When was last time you woke up with full of energy and was ready to start your day? Or do you usually have to drag yourself out of the bed?
How can you have more energy naturally throughout the day?
Health can be defined as physical, mental, and social well-being. In this post we will consider physical aspect of the health and talk about 5 healthy habits that will help you to have more energy and liveliness.
At the bottom of this article you will find a free check list to download that combines these 5 habits for healthy lifestyle and increased energy.
1. Food Quality:
I remember this colleague of mine who mostly eat snacks during the day.
When asked, how does he get his nutrition, he showed me food labels on his cereal bar about vitamins and minerals contents !
That came as shock to me since this is all processed food and really nothing fresh that he was consuming.
Current eating patterns in US shows that 3/4th of the Americans are not eating enough fruits and vegetables. They are moving more towards snacking on the go instead of sit-down meals.
Not eating enough fresh food leads to lethargy and reduced energy levels.
Action: Slowly start replacing packaged food and snacks with fresh vegetables and fruits for increased energy and vitality.
Also Read: How to treat cough naturally
2. Physical Activity and time spent in nature:
Per recent research, 1 in 4 Americans sit more than 8 hours a day ! 4 in 10 adults are not physically active .
This leads to increased risk of early death, mental health issues as well as cancer.
At the same time another search suggests spending at least 120 minutes outdoors during a week helps increase good health and well being.
Action: Start with 2-3 small (10-15) minutes walks outdoor during the day for increased vitality and freshness.
Also read: risks of sitting too long and how to solve it.
3. Sleep:
One of my colleague mentioned, once his kids are off to bed, he plays video games late into night to relax.
I asked him, if he stayed up till late night, how did he feel refresh and energetic next day?
His answer was, I do not remember when was the last time when I felt fresh !
Between 30-40% adult Americans sleep less than 6 hours per night, while the guideline for same age group is to sleep for 7-9 hours.
Lack of sleep could lead to weight gain, memory loss, increased stress and lack of energy.
With more and more use of smart phone, social media and electronics, people are more prone to lack of sleep.
Action: Ensure you are getting 7-8 hours worth of good quality sleep at night without disturbance from your electronic gadgets.
Also Read: How to get good sleep naturally
For relaxation take on hobbies like reading, painting, music etc that helps induce better sleep instead of causing harm.
Also read : how to create healthy digital habits.
4. Hydration:
A majority of Americans consume atleast one sugary drink daily.
Any sugary drink consumed increases the risk of dying by heart disease by 10%. Since these sugary drinks do not contain any nutritional value it actually drains the energy.
Action: Start replacing sugary drinks with just plain water or juicy fruits like watermelon , grapes and orange.
5. Feeling Busy:
Research suggests that we are spending less time at work and are doing less household chores compared to our parents/grand parents; yet most of us feel busier than ever.
So what is it that making us feeling busy/rushed/stressed?
Have we added too many commitments and activities in our life that we are continuously chasing?
Have we made our lives so busy that we are forgetting to live?
Action: Reflect upon your life and let go of commitments and activities that are not adding value.
Sometimes most productive thing you can do is “Relax”.
Relax, recharge and reflect.
Also Read: Warning signs your child is over scheduled.
Download free daily healthy living check list
for increased energy and vitality.
