Saturday, December 28, 2013

How to Have More Energy No Matter What Your Age



If Only I Had the Energy!


If only I had more energy! How many times have you said that?  Perhaps you're a college student who needs more energy to make your grades; a working person juggling tight career demands; a parent who's on-duty with children 24 hours a day:, or an older adult feeling less energy as you age. 


We are all looking to have more energy—a higher energy level helps us maintain a good quality life.



So what can you do when your energy runs low? 

You go back to the basics of good health. You look at what you eat, and how you move. Energy level is affected by both.

Energy is regulated by the food you eat and when you eat it. You want your diet to be adding to, not detracting from, your energy level.  Exercise plays a role in energy too. Exercise builds muscle, strengthens your frame, and helps your brain function better, all adding to a healthier more energetic body.

Are you up for increasing your energy level?  Okay, let's revisit your daily diet and exercise routine to see if we can help you increase your energy in just a few easy steps. 

 5 Steps to More Energy in Your Life

1. Eat Your Breakfast

 Kick start your day with breakfast. Eating a nutritional breakfast will provide you with a good foundation for high energy levels throughout the day.

Try beginning the day with cottage cheese, oatmeal, a small smoothie, yogurt with fruit, or even a piece of cheese.

Sprinkle a teaspoon of chia, bran, or even ground flax seeds over your breakfast food for an easy way to make your morning meal even more nutritious.


2. Control Your Blood Sugar by Eating Small Meals throughout the Day

Keep your energy coming and your metabolism up by eating healthy snacks between meals.

Your brain's only source of energy is blood sugar and too little or too much can both create low concentration levels, lack of motivation and poor learning. 

Manage your energy by keeping your blood sugar level.

This is done by choosing healthy snacks and eating these small snacks throughout the day.

Fresh fruits make great healthy snacks. Berries, apples, oranges and bananas are good snack choices.  Other good options are oat or nut based energy bars, a small amount of dark chocolate, or a handful of nuts.

Looking for something more creative to snack on? How about real cocoa in almond milk, a veggie roll-up, or even hummus on crackers or dark bread.


3. Don't Eat a Large Lunch or Mid-day Meal


There are other reasons besides high calorie content to avoid a big lunch. Let's look at a couple.

First, when you eat a large lunch, your body requires a lot of energy just to digest the meal. That leaves you with less energy and feeling tired.

Secondly, if your lunch contains a lot of carbohydrates, your insulin levels spike right after eating and comes crashing down a few hours later.

To have more energy, you'll want to choose a well-balanced meal of slow digesting carbs like lentils, beans, basmati rice and whole grained breads. Add to that your lean proteins like fish, chicken, turkey or eggs. Throw in some greens and veggies and you'll have the energy to go the distance.


4. Exercise Regularly


Adding 30 to 45 minutes of exercise into your daily life is one of the healthiest moves you can make. 

Regular exercise helps you keep your weight in check, keeps your body flexible, and fights both disease and depression. 

Exercise gives you more energy.

Think you don't have time to exercise? Take small breaks during work hours. Get up and move around for 5 to 10 minutes. You'll return to work with more energy to complete your tasks, and a refreshed, stimulated, and more energetic mind to help you deal with the rest of your day.


5. Drink Plenty of Water


Our metabolism constantly uses up water. Our brains have a high level of water content, and we need to keep them hydrated. 

Even a small level of dehydration in our body can interfere with its chemical balance. This leads to low energy.


The most efficient way to counteract dehydration in your body is by drinking small amounts of tea or water throughout the day.



More Energy = Better Quality of Life


There you have it!  Simple tools to manage your diet, manage your hydration and manage your exercise.   

Now here’s the hard part--getting started.

Go ahead and take the bait.  Give these steps a try. See if you don't feel more filled vitality and ready for all life has to offer. 

I’m behind you 100% of the way!



Thought For Today

Your Future is Determined by What You Do Today, Not Tomorrow

Friday, December 27, 2013

How to Improve Your Heart Health in 12 Easy Steps



12 Easy Steps To Better Heart Health
                   
Becoming healthier doesn't have to be hard. Sometimes the best way to good health is through small changes in your daily routine.

To strengthen your heart, you don't need a total overhaul your life and diet all at once. Heart health is one area where a few habit changes can really make a difference.

Whether you're trying to regain good health after suffering a heart-related illness like stroke or hypertension, or simply trying to maintain a healthy heart, these 12 easy steps can start you on your way to better heart health.



1. Eat Your Breakfast

Make proteins your first choice at breakfast when possible. Add whole grains like oatmeal, bran cereal or whole-wheat toast as your back-up.

Not a morning eater? Try a green shake such as Dr. Oz's famous spinach drink. Its low in calories, tastes good, and gets you moving. You can make a batch and keep it in the refrigerator so that it's ready when you are.


2. Eat One Extra Fruit or Vegetable a Day

Add one fruit or vegetable to your diet. They're low in calories and high in fiber.

Make it a mid-morning snack to keep your energy flowing.





3. Don't Drink your Calories

We all know how much sugar is in soda. But have you thought about that morning latte?

Cutting out just one of these high-calorie drinks will save you at least 100 nutrition-less calories a day. That's 36,500 calories in a year.

Think about it. This one change alone will cut out 10 pounds a year of weight!


4. Take a 10-minute Walk

If you're just getting started, this is a comfortable way to begin exercising.

If you're a fully-engaged exercise addict, this is a great way to add a few more minutes of movement into your day.






5. Lift, Baby. Lift!

Keep small 2-pound weights nearby and ready for some lifting a few times a day.

Don't have any weights? Use old quart-sized milk bottles filled with water or even a large hardcover book.

Lifting 2-pound weights for a few repetitions a couple times each day will help tone your arm muscles.

As 2-pound lifting becomes easy, try something a little heavier. Perhaps that bottle of Tide will work!


6. Go Nuts!

Try adding walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds and other nuts to your diet. Nuts are great for your heart.

Nuts are a wonderful enhancement to any salad. They work well topping breakfast cereals or mixed with fruit.

Nuts can be used in place of meat in pastas or casseroles.

Need a snack? A handful of nuts are great at quelling hunger.

Watch the salt here, however!




7. Replace One Meat Meal Per Week with Fish or Seafood

This small dietary change is good for your heart, good your brain, and good for your figure!


8. Wash Your Hands Often!

Wash your hands several times daily.  This helps protect your heart from infection.

Repeated cleansing with soap and water is your best defense against illnesses such as flu and pneumonia.

Remember: Infectious illnesses are hard on your heart.





9. Turn off those Highly Emotional Sources of News

Choose your media carefully. Many of today's television news stories are written to keep you angry and hostile.

Take control of your environment.  Decide that it's time to switch the channel, lower your blood pressure, and alter your attitude.


10. Pause...Breathe Deeply

Spending just a few minutes a day doing some deep breathing has been proven to help you relax. It's also considered a way to help lower blood pressure.





11. Shut Off Your Electronic Devices 1 Hour Before Bed

Give yourself an hour free of electronic devices before you go to bed.

By allowing your brain a period of slowdown time, you'll experience much deeper sleep. Good sleep helps not only with heart health, but in total overall health.


12. Stop and Count your Blessings Each Day

It only takes a few minutes of thankful thought to tap into what is good and working within your life.

Counting your blessings is a great way to plug into good feelings and reduce any anxiety, worry or anger.

Positive emotions are thought to lead to a longer life and greater feeling of well-being overall.





Thought for the Day

“Well Done is Better than Well Said” – Benjamin Franklin