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When it comes to having lots of energy, the picture that comes to our minds may be of action, relentless focus or great capacity to act upon the tasks and activities that we have set for ourselves for the day.

That’s pretty close to what The Saurus tells us:

energy: “The strength and vitality required for sustained physical or mental activity”.

Energy can be replenished in many ways. There is the quick fix method which usually means lots of coffee, red bull™ and Sugars. Then there is the everlasting and beneficial method that really doesn’t take much efforts and that will give your body much more than what you actually need. Let’s look at the latter.

1. Avoid The Sugars

Sugar is probably your worst enemy for energy building. Here are just a few reasons to avoid them :

• Immune System Suppression
• Diabetes
• Premature Aging
• Obesity
• Increased Cholesterol and Blood Pressure
• Hemorrhoids!

Ok, that’s enough. This is only an excerpt of a much longer list. Just avoid them as much as you can for your own benefits.

2. Have A Good Night’s Sleep

Researchers are not sure why we need sleep but they know that lack of sleep can kill.

Here are some of the pillars of a good night’s sleep:

• As minimum lighting as possible (this triggers the sleep hormone, your melatonin levels)
• The quieter the better
• Before midnight (your adrenals recharge in between 11pm am 1am)
• Avoid before-bed snacks, especially sugars

3. Breathe

Breath is life. Proper breathing will nourish all your cells with oxygen, detoxify them from many waste products and leave you calm, focused and refreshed.

Sit with your back straight, one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest. Feel your belly filling up like a balloon and than expand your thorax as you keep inhaling. Your exhale should be twice as long as your inhale. Repeat as much as you want.

4. Chew Your Food 30 Times

Here’s one that we keep forgetting again and again. Digestion starts in the mouth, not in the stomach. The more you chew, the easier the digestive process will be. This will free a huge amount of energy for other tasks and completely eliminate the feeling of heaviness you get after lunch. A good trick is to drop your utensils between your bites.

5. The 20 Minutes Nap

When your brain wants to shut down and that you have the opportunity, let it shut down!
Find a quiet place, set an alarm for 20 minutes and let go. Don’t go pass that time cause your body will shift into a deeper sleep pattern and you will wake up completely disoriented.

6. Drink Water

Forget the 8 glasses of water a day saying. This is simply a misguiding “guideline” to tell you that you should have enough water. Try this:

When you are thirsty, drink water. That’s it.

Your body is a wonderful machine and it will tell you when you need liquids. Also keep in mind that you’re mostly made of water. That’s good enough!

7. Twist Yourself Around

Gently twisting your spine is another very effective way to infuse your body with energy.

Sit on a stable chair (no office chair with wheels please) with your back straight. Turn your body around to grab the back of the chair while keeping your legs facing front. With the help of your arms, gently twist your spine to the extent of your flexibility and take 5 long breaths. Repeat for the other side.

This will bring a good blood flow in your spine and stimulate your whole nervous system. Avoid this when your stomach is full or if it hurts.

8. Stop Thinking

Your brain is constantly bombarded with input all day long and when it’s not, you think about your next meal, your lover or your paycheck. This in itself requires a tremendous amount of nervous energy and definitely won’t help.

Learn to stop, at least once a day. Close your eyes…relax your body…focus on your breath…Inhale 4…Exhale 8…

How Do You Meet Your Energy Needs?

Will you use some of these techniques? Feel free to share your experiences with these and feel free to add to the list. I’m sure you have your own ways of doing things and I’d love to hear about them.

Zasta

Tags: Health, How to's