It may seem that feeling exhausted, getting too little sleep, and relying on coffee is a normal part of being an adult. Contrary to what you might think from pop culture, or talking to your friends and colleagues, it is NOT normal to feel perpetually tired. In fact, chronic fatigue is usually a sign of underlying health issues.
If you’ve been dealing with tired mornings, afternoon crashes, and low energy throughout the day, this article is for you!
By following these six powerful tips to stay energized and focused all day long, you can create the health, vitality, and happiness you desire and deserve.
Natural sunlight signals to your brain that it’s daytime. It also stimulates vitamin D production. Vitamin D is essential for healthy immune function, mental health, and hormonal health.1,2
For some, morning time is the perfect time to exercise or go for a walk outdoors. However, even if you skip the walk, simply stepping outside, breathing in the fresh air and stretching out can wake up your cells. If you are close to nature, even better. Connecting with nature can boost your immune system, lower your stress levels, improve your mood, and benefit your physical health.
Starting your day with a smoothie is a foolproof way to stay energized all day long. Smoothies are nutrient dense, yet easy to absorb and digest. They bring you sustained energy for the morning, without sending you on a blood sugar rollercoaster and making you reach for an unhealthy snack.
You want your smoothies to be protein packed. Protein is absolutely essential to fuel your body’s functions all day long. I always recommend animal protein from a clean source. And yes, animal protein can come in the form of convenient protein powders for your delicious morning protein smoothie!
My Paleo Protein powder is sourced from grass-fed, pasture-raised cows that were not given antibiotics, hormones, or GMOs, so you can be sure you’re getting the cleanest protein possible. Paleo Protein comes in 4 delicious varieties to satisfy all your cravings: Chocolate, Vanilla, Mocha Latte, and Unflavored. If you are on the go, you can bring along my brand NEW single-serving packets that are perfect for slipping into your purse, pocket, or glove box. Simply mix one packet into a glass of dairy-free milk.
For extra nutrients, toss some organic frozen fruits and greens into your protein smoothie. You can even supercharge your smoothie by adding a scoop of my Clean Greens™ Superfood Juice Powder, which is a blend of 14 organic plant foods rich in essential phytonutrients. It is a particularly helpful idea if you don’t have fresh greens on hand. You can also add a boost of collagen that is rich in the 4 key amino acids necessary for a healthy gut, metabolism, bones, joints, nails, skin, and hair.3
Coffee may give you an instant and temporary buzz, however, in the long run it is not a good source of energy. The energy you get from coffee isn’t long-lasting and leads to crashing, fatigue, and coffee or sugar cravings for another quick fix. Because caffeine is a stimulant, you can develop an addiction and become dependent on coffee. As you develop a tolerance, your body will crave more coffee to experience the same energy boost. Caffeine delays your circadian clock by about 40 minutes, making falling and staying asleep more difficult and interfering with quality, restful sleep. Coffee can also increase catecholamines, your stress hormones, which can contribute to fatigue, inflammation, and disease. Drinking too much coffee can also lead to jitters, headaches, dehydration, insomnia, and high blood pressure.4,5,6
Starting your day with a protein smoothie, and eating nutrient-dense lunches, dinners, and snacks will give you plenty of energy so you don’t have to rely on coffee. Green juices made from fresh greens and vegetables or an organic greens powder can give you an instant pick-me-up without all of the harmful effects of caffeine. Herbal tea, chai lattes, and golden milk are also excellent options. Drinking plenty of water (about eight to ten glasses a day) will keep you hydrated, which will help you stay alert.
Need a little extra motivation to ditch the coffee for good? Check out my free report on The Dangerous Health Effects of Caffeine and Coffee!
The Myers Way® is based on one principle: food is medicine. If you eat foods that your body needs and avoid foods that are toxic and inflammatory, you can achieve an energetic, vibrant state of health. It is important to avoid toxic and inflammatory foods, and instead focus on nutrient-dense fuel.
Toxic and inflammatory foods have no place in your diet as they contribute to inflammation, leaky gut, autoimmunity, and other chronic health issues.
Toxic foods to avoid:
Inflammatory foods to avoid:
To support your immune system and overall health, and to provide you with an abundance of energy daily, follow The Myers Way® and ensure your diet full of the following foods:
High-quality protein: Eat plenty of high-quality protein to ensure your body receives all the amino acids it needs. Choose organic, grass-fed, pasture-raised, and wild-caught meat, such as pasture-raised chicken, wild-caught salmon, 100% grass-fed beef, grass-fed pork, grass-fed lamb, pasture-raised duck, pasture raised turkey, wild game, and wild-caught fish. My family buys our fish from Vital Choice and meats from Butcher Box.
Vegetables: Aim to fill half of your plate with vegetables, including leafy greens, such as kale, bok choy, spinach, and arugula, as well as other veggies, including zucchini, broccoli, asparagus, beets, sweet potatoes, squash, and cauliflower. Mix it up to get the abundance of the rainbow.
Fruits: Fruits are filled with necessary vitamins, antioxidants, and fiber that support your immune functioning and gut health. Raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, and blueberries are some of the best fruits you can eat thanks to their low sugar and high fiber content, however, feel free to enjoy all varieties of fruits.
Healthy fats: Fats are not the enemy. Your body needs good fats to repair the cells of your gut wall, to help the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, and to keep you satisfied longer. Avocados are my favorite source of healthy fats. Avocado oil, coconut oil, olive oil, grapeseed oil, flax oil, and chia oil are also fantastic sources.
The Autoimmune Solution Cookbook contains over 150 recipes featuring foods that are packed with the nutrients you need to overcome autoimmunity, support your overall health, and keep you focused and energized all day long. There are plenty of nutrient-dense and delicious lunch and dinner options you can choose from including magnesium-dense Zucchini Noodles with Spinach-Kale Pesto and Omega-3-rich Honey-Ginger Glazed Salmon. The Autoimmune Solution Cookbook is much more than a cookbook. It lays out the four pillars of The Myers Way® to help you optimize your diet and lifestyle for preventing or reversing autoimmunity, and supporting your health.
Choosing the right snacks can be difficult when you are leading a busy life. There are temptations from vending machines to snacks in the office, not to mention those seemingly “healthy” yet incredibly inflammatory, processed and sugary granola bars on the market.
Eating sugary or processed snacks as an afternoon pick me up is not only detrimental to your long term health, it can also lead to blood sugar crashes and even more fatigue down the road. Make smart snack choices to stay fueled, healthy, and energized.
Organic fruits and veggies are always a great choice. However, simple grab-and-go options that you can conveniently keep in your bag, desk, or car are sometimes necessary. My grab-and-go, travel-friendly Chewy Chocolate Paleo Bars are perfectly balanced and ideal for in-between-meal cravings. They will keep you satisfied with 12 grams of clean-sourced, grass-fed protein per bar. If you are looking for something sweet, choose my Coconut Joy Fiber Bars and Mint Joy Fiber Bars. They taste just like a candy bar, yet are balanced with 11 to 13 grams of prebiotic fiber for optimal blood sugar support.
Getting a good night’s sleep is absolutely necessary in order to have the energy you need throughout the day. I recommend getting 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night for adults.
Starting your day with a delicious protein smoothie, ditching coffee, eating a nutrient-dense lunch and dinner, choosing the right snacks, and getting a good night’s sleep will help you stay energized and focused all day long. Following these tips and living The Myers Way® will enable you to create the energy, health, and happiness you desire in your life. For more visit amymyersmd.com.
DISCLAIMER: The information on this site is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this web site is for general information purposes only.
