How To Increase Energy And Improve Mental Wellbeing

This information is shared to inspire you and for general guidance only. Before making any drastic dietary and lifestyle changes you should always discuss with your healthcare provider.

This time I’m going to share how you can improve your mood and energy levels. It all comes down to what, when and how you eat, how you live your life and how you manage stress. Many have come to believe that fatigue is just a normal and inevitable part of life. But that’s not true. When our energy levels are low, it’s easy to get stuck on depressive thoughts.

Recently, I read a brilliant book I’m So Effin Tired by Dr. Amy Shah. In her book she talks about a major energy crisis we have: the epidemic of fatigue and burnout. She explains how our hormones, immune system and gut health are all closely linked. When our hormones go out of whack our entire body will go out of balance and fatigue becomes a huge problem. Our hormones regulate most of our bodily functions, such as metabolism, appetite, heart rate, sleep cycle, reproductive and sexual functions, growth, mood, and stress levels. Having just one hormone out of balance can cause a cascade of inefficiencies in other hormones because all our hormones interconnected. It’s the collective imbalance that makes us feel so freaking tired.

There is always a reason for hormonal imbalance; They just don’t go out of balance. And many of the causes are rooted in our lifestyle and food choices, environmental factors and our genetics. Most of the issues can be fixed by lifestyle and dietary changes. 

You have more control over your health than you realise.You don’t want treat problems, you want to PREVENT them and SOLVE the root causes. Think as a lifestyle change rather than a quick fix. Hope you will get some inspiration from the tips below!

1. Nourish With Whole Foods And Balancing Adaptogens

Fill your plate with nourishing whole foods. Make sure you are getting enough Vitamin D, Omega-3 fatty acids, zinc, and Vitamin C. Learn to prepare your own meals, and have fun with new recipes. Avoid feeding your stress by consuming too much sugar, simple carbs and highly processed oils (abundant in fried and processed foods). Highly processed foods spike glucose levels and if you eat them all the time, those levels remain high, giving your insulin levels a constant roller-coaster ride and over time this this can lead to insulin resistance. Moreover, processed junk messes our true hunger signals. You never feel fully satisfied and as result, feel lethargic and keep eating more and more.

If you drink coffee, limit your coffee to one cup per day - especially if you are a slow caffeine metaboliser. Avoid any caffeine after 3pm (including teas containing caffeine). Too much can definitely leave you feeling anxious, and jittery with a racing heart. 

You or not just what you eat but what you digest and assimilate. For optimal digestion practise mindful eating: the intention with which you eat your meals is as important as the food itself. Sit down to eat your meals without distractions. Chew fully, and don’t rush. When you are fully present with your meals you are less likely to overeat.

To help your body to better adapt to stress you can try adaptogens. Adaptogens are plant-derived supplements that support balance and homeostasis internally, and work on the neuro-hormonal system in the body. They are typically made of certain herbs, spices, roots, and mushrooms. Of course the question is which adaptogen to take. This may take a combination of consulting an expert, knowing your individual needs, and some good old experimentation. Here’s a brief list of examples: maca for hormonal balance, ashwagandha to reduce stress and anxiety, reishi mushroom for immune system and cancer prevention, rhodiola to relief symptoms of depression. 

2. Stay Away From Xenoestrogens 

Stay away from plastic, BPAs, and parabens as much as possible because harmful chemicals can throw our beautiful hormonal system completely out of balance. These chemicals are xenoestrogens, which means that they are industrial chemicals that mimic the behaviour of estrogens in the body. Harmful chemicals can be everywhere: plastic water bottles, food packaging, beauty and haircare products, children’s toys, etc .They can be absorbed through the skin, ingested, or inhaled. It’s better to go back to basics: eat on real dishes (class, ceramic, or stainless steel) and skip fast food. Stick with clean beauty and hair products as much as possible.

3. Embrace Your Great Night’s Sleep 

Chronic reduction of sleep to 6 hours or less is almost as bad as not getting sleep at all and can seriously reduce our cognitive performance. Regular sleep loss leads to faster ageing and reduced longevity because your body simply doesn’t have enough time to rest and repair. During sleep we release human growth hormone (HGH), which is then released throughout the body to help it to repair itself. Please avoid sleeping pills since they do not solve the root cause of your issue!

For thousands of years humans awoke with sun and went to sleep when it was dark. For better health we should respect the natural circadian rhythm that is our internal clock that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and repeats roughly every 24 hours. As Dr. Shah explains, every single organism on the planet contains a “clock” that adapts to day and night. Eating according to this circadian clock helps to balances hormones, boost metabolism and promote long-term health. By constantly changing your sleep pattern and eating schedules and exposing yourself for unfriendly environment you can mess the inner clock. Getting sun light early in the morning and unwinding in the evening can hugely help you to prepare for the good night sleep. Limit your exposure to blue light in the evening because it disrupts the production of your sleep hormone, melatonin.

4. Adopt Healthier Tech Habits 

Learn to manage your daily technology use - or it will manage you! I don’t know but I think and believe that tech addiction is among the top reasons for fatigue and depressive thoughts in this world today. Modern technology is made to be addictive with personalised content and all kinds of social media nonsense. 

Excess social media usage can make even a relatively healthy human being feel stressed, anxious, and restless. So better to limit the usage: have strict limited times for social media (use your phone settings if nothing else helps), delete non-essential apps, and fully embrace regular tech-detox days. Also, an old-fashioned alarm clock is a must for the good night sleep. This will make it easier for you to turn off all your tech toys and do something else instead. Tech devices do not belong in bed!

5. Let Your Words Out

If you feel awful and miserable, write down your thoughts or talk to someone you can trust. Some things might be so painful and private that you don’t want to share them with another human being.… That’s ok and should always be respected. Or sometimes we just aren’t ready to open up. 

Be honest with yourself and let it all out. Like they say, the truth will set you free. Write things down on paper and then burn the piece of paper - and let go. When you get the words out you will realise whether your thoughts and feelings make any sense at all. Keep on doing that, and over time you’ll get more clarity what you want to do with your precious life. 

6. Learn Something New And Exciting 

This is works every time when I feel sad or feel stuck in life. Learn something new that gets you excited and makes you laugh. The most important thing is to learn not to take yourself too seriously. Otherwise it wouldn’t be fun! Maybe learn to play an instrument, take dance classes, or learn to paint! Or take online courses on something you have never studied before like a course on Austrian Economics or Human Biology and Immunology. Learning something completely new is an excellent way to challenge your brain and feel joy when you accomplish something valuable. 

7. When You’re Feeling Helpless, Help Someone

This is the most powerful thing to do. There’s always someone who desperately needs help. And there is always something to be grateful for.

Share Your Love And Light With The World!

x

RESOURCES:

EWG: Dirty Dozen Endocrine Disruptors

Book:

I’m So Effin Tired: A Proven Plan To Beat Burnout, Boost Your Energy And Reclaim Your Life by Dr Amy Shah