Foods That Give You Energy

Want more energy? Then pay attention to what you are consuming on a day to day basis. First let's discuss the foods that zap energy. If you are eating processed foods, junk food and fast food, then oops, you are not reading about proper dietary habits at all or are ignoring them. You will need to change that. Let's check out some foods that give you energy.

Why? Because that is “inflammatory eating”. Your basic diet should consist of whole foods such as nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, high quality sprouted grains and grain replacements such as quinoa. Organic, free range eggs and other high quality protein sources such as omega-3 rich wild salmon, sardines and anchovies are your best protein choices. Giving your body proper nutrition means giving it proper fuel! And the result-more energy! The foods I just mentioned are the core of a good anti aging diet and are indeed foods that give you energy.

Even if you are eating a great dietvitamins and minerals that could be contributing to a decrease in energy. If this is the case, then you should closely examine what you are eating and look for ways to boost the nutritional density of your food. Doing that alone will also be eating more foods that give you energy.

It may sound simplistic but the best high energy foods are real, whole, recognizable foods! When people swap out processed foods for ‘real’ whole foods, their energy levels just go through the roof. Many lose weight, even if they end up eating more calories. True! Don’t eliminate healthy fats if you want more energy. You need fat to absorb some key antioxidant vitamins. Antioxidants are important for energy as well because they fight free radicals to help keep your cells healthy.

The secret to eating foods to give you energy, according to many nutritionists? Eat locally and in season at your local farmers market! Eat a wide variety of superfuits—organic & GMO free apples, stone fruits, berries, tomatoes.

H3 What foods give to you energy can be "grab and go?"

• Almonds are a big time A+. They contain important nutrients like magnesium and B vitamins which assist in the conversion of food to energy.
• Salmon can be pre-made and is especially yummy if it's poached. It's so easy to do even I, a self proclaimed "impaired cook" can do it! Salmon isn’t called a “brain food” for nothing. The fish earns the name from its omega-3 fatty acids: nutrients that have been found to improve memory and reduce depression, as well as boost energy and mood.

Of all of the foods that give you energy this is my favorite. But be careful about "wild caught" if you have been reading the news. Investigations have uncovered bizarre stories of dyed flounder which is farmed being sold as salmon! The only guaranteed wild caught salmon is sockeye-it cannot be farmed.

• Pistachios have a combination of protein, fiber, and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. Another great bag of foods to give you energy, especially when combined with almonds and accompanied by a glass of tomato juice.

• Hummus is a Mediterranean dip with only a few simple ingredients so it's also easy to make, put in a container and "grab and go." It's made of puréed garbanzo beans, sesame-based tahini, olive oil, and lemon juice. Wow! Another easy combo of ingredients to make more of the foods that give you energy. The fiber and protein that the beans provide stabilize blood sugar, take the edge off hunger, and boost energy. Don't "ruin it" by eating it with chips or crackers-try crunchy yummy celery!

B-complex vitamins and vitamin D can have all sorts of great health benefits. But in addition, they are vitamins that give you energy as well. Others such as Co-Q 10 are useful too. Here's more information about how these vitamins that give you energy work in the body. DO note that all vitamins work that much better when taken with foods that give you energy.

Vitamin B-12 is actually a great vitamin for energy

B-12 is probably the most well-known of all the B vitamins for its role in increasing energy levels. B-12 is used for boosting mood, energy and concentration. Vitamin B-12 deficiency is characterized by low energy conditions, including fatigue caused by anemia. It can even cause dementia, so a level should be checked in any person over 50 who is having memory issues.

B-12 is not found in plants. It is only found in animal products. It is made into natural energy supplements and injections. And if you are a vegetarian you need supplemental Vitamin B-12 for your health.

Studies show that a dose of B12 will increase the production of the most powerful anti-oxidant your body makes within its own cells called glutathione. This will enhance ATP and hence energy production within the cells. So Grandma was right! It is a great vitamin for energy and if you want a B12 shot you should have it!

Coenzyme Q10 in the form of Ubiquinol (CoQ10) improves energy levels to varying degrees and is mandatory if you are on Co-Q 10 depleting statin drugs. It improves brain focus some degree also.

Vitamin D:

I'm re-visiting this to give you more information about this critical vitamin. I mean it's crucial for your health. Vitamin D is produced in the skin when it’s exposed to sunlight. There are some foods that give you energy which contain vitamin D: fish, fish liver oils, and eggs-specifically the yolks.

If you do not get regular sun exposure, you can get the right amount through supplements. However, you need adequate amounts of vitamin K for proper absorption.

Please do note that the vast majority of the time, sun exposure is not sufficient and supplements are needed for adequate amounts of Vitamin D. Note that this is needed for brain protection, immune system protection, perfect GI tract health and most probably cancer prevention.

First of all, if you feel that you have lost a considerable amount of energy, the first thing you need to do is go for a check-up. There are things that are easily treatable and common such as hypothyroidism and adrenal fatigue. If you have adrenal fatigue you have sleep issues and energy issues and most non Anti-aging doctors don't know how to treat it so just know that.

So now let's go through MOST of the list of things you can do for an energy boost. I say most because there are many nuances and each person is an individual, influenced by many things.

Sleep issues:

This is quite a huge topic I could give you five pages on but I won't-don't worry! Let me re-visit adrenal fatigue for a moment. Adrenal fatigue is commonly associated with, first one, then two then more wake-ups with difficulty falling back asleep at night. The next symptom is having “unrefreshed sleep” which means when you wake up in the morning on your own or with an alarm, you just want to stay in bed and sleep more.

