How to Have Ten Times More Energy Everyday
Do you miss having so much energy everyday? When you were a kid, there were so many things you wanted to do. The world was your playground, you had so much energy, and it seemed like there weren’t enough hours in a day.
Nowadays, you’re not even halfway through your day and you can’t wait to be on your couch or bed. You’d rather take a cab than walk, you’d rather take the elevator than the stairs, you’re glued to your seat, and standing up to get something from across the room seems to take too much effort.
Could this be you?
Unless you’re already in the grandpa or grandma age, feeling sluggish all the time should not be a normal thing. You should still have the energy to move around and do the things that excite you.
The 6 Easy Steps to Have 10 Times More Energy Everyday
If you’re having this problem, you’ll be happy to know that you’re not alone. There are still a bunch of ways to bring back your youthful energy. In this article, you will find 6 things that you can do to have ten times more energy every single day.
1. Eat slow carbs
Diet plays a major role in our energy levels. Not all foods are the same. Some give us longer lasting energy and some make us feel more tired and hungry. Notice how you feel after eating a donut for breakfast versus when you’ve had a whole grain avocado toast or a healthy smoothie bowl.
If you’re always low on energy, chances are your diet is dominated by fast-digesting carbs. That means biscuits, white rice, white bread, sugary cereals, muffins, and more processed, sugary, and refined carbohydrates.
These types of foods cause a rapid rise and fall in your blood sugar levels, giving you a quick rush of energy that lasts only a brief period then leaving you more hungry and tired. Some people call this phenomenon the ‘sugar crash’ or ‘food coma’.
Slow-digesting carbs, on the other hand, provide a slower energy release, reducing your hunger levels and keeping you more energized throughout the day. [1] Some examples of this are quinoa, whole wheat bread, sweet potatoes, steel-cut oats, carrots, and brown rice.
Think of it as two people running a marathon. The first one sprinted because he’s a show-off while the other one ran at a moderate but steady pace. The one who sprinted got tired and stopped halfway through while the steady one was able to make it to the finish line.
If you want to have steady energy levels throughout the day, add more slow carbs to your diet. You can start by limiting your intake of processed foods and replacing your usual carbohydrates with slow-digesting alternatives. For example, if you always eat white rice, try replacing it with brown or red rice. If you love muffins, try replacing it with a whole-grain muffin. If you like sugary cereals, try granola instead.
2. Food Pairing
If you do eat foods that spike your blood sugar levels such as processed, sugary, and refined carbohydrates, there’s still a way to slow down its release in your blood. The trick is to not eat them alone but to pair them with protein and healthy fats.
I have referred to this study in the past[2]. it is discovered that the presence of fats slows down the rate at which our foods are emptied from the stomach. On the other hand, the presence of proteins reduces the spike in our blood glucose levels.[3]
To simplify this:
Fast carbs = Quick burst and crash of energy
Fast carbs + Proteins + Fats = slower energy release
The protein and fats will serve as a buffer for the fast carbs. For example, white bread, on its own, will make you hungry faster and will cause your energy levels to drop, but if you pair it with, let’s say avocado and eggs, you’ll be kept full for longer and you will have more energy.
Check out this article for more tips on how to pair foods to make them more healthy.
3. Drink plenty of water
Our bodies are made up of 60-70% water. We hear this all the time, but we don’t give as much attention to our water intake and aren’t aware of how easy it is for us to be dehydrated.
A 2018 study found that 77% of Americans don’t drink enough water because they don’t feel thirsty, they don’t have time, or because they prefer drinking more tasty beverages[5]. It seems harmless but according to experts, even mild dehydration can have adverse effects on our energies.
One of the most significant effects of dehydration includes decreased alertness, increased sleepiness, and fatigue.[4] Most people experience these symptoms, not knowing they could be resolved by simply drinking enough water.
You have to make an effort to ensure you’re getting at least 8 glasses of water a day. I would suggest you always carry a water bottle with you and make it your daily mission to drink and refill it. If you hate the taste of water, you can infuse it with cucumber, fresh mint leaves, lemon, or whatever you like just to add flavor.
3. Limit caffeine intake
Coffee tastes so good in the morning and also while we’re working. Sometimes, one cup is not enough and we help ourselves with another cup, or more. But coffee contains caffeine which has significant effects on our energy levels.
Coffee is one of the most frequently consumed stimulants worldwide. It boosts alertness by interfering with chemical processes in the brain that manage the sleep-wake cycle. When the caffeine it contains has been entirely metabolized by the body, it can leave you feeling sluggish or sleepy.
Caffeine also inhibits adenosine receptors, a sleep-promoting substance released in the brain throughout the day. The longer we are awake, the more adenosine accumulates in the brain and the sleepier we get. Caffeine disrupts this process, impacting our circadian melatonin rhythm and our sleep quality.[6]
But it’s coffee, right? It’s so hard to give it up. If you can’t stop drinking it, try limiting your intake to 1 to 2 cups a day and I would strongly suggest that you don’t drink it after lunchtime.
