If you find yourself feeling sluggish in the afternoon, struggling to stay focused throughout the day, suffering from adrenal fatigue, or just plain exhausted, it’s time for a change. Luckily, there are easy, affordable ways to banish fatigue, boost your energy levels, and feel rejuvenated naturally.
Stop drinking that extra cup of coffee or those dangerous “energy” drinks and try these 10 easy, inexpensive ways to get energy naturally instead.
1. Vegetable juice
Drinking fresh vegetable juice gives your body a positive shock: the vegetable fiber is lost during juicing, making the vegetables easier for your body to absorb and digest.
You’ll see your energy levels increase because your body has to work less to reap the nutritional benefits. Plus, when you drink your greens, you’re providing your cells with energy while also getting some important vitamins and minerals.
If you feel like you’re coming down with an illness, drinking vegetable juice is a great way to stave off the illness and replenish your energy before it starts to drop. Avoid commercial juices, which are often loaded with sugar, preservatives, and other unpronounceable ingredients that will make you feel worse and more tired.
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Try making your own instead: If you need some ideas, try some of my favorite veggie juice recipes.
2. Improve your sleep quality
Can’t sleep? Tossing and turning repeatedly during the night is sure to leave you feeling tired the next day.
While you sleep, your body recovers and repairs the damage done during the day, so getting more sleep is one of the easiest ways to have more energy in the morning.
If you can’t sleep, try some natural sleep aids. Here are some sleep tips that can help boost your energy levels.
- Maintain a consistent sleep schedule by going to bed and waking up at the same time every day, including on weekends, which helps regulate your body clock.
- Caffeine’s effects last up to 12 hours, so avoid consuming caffeine after 3pm.
- Before you go to bed, write down what’s stressing you out and what’s keeping you up at night.
3. Adaptogenic Herbs
When you’re feeling exhausted, fatigued or stressed, adaptogenic herbs can help. These healing plants balance and restore your body’s natural ability to deal with stress by regulating the adrenal system, which is responsible for controlling the hormonal response to stress.
Rather than targeting specific body parts, adaptogens help the entire body gently deal with stress, anxiety, and of course fatigue.
Some of the best adaptogenic herbs that have been proven to boost energy and combat low energy levels in both women and men include Ashwagandha, Rhodiola, Holy Basil, and Ginseng. Incorporating adaptogenic herbs into your daily routine can help you feel calmer, less fatigued, and more focused.
The herb shilajit also has energizing effects by promoting mitochondrial function and delivering oxygen more efficiently.
4. Reduce your carbohydrate intake
Foods high in carbohydrates do give you energy, but they can also make you feel sluggish. The main culprits are simple carbohydrates, found in sugary drinks, cookies, and processed foods (like white bread and pasta), which your body burns quickly.
These give you an immediate energy boost, but then your blood sugar levels spike and then drop, causing a sudden drop in energy.
The solution to how to boost energy and stabilize blood sugar when you’re tired? Stick to whole grain, low-glycemic carbs that take your body longer to digest, avoiding the crash-and-burn effect.
Nuts, beans, sweet potatoes, oats, and brown rice are all low glycemic carbohydrates that provide your body with steady energy.
5. Eat chia seeds
If your only knowledge of chia seeds is Chia Pets, you’re in for a pleasant surprise: these magical little natural energy foods will boost your energy levels and provide your body with great value-for-money nutrition.
The ancient Mayans and Aztecs consumed chia seeds to keep their warriors energized and alert during wars, and for us mere mortals, the essential fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6) found in chia seeds have been shown to improve sleep, boost brain power, fight inflammation, and keep the body fresh.
Combined with high levels of protein and fiber, which help stabilize blood sugar (preventing afternoon sugar drops), it’s no wonder chia seeds are being hailed as a superfood and natural energy-boosting supplement.
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6. Hydrate with water and electrolytes
Did you know that one of the first signs of dehydration is feeling tired and fatigued? That’s right! Not drinking enough water could be the reason why you’re feeling low energy levels and fatigued.
