, fears
or endless to-do lists. A racing mind sends a stress response to the body.
Put yourself first by starting the day with at least five minutes of
“Me Time.” Focus on
breathing, meditation, prayer or positive visualization to quiet your mind.
Consider incorporating yoga or other forms of movement to increase
energy in the body.
Eating
for energy means adding in foods that are both nourishing and delicious to
our body. Does
that mean we have to give up our favorite sweets or stop going to our
favorite restaurants? No! But it
is fascinating to notice that as we add in healthy foods that give us energy,
the unhealthy foods we crave diminish. The
goal of eating for energy is to fuel our lives, not deprive ourselves.
When we give our body the energy foods it desires, it will
return to us an abundance of energy for life.
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