15 Ways to Boost Your Energy

Dear Joyous Readers,

There are a variety of reasons for having low energy and feeling fatigued on a daily basis. Some of the most common energy zappers include too much "screen" time, lack of sleep/exercise, sugary food, over-booking yourself with commitments, and of course the biggest contributor of all is stress. However, the good news is for every energy zapper there are at least 15 ways to boost your energy.

Assuming you do not suffer from any nutritional deficiencies such as iron or B12, your thyroid is healthy and the fatigue is not a side effect of any pharmaceutical drugs, then energy boosters are certain to help!

1. Avoid watching television for 48 hrs. Take a break from the tube for 2 days and find something more rejuvenating to do with your down time. Go for a brisk walk, have tea with a friend, do yoga!

2. Get outside for a walk on your lunch break. Fresh air is immediately energy boosting. If it's chilly, dress warm -- perfect time to bust out that cute toque!

3. Ditch the alcohol at your next holiday party. I know it's prime holiday season and there are parties to go to and people to see! However, you can go sober and feel better the next day for it. Alcohol is one of the worst energy-zappers and metabolism-crushers.

4. Take a 15-20 minute catnap. Check out the benefits here!

5. Ditch the cookies, ditch the bagel, ditch the crackers. Translation: Get those refined carbohydrate energy-suckers out of your diet for good! Sugar is the worst energy zapper!

6. Switch from coffee to green tea. The amount of caffeine in your typical Starbucks Grande might give you a little jolt but this is usually followed by a low. I've never had a single client tell me after cutting out coffee they have less energy. Try some green or herbal tea instead!

7. Prioritize your responsibilities with a list. When you have a million things to do and no place to begin you feel overwhelmed, stressed and as a result fatigued. Lists are life savers and help you prioritize what's important. You'll feel energized crossing off those to-dos!

8. Ditch the late-night eating. Eating a big meal and then hitting the hay shortly after is a recipe for weight gain, a sluggish metabolism and poor digestion. This zaps your energy. If you work later into the evening then prepare some healthy snacks to enjoy at work.

9. Get your multi-vitamin in a cup! What a mean by this is make a smoothie in the morning with a variety of superfoods and you'll be feeling like a rockstar all day!

10. Tell someone how much you love & appreciate them. This is a great way to get out of an energy-zapped-funk and boost your mood too!

11. Get enough shut-eye. Easier said then done especially when you are just not getting the quality sleep you deserve. If that's the case, try these stress-busters and put your monkey brain to rest so you can get some much needed sleep. 7.5-8 hours of sleep is essential for your health and well-being.

12. Eat more of these foods! They supply valuable nutrients that renew energy and build immunity, which can be depleted by stress: apples, apricots, asparagus, bananas, broccoli, blackstrap molasses, avocados, garlic, green leafy vegetables, raw nuts, organic kefir, sauerkraut, fish (especially salmon, sardines, cod), whole grains including oats, brown rice, quinoa, millet and legumes.

13. Get your bowel habits on track. Yes, constipation can lead to lowered energy. Learn how to improve your digestion here.

14. Drink water. Water is the driving force of energy production within your cells. Without sufficient hydration from plain water you just cannot feel energized. Just a slight drop of your body's hydration can promote low energy. Drink 8-10 cups of clean water per day!

15. Move your booty every single day. Exercise is one of the best energy boosters!! It also boosts serotonin your feel-good hormone when you exercise. No more excuses! Make YOU a priority.

BONUS! Okay so after writing this list of 15 ways to boost your energy, I had one more very important one: TAKE DEEP BREATHS! In fact, try alternate nostril breathing. Check out my video on this.

Have a joyous day!

Joy