But just because you have these two symptoms doesn’t mean you HAVE adrenal fatigue if these are not associated with anything you have read above.

There are three main sleep impairment categories and they are treated differently. When they are treated you'll be amazed at how learning to get great sleep will help you learn how to regain energy. It is a learning process from sleep environment to proper pillow to proper natural supplements so please take advantage of the link above it this is an issue for you.

• Sleep initiation: (Ability to fall asleep.)
• Wake-ups un-related to adrenal issues.
• Un-refreshed sleep un-related to adrenal issues.

Eating an inflammatory diet:

As we age, what we eat catches up with us. If you are experiencing either sleep issues (ANY of the above) or energy drops, just know that the average American diet is very “inflammatory”. When we have internal inflammation we have often hard-to-identify aches and pains which interfere with our sleep and lower our energy levels. I felt it was necessary to mention your dietary habits again here to remind you that it is indeed a daily effort to find foods that give you energy and avoid the "bad stuff." Seasonal Hint: Don't buy Halloween candy that YOU like. ;-)

Dehydration:

Unless there is a medical problem or a drug (a diuretic drug) causing this issue, thist usually happens because someone is consuming diuretic liquids such as coffee and soda instead of water all day. If that same person stops drinking cola, only to start drinking alcohol at night, they will still have a diuretic-effect going on. And this in turn will lead to a loss of energy. The solution is not hard-cut down on caffeine and alcohol and drink healthy fluids such as water with lemon during the day. Your urine should be clear.

Chronic stress:

Everyone feels stressed at one time or another. However, too much and too long feeling stressed will damage your health. In fact when I’m counseling patients and members about every single topic you’ll find on my website, stress is an important factor.. It can compound the problems from mood to sleep to of course, since they are all linked, energy. So you need to analyze what’s happening in your life and control your stress. Controlling stress through whatever methods work for you will lower cortisol and adrenaline levels and is a great way to see how to regain energy while reducing stress.

Excess weight:

Carry around a 30 pound sack of potatoes all day. By the end of the day you will have less energy. Does that make sense? So many people put on weight as they get older and one day they look in the mirror and say wow, HOW did that happen? It happens to many of us, but there's solutions to be made here.

Hormones:

As an example, a man who is experiencing premature or even “on time” andropause (a drop in his testosterone) will have energy issues and un-refreshed sleep as very common problems. A female going through pre-menopause will experience an increase in PMS and sleep disruptions which start off with un-refreshed sleep OR wakeups. Similarly a woman experiencing menopause will have hot flashes (flushes in “medical-ese”) which will wake her up during the night and then cause un-refreshed sleep. When you have un-refreshed sleep you require more energy.

Loss of muscle mass:

As you gain weight and you get older, more tired, less fit, what happens? You gain fat and lose muscle. Your body fat to body muscle ratio goes upside down.. And what do you use to walk around, to do everything you need to do while awake? You USE YOUR MUSCLES. So if you have less muscle mass, you need to make more of an effort to "do anything." . So it’s NOT that “you’re getting older” -it’s that your body composition is responsible for making you tired.

Age –related Mitochondrial ATP losses:

Remember high school biology? Then recall that energy is produced by mitochondria in each cell, and that energy is called ATP. This just tapers off each decade after 30 as we age. THAT is the reason that the organs of someone at 75 weigh less than they do at age 30. So doesn’t it make sense that you would like to stave that off?

As mitochondria produce less ATP they tend to “die off” causing cells within the organs to do the same. As this all happens, we feel less energetic, especially since there are large amounts of mitochondria in the muscles and the brain. Luckily we CAN do something about this. This is how to regain energy at any age for any reason if you are older than 30.

“Intangible” energy losses associated with age:

When someone has everything on this list all tuned up and they are still not a 10 out of 10 on the energy scale, all is NOT lost. Perhaps they (you?) are on energy-zapping medication or have arthritis causing them (you) pain. Pain really can lower energy, by the way. This is yet another reason to eat anti-inflammatory foods=foods that give you energy! Remember you are not tired "because you are getting older!" If your doctor tells you that, perhaps the first way for you to see how to regain energy is to get a more up-to-date doctor!

Ok. I know we've learned a lot today! And I know you're trying to get all of this great information in your head. See, there's a ton of great ways to improve your energy and many are naturally! Natural is so much better for your health.

Remember, you can bookmark this page, store the URL so you can come back to it later. But for now, let's review the key points to what we learned today.

• If medical conditions arise, get treated ASAP!
• Avoid over-use of stimulants of any sort!
• Avoid over-use of Alcohol and don’t smoke!
• Maintain a normal weight!
• Balance your hormones if needed!
• Supplement
• For unexplained energy dips: Take amino acids such as acetyl-l-carnitine, L-tyrosine, and vitamins that give you energy such as B12.
• Make sure you eat an anti-inflammatory diet to give you health and energy via foods that give you energy. What foods give you energy you ask? Quick list-from breakfast to dinner: Berries, apples, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, sockeye salmon for starters!
• Exercise!
• Keep your mood great! (Something there wasn't time to go into)
• Sleep like a baby!
• Hydrate!
• De-stress! Use “adrenal support” if needed.
• For mitochondrial ATP loss with aging: Take mitochondrial boosters which often contain a panax ginseng formula, some special vitamins such as Co-Q 10 and when in doubt just ask me!