4. Get quality sleep
According to a new National Safety Council survey-based analysis, 43% of Americans do not get enough sleep to accomplish their tasks well at work. [7] This is alarming because sleep is as important to our bodies as eating, drinking, and breathing. We require it for energy conservation, tissue repair, cognitive function, emotion regulation, and immune health.
I’m sure you’ve experienced sluggishness, irritability, and lack of focus following a poor night’s sleep. It could make you feel too exhausted to exercise and crave unhealthy junk foods which will make you feel even more tired.
One of the best ways to increase your energy levels is to get enough quality sleep. You should be getting seven to nine hours of sleep every night so if there are any underlying sleep issues that may interfere with your sleep quality, make sure you treat them.
Getting some sunshine in the morning can aid in the adjustment of our circadian rhythm.[10] Spending 15 to 30 minutes in the sun every morning will help you ease weariness and help you fall asleep faster by nighttime. If getting direct sunlight is not possible for you, you could try using sunrise alarm clocks or lightboxes.
Here are ten more ways to get quality sleep!
5. Move more
It may sound unusual, but the more we move, the more energy we get. Personally, the more I sit on my couch, the more sleepy and low energy I feel but when I start my day with a morning workout, the less hungry I feel throughout the day and the more energy I have to move around.
Do you remember mitochondria from your biology class? Don’t worry, this is not a quiz. It is the powerhouse of the cell that produces fuel from glucose and oxygen. When you exercise, your body produces more mitochondria within your muscle cells which enhances your body’s energy supply, allowing it to perform better and utilize its energy more efficiently.[9]
Start your day with movement. It doesn’t have to be an intense exercise. A 15-minute walk, yoga, or even just cleaning your room. You will be amazed at how much more you want to move your body throughout the day when you started it off with any kind of movement.
Here are some more low-impact exercises you can do at home.
Conclusion
Oftentimes, people think that the reason they feel tired and sluggish all the time is a big mystery when it’s actually really simple: What we feel in our bodies is a direct result of our lifestyle habits.
Most people are so used to unhealthy habits. Studies show that only 12.2 percent of American adults are living healthy lifestyles and are achieving optimal metabolic health.[8] Almost 90% get a failing grade and who can blame them? We lack education regarding health and wellness topics and have limited access to healthy food options.
It’s not easy to break bad habits especially when we’ve lived most of our lives doing it. Being aware of how these habits directly affect us is just the first step. At least now you know that there are ways to combat your chronic sluggishness. Follow the tips mentioned above and see how they’ll make you feel.
I used to be so tired all the time too but now I feel like I have even more energy than I had during my high school years. It’s an amazing feeling and I want you to experience it as well!
Sources:
- Makris, A. P., Borradaile, K. E., Oliver, T. L., Cassim, N. G., Rosenbaum, D. L., Boden, G. H., … Foster, G. D. (2011). The Individual and Combined Effects of Glycemic Index and Protein on Glycemic Response, Hunger, and Energy Intake. Obesity, 19(12), 2365–2373. doi:10.1038/oby.2011.145
- Lodefalk M, Åman J, Bang P. Effects of fat supplementation on glycaemic response and gastric emptying in adolescents with Type 1 diabetes. Diabetic Medicine. Published online August 29, 2008:1030-1035. doi:10.1111/j.1464-5491.2008.02530.x
- Jakubowicz D, Froy O, Ahrén B, et al. Incretin, insulinotropic and glucose-lowering effects of whey protein pre-load in type 2 diabetes: a randomised clinical trial. Diabetologia. Published online July 10, 2014:1807-1811. doi:10.1007/s00125-014-3305-x
- Pross, N., Demazières, A., Girard, N., Barnouin, R., Santoro, F., Chevillotte, E., Klein, A., & Le Bellego, L. (2013). Influence of progressive fluid restriction on mood and physiological markers of dehydration in women. The British journal of nutrition, 109(2), 313–321. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114512001080
- Quench USA, I. (2018, June 27). Nearly 80 Percent Of Working Americans Say They Don’t Drink Enough Water: Quench Survey. Retrieved from https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nearly-80-percent-of-working-americans-say-they-dont-drink-enough-water-quench-survey-300668537.html
- Caffeine’s Connection to Sleep Problems. (2021, January 22). Retrieved from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/nutrition/caffeine-and-sleep
- Jul 27, 2. (n.d.). 43 Percent of Americans Admit They’re Too Tired to Function at Work. Retrieved from https://ohsonline.com/articles/2017/07/27/43-percent-of-americans-admit-they-are-too-tired-to-function-at-work.aspx
- Joana Araújo, Jianwen Cai, June Stevens. Prevalence of Optimal Metabolic Health in American Adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009–2016. Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders, 2018; DOI: 10.1089/met.2018.0105
- Toni Golen, M., & Hope Ricciotti, M. (2021, July 01). Does exercise really boost energy levels? Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/exercise-and-fitness/does-exercise-really-boost-energy-levels
- Light & Sleep: Effects on Sleep Quality. (2020, November 03). Retrieved from https://www.sleepfoundation.org/bedroom-environment/light-and-sleep
Article By Breech Mae Valencia
