Do You Have Low Energy Levels? If So, Here's Some Simple Ways to Boost Your Energy Level Fast!

These days it is common to find people who complain about their low energy level or who are generally tired all the time.

Is it any wonder considering the stresses of life we experience on a daily basis? Family, work, relationships, financial, the list is almost endless.

Here we will examine some simple strategies you can employ to dramatically boost your energy level: 

Eat more natural foods

Many health experts believe that natural foods contain the 'life force' and when food is processed, packaged, cooked excessively or microwaved, this energy is depleted. As a result, rather than revitalising our body when we eat it, the 'damaged' food actually depletes our body resulting in low energy.

Here are some foods that boost energy. By making an effort to eat more of these foods we can not only boost our low energy level but we can improve our overall health as well. The foods include: natural and unprocessed foods, like fruits and vegetables, sprouts and grains. 

Eat less refined carbohydrates

Carbohydrate sources that have been refined include foods like, bread, pasta, sugar, cakes, biscuits, some cereals and fruit juices. Contrary to poular belief, these are certainly not foods that boost energy!

Since they have been refined, the carbohydrate content of them tends to be more concentrated. This means when you eat (or drink) them you get a sudden burst of carbohydrate (or sugar) into your blood stream.

Since your body tries to keep your blood sugar as stable as possible, it produces a hormone, insulin (a storage hormone), that helps to store the blood sugar (sometimes in the fat cells). Having had a burst of sugar into the blood stream, your body produces a large amount of insulin and this means most of the sugar gets stored. What then follows is a substantial drop in your blood sugar level.

This sudden drop in your blood sugar level results in a low energy level, makes you feel tired and hungry and often affects other body functions, including brain function. By reducing your intake of refined carbohydrates (without cutting them out altogether), you keep your blood sugar level stable, your energy level high and keep your body in a 'fat-burning mode'. 

Have small meals often

By having 5 or  6 small meals a day you are able to keep your blood sugar stable and your energy level high as well as providing the fuel and the building blocks your body needs for normal daily function. By using this strategy you also keep hunger at bay, your metabolism elevated and make it easy for your body to burn your existing fat stores as a fuel source.

If you have trouble having 5 or 6 small meals a day as whole foods (as most people do), try having a meal replacement shake for your mid-morning, mid-afternoon and supper meals. They are quick, easy, convenient and cheap. Then have whole-foods for your 3 main meals; breakfast, lunch and dinner. Most people find this to be an effective strategy for avoiding low energy as well as burning losing weight easily. 

Eat 'complete' meals

'Complete' meals provide your body with a portion of carbohydrate, protein and fat in a balanced 'macronutrient ratio'. Carbohydrate, protein and fat are collectively called 'macronutrients', nutrients that are required by your body in large amounts. Since your body is a dynamic structure, constantly building up and breaking down tissues, it is essential that these macronutrients are supplied to your body every 2-3 hours throughout the day.

This will ensure you avoid low energy levels because all of the necessary bodily processes can occur at optimum levels.

Use a glucose disposal agent (GDA)

Keeping your blood sugar level stable is an essential strategy in avoiding low energy levels as well as burning off body fat fast. GDA are effective at helping the body dispose of glucose from the blood stream. Some examples include, cinnamon, turmeric, the minerals, chromium, selenium, and vanadium, the compound, alpha lipoic acid (ALA), the amino acid, taurine, and many others.

Use a high-quality multivitamin/ mineral supplement

Not only does your body require 'macronutrients' to function properly every day, but it also requires 'micronutrients' as well. 'Micronutrients' are nutrients required by the body in small amounts. These include vitamins, minerals and various 'phytonutrients' (nutrients from plants).

Consume whey protein every day

Whey protein should be an essential component of everyone's diet. It is one of the success stories of nutritional science. Whey protein comes from milk. It is extracted using a variety of techniques and high quality whey protein is devoid of lactose, fat and carbohydrate so it is fine for virtually everyone to use (including people who are lactose intolerant).