Our bodies are mainly made up of water, so even a slight lack of water can affect your metabolism.
Stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water and other fluids throughout the day. The National Academy of Medicine recommends that women drink about 9 glasses of fluids per day and men drink 13 glasses of fluids.
But a more accurate amount is this: Divide your body weight in half. Then drink that amount per day (or more if you exercise, are very active, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are battling an illness or disease).
If that seems like too much, remember that many foods, like fruits and vegetables, also contain water, so increasing your intake can also help boost your hydration levels.
If you’re doing strenuous exercise, it’s a good idea to hydrate with drinks that will help replenish the electrolytes lost through sweat: Skip the high-fructose corn syrup and additive-filled sports drinks and opt for coconut water. Alternatively, you can drink water naturally flavored with lemon and honey. You can also make your own electrolyte drink.
Try these 20 healthy drinks that are easy to incorporate into your life.
7. Vitamin B
Vitamin B12, also known as the “energy vitamin,” is the most complex of all vitamins and one of the best vitamins for boosting energy. It supports energy production and keeps blood cells healthy.
In fact, if you have a vitamin B12 deficiency, one of the first signs will be a drop in energy levels.
Vitamin B12 is a water-soluble vitamin, so your body cannot store excess amounts and you must get the vitamin from food or supplements. When your vitamin B12 levels become depleted, eat foods rich in vitamin B12 to restore your vitamin B12 levels.
8. Herbal tea
Coffee isn’t your only option when you need a pick-me-up: Herbal teas offer a completely natural way to temporarily boost your energy levels, without the risks of scary stimulants or processed foods.
Two great options are green tea and rooibos. Green tea has many benefits for the body, including anti-aging and free radical-fighting properties. Green tea is rich in catechins, antioxidants that help fight cellular damage in the body.
If you’re looking for a great green tea, matcha is the way to go.
Rooibos is another tea that can help with fatigue. Made from the South African redbush plant, this refreshing red tea is packed with antioxidants, including aspalathin, which has been shown in animal studies to help reduce inflammation and prevent oxidative stress.
9. Peppermint essential oil
If you’re looking for an easy way to stimulate your mind and improve focus, peppermint oil might be just what you’re looking for. Commonly used in aromatherapy, this refreshing essential oil has been shown to have brain-stimulating effects in animal studies and is powerful enough to help treat tension headaches.
Try a few drops on your wrist when you feel like your energy is low, a few in the shower for an early morning energy boost, or add a few to your steam diffuser and inhale the benefits throughout the day.
10. Daily exercise
Are you feeling worn out from your tough workouts? Take solace in the fact that incorporating regular exercise into your daily life can actually boost your energy levels, giving you more energy, more motivation and is one of the best ways to improve your overall health.
Burning calories and being physically active delivers oxygen and nutrients to your body’s cells, makes your heart and lungs work more efficiently, and improves your energy levels.
And remember, you don’t need to run a marathon to reap the benefits of exercise — even a moderate level of your favorite fitness activity can provide a great energy boost.
prevention
If you’ve tried these natural remedies and your energy levels are still low, keep in mind that other factors may be at play. Some of the most common causes of low energy include the use of certain medications, thyroid problems, depression, and anemia.
Chronic fatigue can also be a symptom of more serious illnesses, such as cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes, and kidney disease.
If you’re experiencing any adverse symptoms in addition to decreased energy levels, be sure to consult a doctor to address your concerns and make sure they’re not a sign of a more serious underlying problem.
Conclusion
- If you are constantly feeling tired and struggling with low energy levels, there are many natural remedies that can help boost your energy levels.
- Changing your diet, incorporating more physical activity into your daily life, improving the quality of your sleep, and using peppermint oil are all easy ways to give you an instant boost and increase your overall energy levels.
- Remember that lack of energy can also be a symptom of other illnesses, such as thyroid problems, depression, anemia, etc. If your fatigue persists, talk to your doctor about possible concerns to determine the best treatment and the best way to boost your energy levels.
