Sustained Energy Through Diet

One major commodity of the new millennium is energy. People want it all when it comes to creating a full and satisfying life. Sustaining balance between family, career, exercise, recreation and spirituality can be an exhausting process. As a result, working and playing intensely requires enormous amounts of energy. The correct food performs an integral role in fueling our bodies and mind. Resources elected to attain this energy can make a significant difference to health and the quality of output and stamina.

What is energy and how do we gauge it? Energy can be expressed as calories. Each calorie is equivalent to one unit of energy. Our body/mind organism requires a specific amount of energy for every moment we are alive. Even while asleep energy is required to maintain breathing, heart rate and organ function. Ingesting additional energy units than essential produces weight gain, fewer than necessary results in malnutrition. When energy is cultivated with the proper foundation, the body will naturally lose or gain weight, control cravings and increase productivity.

Foods that decrease energy include caffeine, refined, processed, chemicalized and white foods, medication, coffee, soft drinks, alcohol, too much meat or not enough, tobacco, milk products, sugar, artificial sweeteners, and trans fats. Caffeine, sugar, tobacco, alcohol and a number of medications are classified as stimulants. These stimulants may appear to supply energy but actually deplete the body of minerals and vitamins during the digestive process. This results in an initial boost of vigor followed by a plunge in energy level. This phenomenon triggers a cycle of craving more of these substances in an effort to combat the fatigue that occurs when the energy plummets. To get off the roller coaster of energy highs and lows it is crucial to reduce or eliminate these foods from the diet.

Eating foods high in protein, trans fats and saturated fat can lead to constipation. This condition causes energy to be trapped in the intestines. This manifests as fatigue, weight gain, dehydration (even slight dehydration will tire you and cloud your concentration), irritability, procrastination or a general stuckness and inability to move forward in life. Solutions include drinking water, adding fiber, reducing bad fats and increasing the correct variety of good fats in the diet. Incorporating fiber in the form of celery, broccoli, raisins, prunes and figs, high fiber cereal and whole grains will work quickly in relieving constipation but are most effective when integrated regularly into daily diet. Trans fats are contained in margarine, cookies, crackers and peanut butter along with most processed foods. Inspect the label on products and eliminate all foods that have the words hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated on the ingredient list.

Decreasing the portion size of animal products (meat and dairy) ingested will result in a lower consumption of saturated fat. Employing good quality organic olive, flax seed and fish oils either as a supplement or in salad dressings and during cooking can provide the good fats needed for high energy. Healthy fats satiate and the omega-3 fats found in olive oil, flaxseed oil and fatty fish help keep your brain humming.

Power foods for brain and body are alive and whole (just like we want to be). Whole foods have not been processed or refined which means they have all of their nutritional components intact. The refining process eradicates elements that may include fiber, vitamins, and minerals generating an end product that is substandard for nutritional purposes. Before processing all vegetables, fruits, beans and grains are classified as complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are a ‘whole food” composed of long chains of sugars and fiber. When chewed thoroughly they are absorbed gradually and systematically in the intestines creating a long sustained energy level. The processed version is classified as a simple carbohydrate meaning that during processing these long sugar chains and fiber have been broken down or removed. These don’t require chewing and are absorbed directly through the tongue resulting in a quick but not sustainable burst of energy. Incorporating whole foods in the form of complex carbs will sustain high energy levels throughout the day.

Sleep, a long under valued commodity, can increase energy and efficiency. Going to bed by 10pm can have a significant impact on energy levels. Every hour of sleep before midnight is worth two hours of sleep after midnight. According to Chinese Five Element Theory, which is a thousand year compilation of the correlation between food and body organ systems, the body maintenance schedule builds immunity from 10pm to 2 am. This means it is imperative to be resting during this time to give the body optimal chance to recuperate and remain strong. It is best to stop eating at least three hours before retiring hours. A heavy meal in the evening will give you more energy at night making sleep more difficult. According to Lino Stanchich a leader in dietary nutrition and author of Macrobiotic Healing Secrets, “Eating before going to bed interferes with the energy and healing you obtain from food as well as how you think and sleep. It is one of the greatest mistakes you can make.” Good sleep deposits reserves into our health bank to fortify our total well-being.

Rose Payne is the founder and Director of High Level Wellness a holistic health and nutrition center in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. She is an AADP certified Holistic Nutrition Counselor and National Educator with a private practice that offers assistance countrywide. She is also the Director of the Immersion Graduate Program at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in NYC. Her passion is helping clients transform their lives through the power of nutrition. You can contact Rose at info@high-level-wellness-online.com

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