It has the highest biological value (BV) of any protein source, which means the amino acids it supplies provides the body with the building blocks it needs to function optimally. Whey protein has very high levels of the 'branched chain amino acids' (BCAAs) and these are the most important of all the amino acids because of the countless functions they are used for in the body. Whey protein also provides the body with valuable 'microfractions'. These are small chains of amino acids or 'peptides' that play vital roles in the body, including supporting immune function.

All the benefits offered by whey protein combine together to have a direct impact on your energy level. If you help the body function optimally as well support the immune system in fighting off bacteria and viruses, then you're also going to avoid having a low energy level.

Increase your aerobic fitness

By engaging in regular exercise your fitness level will increase. It doesn't particularly matter what type of exercise you do, what matters is that you do it! Make regular exercise a part of your life.

By doing so, your body will make a number of beneficial physical adaptations, which will lead to a noticeable difference in your energy level. Low energy will definitely be a thing of the past!

For example, your heart and lung volume will increase (this means more oxygen can get absorbed into the body and transferred around the body), your capillary density will increase (this means oxygen can get to your body cells easier), levels of haemoglobin (oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells) will increase, as well as a range of other health and energy-promoting benefits.

It is sometimes hard to motivate yourself to exercise consistently, especially when you are tired and lack energy. However, if you push yourself in the early stages it will get easier in a very short period of time. By simply performing 30 minutes of exercise every day, you will notice your energy level quickly improving.

Sleep more restfully When you sleep, your body goes through the processes of repair, recovery and recuperation. These processes ensure optimum body functioning and without them, low energy results. Therefore, sleeping restfully is essential if you want high energy levels.

In allowing the body to perform the required processes efficiently, there are few things you need to do. Firstly, have your last meal at least 3 hours before going to sleep. This will ensure that most of the meal is digested.

If you eat your last meal close to bed-time, your body will have to digest food while you are sleeping in addition to going through the repair, recovery and recuperation processes, then you will often wake up feeling tired. [You can have a meal replacement shake for supper though because it is in a pre-digested, liquid form. This won't require much digestion by your body and therefore won't affect the quality of your sleep].

Also, have a substantial amount of protein in your last meal of the day. This will ensure that you provide your body with the building blocks (amino acids, which come from protein) it needs to perform the necessary processes efficiently.

So there you have it! A few simple strategies to help boost your low energy level. By simply including the foods that boost energy, avoiding the foods that don't, using specific supplements and performing some exercise you will be mazed at how quickly your energy level will increase!

 

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50 Best Snacks Under 50 Calories

Satisfy your sweet tooth

1. 1⁄2 medium apple, baked, topped with 1 Tbsp lowfat yogurt sprinkled with cinnamon (45 calories)
2. 1⁄2 small banana, frozen (45 calories)
3. 4 oz unsweetened applesauce sprinkled with cinnamon (49 calories)
4. 1 miniature box of raisins (45 calories)
5. 2 sugar-free ice pops (30 calories)
6. 1 sugar-free fudge ice pop (35 calories)
7. 12 cherries (48 calories)
8. 1 individual serving sugar-free gelatin with 3 Tbsp light whipped topping (40 calories)
9. 1⁄2 cup strawberries with 21⁄2 Tbsp nonfat yogurt (47 calories)
10. 14 seedless red grapes, frozen (48 calories)

Indulge a salt craving
11. 11⁄2 cups salted air-popped popcorn (46 calories)
12. 1⁄4 cup shelled edamame with sea salt (37 calories)
13. 8 oz miso soup (36 calories)
14. 1 pretzel rod (37 calories)
15. 1⁄4 small bag of Glenny's lightly salted soy crisps (35 calories)
16. 1 medium sliced cucumber mixed with 1⁄4 cup sliced onion, 1⁄2 cup chopped celery, 4 Tbsp vinegar and salt to taste (45 calories)
17. 6 oz eight-vegetable juice (39 calories)
18. 1 kosher dill pickle (10 calories)

