Secrets to Staying Energetic

fitness

By David Bonifacio

I talked about my favorite health book, The 7 Pillars of Health by Dr. Don Colbert, on one of my earlier posts. One of the early “pillars” of health mentioned is Sleep and Rest, and of all the pillars mentioned this is probably the one I struggle with most – not so much because I don’t like sleep – I actually LOVE sleeping – but more because the activities and concerns of everyday seem to take over.

I don’t know if you’ve ever felt this way, but many times I feel like I need more than 24 hours in a day to do everything I want and have to.

The funny thing is, even as I wish I had more time in a day, many times I find myself getting sleepy or feeling tired during the day (especially right after lunch) and have to fight the urge to take a nap – a really long nap which I can’t take because it will only eat up more time in a day that doesn’t have enough time already.

I got this email from my friend Shean Bedi, and I’m slowly trying the different things on it. I’m posting it just in case some of you might find it useful. The email didn’t say who wrote it but whoever you are, thanks! (Obviously it wasn’t me since I don’t think I’m the type to use the word “vivacios”.)

Why do we feel tired by noon?

There is something about the post lunch hour, when a sense of boredom creeps in and time weighs so heavy that you can almost hear the clock tick. As the sun shines brightest upon the day, we feel an urge to retire to bed or if we are at work, to put our heads down and catch 40 winks.

The midday tiredness is a by-product of a modern lifestyle that keeps us always on the move, hardly leaving us with time to stop and have a proper breakfast. At work, you’ll see colleagues drinking cups and cups of coffee just to stay awake or engaging in mindless chatter to bide time and ward off boredom. But why are we prepared to give up on the day by noon while pending work mounts, and there is so much more to generally go through?

We talk to experts on the reasons for the dismal energy levels at noon, and how best we can correct it.

No Goodnight’s Sleep

Most of us bring the office home, continue to talk on the phone, or work on laptops and endlessly watch television till midnight. This takes away from our prime sleep hours that help restore tired nerves and rejuvenates the body. A routine of sleeping late and waking up early, and then rushing to work, leaves you exhausted much sooner in the day. Get at least 7-8 hours of undisturbed sleep. Preferably, turn your cell phones off while you do so.

No Time for Play

When you have no exercise routine sketched out, you do burn out faster. Agreed, morning hours are the busiest, but it is worth squeezing in a brief workout schedule. Anything from brisk walks, jogging, skipping to running on the treadmill helps, if going to the gym is too far-fetched an idea for you. An evening workout is not half as effective as an early morning warm up sets the pace for the remainder of the day. If nothing else, it secretes ‘happy hormones’ which gives your body the much-needed inward push.

Anxious, All The Time

Taking too much stress not only gives you high blood pressure, but reduces your attention span as well. Avoid being restless and edgy, and consciously try to stay happy and hassle-free. Take pride in your work, your family, your house and your surroundings. It’ll keep you going.

No Time for Breakfast

Most people who feel tired by afternoon are the ones that skip breakfast in favour of a large lunch. If you do not take meals in the designated time frame, it’ll affect your hormonal secretion and leave you lethargic. Not taking breakfast works up your appetite, and subsequently, you overdo the lunch.

Tips to Stay Vivacious

Take a timely and balanced breakfast comprising a bowl of oats, or cereals of your choice, fruits, and toast with some butter or margarine on it.

Avoid drinking too much coffee or tea after breakfast and before lunch. Not only are you ruining your appetite, the excess caffeine makes you anxious as well.

Don’t overeat at lunchtime as you are bound to feel tired for the rest of the day. However, your lunch should be a right balance of carbohydrates, proteins and fats. You can take chapattis, a bowl of dal, and a portion of green vegetables. Non-vegetarians can substitute dal with chicken stew, both a source of proteins. Try to avoid rice in the afternoon as it will invariable give you a belly bulge. In fact, if you go for a balanced diet at lunchtime, you wouldn’t require any of the calcium and multi-vitamin supplements.

Sleep adequately at night.

Swing into action an exercise schedule. Be it heavy duty gym-ing or a workout at home.

Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water through the day.

Avoid snacking between breakfast and lunch. It’s good to indulge in fresh fruits of various hues. From apples, peaches, oranges, berries, pomegranate to banana, fruits have their own distinctive properties, and are an abundant source of Vitamin A, C, potassium and flavonoids among others.

Potato chips are a total diet killer. Take sprouts instead. You can even carry it in a little box with you to work, and have it when you feel the urge to snack. It keeps you fresh and your body, lighter.

You can read more articles at my Natural Health Philippines Blog here.