5 Simple Energy Boosters

Vast amounts of knowledge only a click away can often leave a person confused and overwhelmed in regards to living a healthy lifestyle. Contradicting opinions as to whether or not a treatment/idea/supplement, etc may be beneficial can lead a person to feel demotivated and confused, rather than educated and confident. Like many things in life, people have a tendency to overcomplicate things. The remedy: Go Back to the Basics. Below are five simple guidelines that have the potential to produce a tremendous impact on your health:

Every cell in the human body requires oxygen to function properly and can be obtained through the simple practice of deep breathing and movement. Setting a daily goal that encourages these two behaviors can produce a momentous impact in a person’s health. Brainstorm the various types of movements that you enjoy, as this aids in motivation. Some examples include: walking, swimming, yoga, Qi Gong, rebounding (mini trampoline), strength training, aerobic activity, stretching, jogging, hiking, deep breathing; the sky’s the limit. The goal: 20 minutes daily. No pill can compare to the benefits on your physical or mental well-being than this simple task.

Practice breathing deep, five times a day, for five minutes each round. Best times to do this include while driving, upon arising in the morning, before each meal, or just before bed. Set an alarm on your phone as a reminder and also for timing each session.

Inhale deeply through the nose while filling your abdomen, using deep belly breathing to a four count. Slowly exhale through your mouth for an eight count making your exhale twice as long as your inhale. This will aid in bringing oxygen to the vital organs, while producing a calming effect to the nervous system.

When a person receives sufficient sleep, much of the energy that was expended throughout the day is then recharged. Without this naturally occurring recharge, the body will eventually burnout. Individual sleep requirements vary and can fall between 6-9 hours per night for most adults. The requirement for sleep is best defined by how much sleep a person needs to feel alert throughout the day. Lack of sleep has been shown to adversely affect problem-solving capability, inability to manage stress and emotions, decreased impulse control, loss of ability to concentrate, and impaired memory. Proper sleep allows the body to effectively heal, repair, regenerate, and detoxify vital tissues.

Create a goal to be in bed at the same time every night, preferably before 10pm, as every hour of sleep before midnight is worth 2 hours to the body. Sleep without your smart phone, computer, and TV in your room. These devices emit blue light that tricks the body into thinking it is getting sunlight, thus affecting circadian rhythm and hormones.

Approximately 70% of the body’s weight is water; thus, making water vital to a person’s health and well-being. Water’s role in the body include: acting as a solvent, maintaining blood volume, temperature regulation, lubrication and detoxification. In addition, many illnesses can be linked to chronic dehydration. A simple preventative measure is to increase daily water intake, which is an inexpensive investment and can work wonders for long-term health.

Drink half of your body weight in ounces of water per day. For example, a 150lb person will need 75 ounces of water daily. Nursing mothers or athletes require more. Purchase a water bottle that displays ounces (for accurate measurements) and space drinking throughout the day.

Inflammation is the root cause of ​disease and may be mitigated through healthy eating habits. Incorporate nutritious foods into your daily routine at your own pace, keeping with the idea that this is a marathon, not a sprint. Diets do not last; habits will. When choosing foods, incorporate primarily organic, locally grown, in-season, non-GMO foods. Consume foods in their natural state rather than processed form. Fresh vegetables have more nutritional value than frozen vegetables, which in turn have more nutritional value than canned vegetables. As eating healthy can seem expensive, think of it as an investment in your long term health. Prevention is key in avoiding chronic disease. The money you spend now can prevent expenses down the road for unneeded medical interventions.

Pesticides have been shown to produce neurotoxicity and disruption of the endocrine system causing fatigue, brain fog, headaches, etc. Eating organic may not be financially viable for everyone, so here is a quick reference as to which vegetables or fruits to purchase organic or non-organic.

In the current culture, stress is oftentimes unavoidable and although true, our individual response to stress is even more important as this can contribute to unfavorable health outcomes. Not all stress is considered dangerous, as some stress aids in our survival biologically, while chronic stress can impair our survival. Just like anything, small steps daily can contribute to an overall benefit. What can you do daily to relax in order to lower your stress? Make an effort to treat yourself to something fun every day. Laughter is essential for stress management as it has shown to improve mood, lower stress hormones, enhance the immune system and most of all, it’s free! Other things include: listening to music, being in nature, gratitude journaling, massage, etc.

A simple one minute tool to help relieve stress is called Freeze Framing by HeartMath. When in a stressful situation, the following can help change your perception of stress by producing a heartfelt shift in how we view the situation.

Recognize you are under stress and stop.

Focus away from your racing mind and disturbed emotions, while breathing into the area around your heart with awareness.

Recall a positive, fun, healing place you’ve been and attempt to re-experience it. For example, the beach. Remember, try not simply to visualize it, but rather to feel it fully.

Ask a question from the heart: “What can I do in this situation to make it different?” or “What can I do to minimize stress?”

Listen intently to what your heart says. Although you may hear nothing, you will probably feel calmer through experiencing a perspective shift by seeing the crisis in a more balanced way.