We all know (or know of) that one person who seems to have a never-ending supply of energy. Honestly, how does Beyoncé do it? All joking aside, cracking the energy code really can help with your overall productivity, sense of wellbeing, and quality of life.
Since we don’t all have personal assistants, trainers, chefs, and stylists, like most of our favorite celebs do, here are a few tips you can implement today to give the Energizer Bunny a run for his money.
3 Tips for Boosting Your Energy
- Eat breakfast. If you tend to skip breakfast in favor of an extra-large coffee, only to wind up anxious, jittery, and susceptible to a crash an hour or two later, do your body a favor and eat a balanced breakfast with your morning cup of Joe. While it’s true that caffeine can suppress your appetite and may do a good job at convincing your brain that you’re not actually a breakfast person, remember this: feeling hunger and fullness is a natural and good thing. Neglecting those feelings or trying to override them doesn’t do you any good in the long run. Honor your body’s natural and instinctive desire to eat. Your morning meal literally signals your body to break-the-fast after a night’s rest and sets the tone for the rest of the day.
- Eat regularly. All too often, I hear of people skipping meals only to find themselves overly hungry and desperate for anything they can sink their teeth into. When we allow ourselves to get past the point of hunger to full-on famished, our bodies react by instinctively reaching for the most readily available source of energy – simple carbohydrates are easily converted to sugar, the brain’s energy source. The aftermath of eating a carbohydrate-dense snack or meal without high-quality protein, fat, and fiber? A not-so-pleasant energy crash (we’re looking at you, 3 PM slump). The best way to tackle this head-on is to eat regularly throughout the day. The ideal timing will vary for each person and vary each day depending on activity level, but it’s generally best to nourish your body (and brain!) every 3 to 4 hours.
- Eat balanced. To help limit those energy crashes, aim to balance your meals and snacks. This means including high-quality protein with healthy fats and fiber-filled carbohydrates in each eating experience.
Balanced Meals to Keep You Feeling Energized
- Breakfast: Oatmeal topped with berries, flax seeds, and a scoop of peanut butter, or our recipe for Batch Overnight Oats
- Morning Snack: Avocado Hummus with whole grain crackers
- Lunch: Black bean veggie wrap on a whole wheat tortilla
- Afternoon Snack: Handful of trail mix, or our classic Blueberry Forever Smoothie
- Dinner: Chicken or tofu veggie stir-fry served over brown rice
- Dessert: Dark chocolate OR a small bowl of our Chocolate Chia Pudding
If you really feel like you’re lagging, check in with your healthcare provider who may offer additional testing for potential nutritional deficiencies or insights into other underlying causes.
