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Helpful Tips
9 Natural Ways To Improve Your Energy Levels
How does your body make energy?
So how does your body ‘make’ energy and what are some natural ways to improve it?
There are so many things that contribute to creating energy - some come from iron and B12 that contribute to moving oxygen around the body.
Others can come from having stable blood sugars that allow you to get through the day with an even distribution of sugars into your blood system. Being adequately hydrated is also important as you are made up of quite a lot of water! You need water to help with the biochemical reactions within your body and also to move nutrients and oxygen in your blood supply around your body.
Your thyroid also plays a major part - it is basically the boss in our body. It is in charge of so many things, like your hormones and metabolism and this is what helps to govern your energy levels. The hormones the thyroid produce instruct the body on when and how to use the nutrients and oxygen you consume and that maintains your metabolism which is the series of reactions your bodies’ cells perform to provide you with energy.
The thyroid sends out messages to your heart to increase it’s rate to help breakdown the nutrients and to also pump them around the body. When you need more energy the thyroid can send out more hormones to increase the metabolism. Your thyroid allows your cells to grow, reproduce and provide you with energy.
Your thyroid is governed by your pituitary gland which is in your brain, it picks up the hormone levels in your blood and can sense if they are too low or too high. If the levels fluctuate it sends out thyroid stimulating hormones to adjust the levels back.
Energy also comes from your diet and how often you move your body. So, while there are lots of things to consider when it comes to energy, there are also lots of natural ways to help improve your energy levels if you’re feeling low or fatigued.
9 natural ways to improve energy
1. Drink more water
- Drink bottles. Keep one in the car and one on your desk. Add some flavour if you don’t like ‘straight’ water. Fresh mint, lemon balm or citrus fruits can help.
- Add coconut water into your green smoothies
- First thing before anything else in the morning drink a glass of water
- Try sparkling water instead of a second wine (our Switchel is awesome for this!)
- Freeze some of our tonics into large ice cubes and add sparkling water for extra flavour
- Make a big pot of herbal tea and have that cold the next day
2. Keep to your bed and wake times
3. Don't overdo the caffeine
So - by all means have your coffee or coffees but know that a natural way to improve energy is limiting your caffeine. Try and reduce the last one to before 3pm, or make it a decaf. Even better, have a herbal tea that is still satisfying but not stimulating.
4. Reduce your stress
Natural ways to reduce stress and improve energy levels include incorporating adrenal and nervine supporting herbs like:
- Holy basil (Tulsi) - Tulsi can help support the body in times of physical and emotional stress. It makes a lovely tea or tincture
- Chamomile - Chamomile is so good at helping us to calm down. It can be taken as a tea, glycetract or tincture. You can have it through the day to help support healthier cortisol levels, as well as supporting a calmer nervous system.
- Californian poppy - This amazing plant also helps to support your nervous system as well as supporting to help relax muscles which we definitely need when we are tense and stressed.
We use chamomile and Californian poppy in our Rest & Calm
5. Increase your plant based minerals
Because Iron and B12 contribute to moving oxygen around the body, making sure you are getting enough of both is a great natural way to improve energy. Iron and B12 are important - so please make sure that you are not deficient in those before you consider supplementation!
If you know you often have low(ish) iron, you could consider adding in iron rich foods and plants such as nettle, molasses, red meat, dark green leafy vegetables, raisins and apricots. Our Daily Boost Tonic is a great and easy way of increasing your plant based minerals and plant based iron, you can have it as a hot drink or in your smoothies.
🌿Related: The Health Benefits Of Rosehip: Our Daily Boost Tonic
6. Eat more green things
Green leafy vegetables are packed full of plant based (non haem) iron, minerals and vitamins that can support healthy energy levels. They are also high in chlorophyll and antioxidants which also positively effect your energy levels.
7. Try meditation
Mindfulness and meditation are often discussed when we talk about destressing our lives, which in turn leads to more energy. By reducing the ‘busy’ in our lives we can help to calm our body down and also possibly allow some perspective on things that might be stressful or concerning you. It can be a simple 3 minute meditation when you wake up or go to sleep. Or it could be as easy as stopping in the day to breathe in for 10 counts, hold for 10 and breathe out for 10. An exercise like this is a great natural way to improve energy.
🌿Related: 5 Natural Remedies For Stress That Actually Work
8. Get outside
The sun, fresh air and plants can have an energising effect on us, so getting outside daily is important. The sun provides vitamin D which you need for a healthy immune system (as well as mood and bone health) so if you can get outside and enjoy the sunshine you will feel better for it!
🌿Related: 7 Easy Ways To Naturally Boost Your Immune System
