How to Get More Energry

I work full-time, I am working on my Masters, I practice and teach Taekwondo, and I also run a side business. I usually have about 6 hours of sleep every night and when I can I take 30 minute power naps. The power naps give me an extra boost when I need to stay up late working on fulfilling orders.

For quite some time I felt sluggish. Naps helped, but I still didn't have the extra boost I was looking for. I asked my brother, an athletic trainer, for some advice and I made some small adjustments and the differences have been remarkable.

Here are just five things you can start doing today to get more energy:

1. Stop eating over-processed, high-sodium and high-preservative foods.  At one point in my life I could not live without drinking Coca-Cola. I stopped drinking it for a few reasons. I wanted to fill my daily intake with natural and whole foods. Soda is filled of sugar and though sugar can give you a temporary boost in energy it is not long-lasting and not a healthy way to get energy. Additionally, pre-packaged foods are filled of sodium and preservatives, which may cause an increase  in your blood pressure and when your blood pressure is high your heart has to work harder. This may give you a feeling of tiredness.

"The average American eats about 3,400 milligrams sodium a day, but the recommended amount for a healthy person is 2,300 milligrams a day."

I don't recommend eliminating sodium from your diet because we do need sodium. Include some potassium when you do eat salty foods, like bananas.

2. Protein, Protein, and more Protein.  My brother recommended that I start tracking calories on apps like MyFitnessPal or LiveStrong's My Plate. I downloaded My Plate on my smartphone. What I like about this app is that you can search for food you eat and add it to your breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack category. Its database is filled of common foods and even restaurant menu items, so it makes it very easy to track what you are eating. It also shows your daily nutrients breakdown.

I saw a huge disparity when I started tracking how much carbs, fats and proteins. I noticed I ate a lot more fats and carbs and not enough protein. I did quite a bit of research and protein is huge contributor in weight loss, muscle repair and energy. I knew I needed to add more protein to my diet.

My brother recommended lean protein, like grounded turkey and egg whites.

I did some research and I found Premier Protein bars. They have a whopping 30 grams of protein, and only 200 calories. It comes in three different flavors, and they are the tastiest and fulfilling bars I have ever had. These make great meal replacements or snacks. If I don't have time for breakfast, I eat one of these.

I have also added the Premier Protein shakes, they have only 160 calories and 30 grams of Protein, Fage yogurt which is also low in calories and filled of protein. I mix some fresh blueberries and a few almonds in the yogurt. I am not a huge fan of yogurt, but this tastes great and if you want you can add a teaspoon of honey for taste.

3. Eat more. I know that doesn't sound logical, but if you eat small healthy snacks and meals in between breakfast, lunch and dinner you are fueling your body. Your body needs food as it breaks it down for energy. Make sure you have some great snack options with you. I love almonds, pistachios, bananas and peanut butter.

4. Start exercising. I am not saying to start an intense workout regime, but I am recommending that you add some type of exercise into your daily life. When I was overweight, I was living a bad daily cycle. I would wake up, get ready, not eat breakfast, go to work, sit for 8-9 hours straight in front of my computer, eat a heavy lunch, go home, watch tv, eat a big dinner, dessert, and bed. I had no desire to do anything else, but sit. I noticed a huge difference in my attitude and motivation once I forced myself to get out of that cycle and start walking just for 20-30 minutes a day

5. Sleep. This is a no-brainer, but we need sleep in order to re-energize our bodies. How many hours of sleep do you need? Some people need 8 hours and some might need 6 hours. Over-sleeping doesn't help either, I have read countless studies on people who try to make up their sleep on the weekends, but that just makes them more tired. Be consistent and try to get the hours you need every day.



Sources:

3 Ways to Stop Oversleeping: http://www.wikihow.com/Stop-Oversleeping

The Negative Effects of Oversleeping: http://www.symptomfind.com/health/effects-of-oversleeping/

Why Is Too Much Salt  Bad for You? http://www.livescience.com/36256-salt-bad-health.html

How Much Protein Per Day To Build Muscle, Lose Fat & Be Healthy?  http://www.acaloriecounter.com/diet/how-much-protein-per-day/