The Energy Recipe

Here's my confession for today: I am a reformed slug. I've spent most of my life watching other people rush around (as perceived by my slow-motion eyes) getting things done as I inched along wondering why I couldn't do the same. Waking up was a slow and painful process, I managed to get myself out of bed only by force of will. I was ready for bed right after dinner, the dinner that cooking often seemed like too much bother to do. I didn't have much more energy during the day, either.

My thoughts varied between, "There's something wrong with me," and, "This is just who I am." I vacillated between resigned acceptance and resigned annoyance, with brief periods of hope between the two. I also trekked to a variety of doctors, complaining of my lack of energy. Blood tests were run, over and over again. Nothing was found. I was tested for sleep apnea. Again, negative. This went on for a good part of my life.

Like Dorothy learning that she's had the power to go back to Kansas all along, I now know that I had the power to have more energy all along, too. It's only somewhat more difficult than tapping my heels together three times.

The Madly Healthy Six Ingredient Recipe for Boosting Energy:

1. Keep weight optimal. I wish this were the only ingredient. I was thin until my thirties but this wasn't enough. My weight was great but I lacked energy.

2. Exercise regularly. This is #2 in the 1-2 punch for me. When my weight is optimal and I'm exercising regularly, I feel great. I've noticed that like weight, there's an optimal amount - too little exercise and I'm sluggish, too much and I'm exhausted. Right now, 45 minutes on the treadmill, breaking a sweat at least part of the time is working for me. I do this most days a week. I do some Yoga as well.

3. Eat healthy food. Real food. Whole food. Freshly cooked.

4. Get enough sleep. For me this means pretty close to 8 hours a night. Everyone's different, but studies show that if you're getting much less than that on a regular basis, no matter how much you tell yourself you're getting enough sleep, you're probably not. No matter how much you want to do and no matter how early or how late you want to do it, you still need adequate sleep.

5. Limit caffeine (and sugar). This probably looks oxymoronic (or, if you're addicted to coffee enough, it might just look moronic). However, if coffee's your pick-me-up, try cutting it back. I cut mine back to 12 ounces in the morning. I'd like to cut it down further, but....ah, well, some things are just too hard to give up all at one. Same thing if sugar's what you pump yourself up with...it's only giving you a temporary boost and then you'll crash. More on this in later posts.

6. Drink water. Lots of water all day long. If you find it boring, try it hot (it's actually very refreshing that way) or with lemon juice or pieces of fruit cut into it for flavor. Juice is not water. Water is water.

That's it! Once I started this I transformed my energy level in just weeks. I don't mean to bore you, but I want to emphasize that: it took only weeks to change a lifetime pattern of feeling tired almost all the time to feeling.....madly healthy.....by just following those six guidelines. No drugs, no doctors, no fancy tests.

How's your energy? What works for you? What doesn't?