By Sandra Domingos
It’s frustrating not having any energy for doing some important things in life and feel like a zombie all day, even after a full night of sleep. About 10 million visits to doctors each year are attributed to fatigue. To fight fatigue and get your spark back is not difficult.
Of course there are some rules to follow to improve your health and your level of energy, but to get it as much as easy as possible is good idea to jump start your creativity and your emotional. Don’t take it to serious, improve and change a bit! Implement a kind of “Brazilian style” in your routine and your diet. Find out bellow some rules easy to follow for you improve your energy and lifestyle. Let’s get pumped. Let’s jack up our energy levels through the roof.
#1 – Go to bed regularly at the same time every day. Do it if possible even on weekends. I guarantee that only with this rule you will improve your energy levels by 10% or even 20%.If you cannot do it, take a nap. Napping improves memory, lower stress and improves all day energy.
#2 – Breathe deeply and well. We live in a very fast-paced world, and we spend a lot of time hunched over desks, staring at computer screens. Both stress and poor posture tighten muscles in the upper body making harder for the lungs to expand. We have become shallow breathers which decrease oxygen and cause mental and physical fatigue.
#3 – Drink at least six 8 oz glass of water per day is very important. If you live in a city like Los Angeles with very low humidity, you sometimes not have thirsty. To get it easy, take a cup of water just after your meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) and breaks. Also, we are always being told to eat more “greens”, but “drinking” it can be a much better choice when your energy flags.
#4 – Take at least 3 to 6 minutes every day to relax. Close your eyes, and do some deep breathing (from your belly) to get the stress out, and to be grateful for what you have in life. That little break can work wonders and believe me, will help you get more energized and in peace with yourself.
#5 – Eat more whole and natural foods such as raw nuts and vegetables. They help us to feel active and motivated. Seeds and grains increase the diversity of nutrients, provide good amount of protein and fiber, and helps prevent fatigue. Quinoa – that sometimes I use substituting brown rice has 8g of protein and 5.6 fibers. I eat small amounts of almonds and Brazil nuts in my breaks. It’s proven to be effective to increase energy levels.
#6 – I like to go natural and I avoid drink all this types of “bulls” on the market. Instead I just drink coffee but in a different format. I “split” it in small doses of caffeine over time instead giving the caffeine all at once. In Brazil as example, it’s common to stop by and be able to buy a “cafezinho” (little coffee, kind of expresso) almost everywhere. It’s much better to take few shots of “cafezinhos” during the day than a big 12oz cup of coffee just in the morning.
#7 – Lose weight and get control over your blood sugar is very important for those with the extra pounds. I can add saying that if you lose belly fat with the “turbulence training” lifestyle you’ll start sleeping like a baby, and living like a teen!
#8 – Dance and move. Doing this you will burn calories and lose fat, you know…and make you more alert all day long too. The true is: any type of exercise is the real natural “aphrodisiac” in all the ways. It makes you feel younger and productive. Give preference to morning workouts. Consistency here is the key factor. At least try walking. It’s an excellent idea if you would like to get on the track again.
#9 – Get a bowl of açaí berries instead a regular meal (preference for breakfast or lunch). For many years, a lot of Brazilians have been eating and drinking açaí and replacing one or even two regular meals during the day for an açaí in a bowl. In Rio, Sao Paulo or any other metropolis in Brazil is very common to see “luncheonettes” and “casas de sucos” (juice bars) offering Acai na Tijela (Acai in a Bowl). Here in America it is not a problem anymore…
#10 – The basic rule is to cut processed carbohydrates and eliminate all added sugar from your diet. If you want to lose belly fat, these are the first foods that need to go. But remember, using this rule you will find later that you got more energy… and feel much better.
*Sandra Domingos is a certified yoga teacher and life coach. She lives between Itararé, Bahia (Brazil) and Los Angeles, California, and when she is not in one of these two cities is because she is traveling around the world. Sandra has been to 4 continents and visited more than 50 countries.
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