> Emotional and Mental Health > Energy and Fatigue

Do you need a real transformation to feel more energized, enthusiastic, and focused? Follow these seven steps and you will enjoy a longer, healthier, and happier life.

1. Recreate

Every day take time to laugh, play, and enjoy life. Happiness is pure “cell friendly” energy and is as helpful as nutrition and fitness—easing depression, elevating the immune system, and reducing mood hunger. The 14th century Persian poet Hafiz wrote:

What is laughter
What is this precious love and laughter
Budding in our hearts
It is the glorious sound
Of a soul waking up!

2. Refuel

Frequent a local health food store and try organic products. Eat more fibre (35 g daily) in vegetables, salads, fruit, beans, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.

You should eat smaller portions and avoid processed foods that are full of sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and trans fats.

Eat three meals and two snacks a day, but never go more than four hours without eating or else “hormone havoc” will cause cravings and bingeing. Eating protein at all three meals will increase the “feel full” hormone CCK, the “I’m satisfied” hormone ghrelin, and the “brain-energizing” hormone glucagon. Eat protein first at each meal. It takes 20 minutes for CCK to get into the brain to “feel full.” Have a protein shake for breakfast made from whey protein isolate powder.

Eat 40-percent complex carbs, 30-percent protein, 30-percent fat (including DHA/EPA-rich fish or enteric-coated triple fish oil softgels). Use a high-quality powdered multi-vitamin/mineral formula daily.

3. Revitalize

Upon rising in the morning drink two cups of warm water with lemon to flush out any accumulated toxins in your body. Fifteen minutes later have a low-calorie “green drink” in water or unsweetened juice to rev up your mitochondria to produce vigour and natural energy. Water, not just any fluid, slows down aging and helps you lose excess body fat. The average person is made up of 65-percent water so hydrate with eight to 10 glasses of water daily.

4. Renew

Twice a day, breathe slowly and deeply through both nostrils for five minutes to “turn on” your parasympathetic nervous system. This will reduce anxiety or mood hunger by 90 percent. Try massage, sauna, Tai Chi, or Hatha yoga to remove both physical and emotional toxins and relax your body and mind.

5. Regenerate

Deep sleep is an anabolic process when your body cleanses each cell from the day’s “wear-and-tear” and replenishes nutrients. Sleep in a dark room to produce the hormone melatonin that puts you into deep sleep. Deep sleep produces the human growth hormone (HGH) that efficiently burns body fat and builds lean muscle mass.

6. Recharge:

Exercise and movement are critical to reduce the corrosive stress hormone, cortisol. Laugh, and your cortisol drops 39 percent—but “feel good” beta-endorphins increase 27 percent.

The British Journal of Public Health in 2002 reported that overweight adults are at higher risk of degenerative disease than cigarette smokers. Lose body fat by daily exercise such as walking, swimming, or dancing. Muscle burns fat: build one pound of muscle to burn 50 calories a day, or five pounds of fat a year.

7. Rejuvenate

Studies with an electroencephalograph (EEG) show that meditation boosts the intensity of the alpha waves associated with quiet, peaceful, rejuvenating levels not even seen during sleep. Meditation lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Sam Graci is a renowned researcher and the author of the The Power of Superfoods (Prentice Hall, 1997) and Canadian best-seller, The Food Connection (Wiley, 2001).

Source: alive #262, August 2004