Crunch and munch
19. 1⁄2 cup jicama with 4 oz salsa (49.5 calories)
20. 11⁄2 cups sugar snap peas (40 calories)
21. Small celery stalk smeared with 1⁄2 Tbsp natural peanut butter (49 calories)
22. 1⁄2 small apple with 1 tsp soy butter (46 calories)
23. 1 brown rice cake with 1 Tbsp sugar-free jam (44 calories)

Smooth and creamy
24. 1 Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb wedge spread on cucumber slices (35 calories)
25. 1 tsp almond butter (34 calories)
26. 1⁄2 cup fat-free Greek yogurt with 1 tsp sugar-free strawberry jam (43 calories)
27. 1 oz avocado (about 1⁄8 of an avocado) squirted with lime (45 calories)
28. 8 grape tomatoes dipped in 1 Tbsp light cream cheese (46 calories)

Cheesy whizzes
29. 6 pieces of endive filled with 1⁄2 oz reduced-fat feta cheese (49 calories)
30. 1 slice fat-free American cheese (30 calories)
31. 1 large tomato, sliced, topped with 1 Tbsp Parmesan, broiled (44 calories)
32. 1 oz fat-free cottage cheese on 1 slice caraway Finn Crisp Crispbread (38 calories)
33. 1 oz fat-free mozzarella dipped in 1 tsp marinara sauce (46 calories)

Power up on protein
34. Turkey rollups: 2 slices white meat turkey rolled in 2 lettuce leaves (46 calories)
35. 1 oz smoked salmon (about 1 slice) on 2 Wheat Thins crackers (Multi-Grain) (48 calories)
36. 1 tofu dog with 1 Tbsp sauerkraut (48 calories)
37. 1⁄2 cup plain fat-free yogurt sprinkled with 1 tsp sunflower seeds (49.6 calories)
38. 1.3 oz water-packed tuna with 1 tsp Dijon mustard (48 calories)
39. 2 large hard-cooked egg whites with 1 cup sliced cucumber (48 calories)
40. 1 slice Wasa Fibre Crispbread with 2 tsp hummus (45 calories)
41. 1 medium water-packed sardine with slice of red onion (35 calories)

Solid standbys
42. 1⁄2 cup melon with 2 Tbsp 1% cottage cheese (47 calories)
43. 1⁄2 small grapefruit (32 calories)
44. 1⁄3 cup blueberries with 1 Tbsp light sour cream (47 calories)
45. 1⁄2 cup carrots with 1 Tbsp light ranch dressing (45 calories)

Thirst quenchers
46. 1⁄2 cup nonfat milk with 1 Tbsp Walden Farms calorie-free chocolate syrup (40 calories)
47. 1 packet of sugar-free hot chocolate made with 1⁄4 cup skim milk and 3⁄4 cup hot water (47 calories)
48. 3⁄4 cup almond milk (45 calories)
49. 3⁄4 cup seltzer with 1⁄4 cup cranberry juice and a lime wedge (33 calories)
50. Homemade iced green tea (with artificial sweetener if desired) (0 calories)

500 Low-Carb Recipes: 500 Recipes from Snacks to Dessert, That the Whole Family Will Love

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How to Get Thinner by the Minute

The last time it happened, it was the girl who cuts my hair. "So, what kind of diet are you on?" she asked. Since I'm a nutritional biochemist, it's a question I'm used to. My instinct was to skip the scientific details, spit out a four-word answer, and hope she'd move on to the neck shaving. The problem: My diet doesn't fit any of the usual descriptions. It's not low-carb, low-fat, or high-protein. I'm not a vegetarian, and I haven't sworn off sugar. The truth is, I eat almost everything. And that's what makes it so effective.

There are plenty of experts who claim that all that matters is the number of calories you eat: If you want to lose weight, eat fewer calories than you burn. This may make sense on paper, but your body is far more complex than that. You see, it's not just how much you eat; it's what you eat—and when you eat it.

Case in point: carbohydrates. The fast-digesting kind—breads, pasta, rice, potatoes, baked goods, and candy—raise blood sugar quickly. This signals your body to stop burning (and start storing) fat, and forces it to use the excess sugar for energy instead. In contrast, slow-digesting carbohydrates, such as fruits and vegetables, keep blood-sugar levels normal, which allows your body to continue to burn fat. So, even though a high-sugar cookie and a big bowl of fruit may have the same number of calories, they have very different effects on your ability to lose body fat.

