You can improve your energy levels with the proper diet. Wouldn’t life be better if you had more energy? Experts report a fatigue range of 7% to 45% in the general population. Subsequently, a recent study showed fatigue in 38% of US workers. Plants proficiently collect energy and nutrients from the Sun. By eating the right plants and animals, you can harvest their energy and nutrients as your own.
Severe–low energy causes a vast proportion of problems! Also, it makes it hard to wake up in the morning. Low energy prevents most people from exercising. Subsequently, you can’t perform at your best or enjoy life with low energy levels.
It takes energy to change your lifestyle and do things like exercise more or sleep better to improve energy levels. So, where do you begin? First, you start with your diet. You can improve your energy levels through your diet. Use the foods below to enhance your energy levels!
The brain uses glucose as its primary source of energy. Most cells in your body use glucose, amino acids, and fats for energy.
Eating natural, unprocessed glucose can vastly improve your energy levels. Insulin acts like a key, unlocking muscle, fat, and liver cells so glucose can get inside them. Glucose won’t give you long-term energy. It will instead help you to improve your strength in the short term. Glucose can give you a slight kick when you’re struggling.
Carbs come in two types, simple and complex, and your body can convert them to sugar (glucose). Complex carbs such as dried beans and starchy vegetables provide your body with the best type of prolonged energy. In addition, complex carbs digest at a slow and consistent rate.
Eat medium-chain triglycerides (MCT ). Their molecules are smaller than those in other fats (long-chain triglycerides [LCT]), making them easier to convert to energy.
Experts do not recommend eating glucose only to improve your energy levels. Instead, it’s better to use MCT oil from coconuts and other natural sources. The body does not absorb MCT oil the same way as LCT fats. MCT encourages the body to produce ketones–a type of energy with many particular uses for the brain.
Chia seeds contain a prime source of omega-3 fatty acids that provide long-term energy. Over time, they can help your body function at its best and burn more calories.
If you want an example of someone with high energy levels, look no further than the Tarahumara tribe! This group of indigenous people can run hundreds of miles in a single go. They accomplish this thanks to chia seeds–capable of absorbing their weight in water several times!
Use iron, an essential mineral needed to transport oxygen throughout the body, improve your energy levels.
Iron creates the red blood cells that carry oxygen around the body. More iron equals more oxygen where you need it. The body needs an adequate amount of iron, but too much iron can overload the body and cause problems.
Food Sources of Iron
- Heme iron – fish, chicken, meat, dairy, and eggs, is easily absorbed.
- Non-Heme iron – beans, vegetables, and soy, many factors enhance and limit it.
Vinpocetine increases brain circulation, alertness, cognitive function, concentration, energy, and memory and lowers inflammation and oxidative stress.
Vasodilation can also help you get more oxygen around your body when you need it and widen your blood cells. You can do this by eating foods with nitrates, such as garlic. Professional runners who run marathons benefit from wider arteries that give them more oxygen and energy. In addition, many people worldwide use vinpocetine, a natural ingredient that takes it one step further to improve cognitive functions. Vinpocetine increases alertness and concentration by ensuring that vasodilation occurs mainly in the brain’s most important regions. Supplement companies extract vinpocetine from the seeds of the periwinkle plant.
CoQ10, also known as coenzyme10, improves energy, augments the immune system, and acts as an antioxidant.
You can improve energy levels by increasing mitochondrial energy metabolism. Focus on CoQ10, PQQ, and creatine, which you can find in many foods.
- Organ meats: Heart, liver, and kidney
- Some muscle meats: pork, beef, and chicken
- Fatty fish: Trout, herring, mackerel, and sardine
- Vegetables: spinach, cauliflower, and broccoli
- Fruit: Oranges and strawberries
- Legumes: soybeans, lentils, and peanuts
- Nuts and seeds: Sesame seeds and pistachios
Life draws energy directly or indirectly from the Sun
While plants draw energy directly from the Sun, we eat plants and other animals to harvest the energy we need. You can not deny it. Your energy level determines your emotions, thinking, and actions. You add significant value to your workout, health, fitness, and life by improving your energy levels. Eating the right foods and supplements helps you to reach your fitness goals. Also, don’t forget about water. While water does not provide calories, your body needs it to stay hydrated and alert.