David Baxter PhD
Late Founder
Food For Thought: Energize Your Life
by Whitney Ahneman in from A Beautiful Ripple Effect
September 27, 2010
Internal energy is a funny thing? it?s hard to name all of the various factors that culminate into our energy level. Sleep, food, drink, stress, happiness, naivety, exercise/fitness, schedule, recent illness, etc.. The list could go on and on and it changes for every person. While there is no finite definition to describe this internal energy we all operate at some baseline level and above.
Energy level, more so than weight status or the ability to run a mile in under eight minutes, is very indicative of a person?s recent healthy behaviors. These behaviors include more than just calories in versus calories out and exercise. I am talking about the full spectrum of health; healthy release of stress, proper sleep, maintenance of a fairly regular schedule, spending time with loved ones. The whole nine yards.
I?ll be the first to admit that when I haven?t been sleeping enough or giving myself time to decompress or exercising regularly, I can feel it in my day-to-day energy level. My baseline is affected. I think the big three external factors that you can manipulate are: food, exercise, and sleep. Taking small steps to maintain healthy behaviors in these areas will help the other psychosocial factors fall into place as well (I?m sure Carolyn could tell us much more on the psychological theories that back this up! Note from Carolyn: consider it done ? one of my upcoming posts will expand on this energy discussion!).
Daily Tips to Employ
Sleep
by Whitney Ahneman in from A Beautiful Ripple Effect
September 27, 2010
Internal energy is a funny thing? it?s hard to name all of the various factors that culminate into our energy level. Sleep, food, drink, stress, happiness, naivety, exercise/fitness, schedule, recent illness, etc.. The list could go on and on and it changes for every person. While there is no finite definition to describe this internal energy we all operate at some baseline level and above.
Energy level, more so than weight status or the ability to run a mile in under eight minutes, is very indicative of a person?s recent healthy behaviors. These behaviors include more than just calories in versus calories out and exercise. I am talking about the full spectrum of health; healthy release of stress, proper sleep, maintenance of a fairly regular schedule, spending time with loved ones. The whole nine yards.
I?ll be the first to admit that when I haven?t been sleeping enough or giving myself time to decompress or exercising regularly, I can feel it in my day-to-day energy level. My baseline is affected. I think the big three external factors that you can manipulate are: food, exercise, and sleep. Taking small steps to maintain healthy behaviors in these areas will help the other psychosocial factors fall into place as well (I?m sure Carolyn could tell us much more on the psychological theories that back this up! Note from Carolyn: consider it done ? one of my upcoming posts will expand on this energy discussion!).
Daily Tips to Employ
Sleep
- Try to regulate your sleep schedule. Keeping things normal will allow your body to fall into a schedule. Remember how important schedules were when you were a child for healthy development? Well that doesn?t necessarily change as we grow older, we just become more stubborn about listening to it!
- When it?s time to catch up on sleep, live by this rule: every hour of sleep before midnight = two hours of sleep after midnight. In other words don?t just plan to sleep in one morning, go to bed early to really allow your body to get good rest. **Note: In all honesty, I don?t have any research to point to to back this up, but I truly believe it helps.
- Listen to your body. It?s amazing how smart our bodies are. They do know when we are running ourselves thin. And it?s OK to rest. It?s not a sign of weakness.
- Regular exercise is more important than a few periods of intense exercise. Make walking, running, stretching, taking the stairs, biking, etc. part of your regular routine. Exercise for just 20 minutes elevates the metabolism for 12 hours. Think along these lines: 30 minutes/day will do more good than 1 hour 3x/wk.
- Learn to walk it off. Good music, silly dance moves, and a walk/run on a nice day are the best cures for times of stress. Clearing your head for a few minutes and exercising or moving will stimulate the production of happy neurotransmitters in your brain!
- Regular meals and snacks will help maintain your energy level. Don?t start skipping, you?ll be even hungrier for the next meal, which leads to overeating and energy peaks and valleys.
- Whole grains and fiber and protein! Oh my! Whole grains and foods that contain more fiber release glucose into the bloodstream at a slower rate, which allows for a healthier, longer-lasting energy curve. This is much better for the body than those sugary foods that provide a quick source of energy and leave you feeling drained and hungry again after. Protein helps slow down digestion of carbohydrates as well; so combining protein foods with carbohydrate foods (ex. apple with peanut butter or a turkey sandwich) will leave you with a more satisfying meal that keeps you fuller, longer.
- Fruits and Veggies! Sometimes I think that saying those three words is always the answer. I?ve said it before and I?ll say it again. Vary your produce and pack it into your diet as best you can. These two food groups provide a variety of flavors, antioxidants, phytochemicals, vitamins, minerals, and often lots of water and fiber. All good things for the body. Stuck in a rut? Try something new, I dare you.
- Oh Breakfast, Where Art Thou? (includes a free PDF)
- You Are What You Eat, Literally
- Inflammation and You
- Demeanor Determines Consumption
- What is Seasonal? (includes a free PDF)
- Oh My Omega!
