Are there certain days when you just need some more energy? The days your energy is up and you are productive are usually days when you are proud and positive. How can you have more days like that? What can you do on a regular basis to keep your energy levels high and contribute to your productivity? The past week you have been prioritizing your fuel and water and listing the healthy food sources you ate each day.
Your food intake, types of food choices, and how you choose to hydrate yourself plays a crucial role in your energy levels. Did you know your brain uses carbohydrate to process information and function at every level? Carbohydrate intake can consist of high quality grains, fruits, vegetables, and fiber. It can fuel our energy in a constant cycle and leave your brain function and sense of energy at optimal levels. OR, you can choose carbohydrates that are filled with simple sugar, added fat and salt, caffeine, no fiber, and no nutrition, leaving you with energy spikes followed by big energy crashes. Choose your carbohydrates wisely…..they affect your energy and entire day!
What about our dietary fat intake too? Fat is slow to metabolize. A meal that is high in fat can leave you feeling sluggish and tired. Good fat like avocados, flax oil, nuts, lean proteins, and fish can have a filling effect and help energy levels to stay constant just like those good carbohydrates. Junky fat like French fries, chips, donuts and desserts, fast foods and cheap oils will weigh you down and pull your energy with it. Food is a big piece of your energy puzzle, but not the only piece. Sleep and stress are major factors too. The phrase “you can’t outwork a bad diet” is true but you also can’t underplay the need for sleep. If you are not getting enough QUALITY sleep your energy levels and productivity will be down.
This week you are going to track your energy levels with a simple word such as high, medium or low on your exercise log. Everyday you track this week for activity, I also want you to track your energy level. Maybe in the morning your energy is high and then in the evening it drops very low. Add those details in and lets see if you can find any patterns or areas where you can makes some changes to keep your energy up and heading in the right direction!
Let’s eat for great energy this week and continue to consume lots of water and less sugar and caffeine. For your mid week thread, please answer the following questions by Wednesday and respond to your classmates by Sunday.
1. What are the 3 biggest factors that contribute to your personal energy levels? These can be positive or negative! I call negative energy sources in your life Energy Vampires. They suck the energy out of you and leave you feeling depleted. Do you have people or things like that in your life?
2. How does weekly exercise effect your weekly energy levels?
3. Do you rely on sugar or caffeine throughout the day for energy? How can you change this habit? Caffeine in the morning before noon is ok, but later in the day and into the evening increases the negative consequences and impacts sleep habits.
4.How many hours of sleep is your minimum that you still feel you function well? What is your typical quantity of sleep each night? What is one thing you can do to improve the quality or quantity of your sleep?
Requirements: follow the instructions