But here's what's surprising: High-sugar carbohydrates aren't always bad. In fact, sometimes they're the smartest foods you can eat. The secret is timing. Here's when (and what) you should be eating to build a lean, muscular body—around the clock.
New Unique Weight Loss Method

Time Zone 1: Right after You Wake

In a study of 2,831 people, researchers at Harvard University found that those who ate breakfast every day were 44 percent less likely to be overweight and 41 percent less likely to suffer from insulin resistance—a precursor to diabetes—than those who had no a.m. meal.
How to eat: Fill your plate with high-quality protein, slow-digesting carbohydrates, and healthy fats. The protein stops muscle breakdown and provides the raw materials for laying down new muscle; the carbohydrates replenish energy stores without elevating blood sugar; and healthy fats assure your body that there's more coming in, giving it the green light to burn stored fat.

Time Zone 2: Every 3 Hours after Breakfast

Waiting more than 4 or 5 hours between meals causes your blood sugar to bottom out, leaving you weak, irritable, and tired. (For the record, both high and low blood sugar can be problematic.) To combat this, your body secretes cortisol, a hormone that boosts blood-sugar levels back to normal. Trouble is, one of the ways it does this is by converting muscle protein to sugar, what exercise scientists call "muscle wasting," two words you never want to see paired together. The solution: frequent meals. Eating more often helps regulate blood-sugar levels, protecting your muscles from being broken down and used as energy. Here's
a bonus: South African researchers found that men who ate the most frequently consumed 27 percent fewer calories than those who ate the least often.
How to eat: As with breakfast, always include protein, along with either healthy fats or slow-digesting carbohydrates (preferably both). Protein is the major player here, since up to 30 percent of its calories are burned during digestion, compared with 8 percent of carbohydrates and 2 percent of fats. Keep in mind that the recommendations for this time zone may include snacks, lunch, and even dinner, depending on the time of day you exercise.

Time Zone 3: After Your Workout

Unlike before your workout, fast-digesting carbs are now more desirable than the slow-digesting type. That's because an intense workout changes your body's priorities: As sugar is absorbed into your blood-stream, it's preferentially shuttled to your muscles—instead of being used as fuel—and is stored there for later use. The kicker is that this forces your body to accelerate the rate at which it burns fat for energy.
How to eat: Combine high-quality protein with fast-digesting carbohydrates at two separate times:

1. Immediately after you finish exercising. Ideally, this should be a liquid meal, which speeds the absorption of protein and carbohydrates into your bloodstream. Researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch found that 6 grams (g) of essential amino acids and 35 g carbohydrates are an ideal combination for promoting muscle growth after exercise. That's almost identical to 12 ounces of chocolate milk.

2. Two hours later. This time, opt for solid food. That is, consider this the best time to eat spaghetti and meatballs—guilt-free. Even better, combine fast- and slow-digesting carbs with protein by choosing a lean meat and a green vegetable to go along with pasta, rice, or a potato. Once you've eaten this meal, follow the guidelines in Time Zone 2 for the rest of the day.

One caveat: If you exercise first thing in the morning (before breakfast), have your postworkout drink prior to working out, follow the guidelines for eating 2 hours after exercise, and then resume the recommendations for the rest of the day (Time Zone 2). You can have a fat program to lose your belly

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The Scientific 7-Minute Workout

The hour we usually spend at the gym is not that efficient. Sure we lift some weights and get in some cardio, but we also watch whatever is on TV, scroll around on our iPhones, and generally don’t push ourselves all that hard. Not only is this Scientific 7-Minute Workout quicker, you don’t need anything besides a chair and a wall to do it. Originally published in the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Journal, the workout is tough, but it’s also over in less time than it takes to even get to the gym in the first place. Each move should be done at a high intensity for 30 seconds with a 10 second break in between.

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