From controlling stress to dietary changes, these tips will teach you how to increase energy levels naturally.
Do you often feel tired or run down and want to know how to increase energy levels? A lack of energy could affect your daily activities and make you less productive. There are many factors like stress, sedentary lifestyle and inadequate sleep, which are all responsible for low energy levels. However, it is possible to boost your energy levels naturally by making a few lifestyle and dietary changes.
What causes low energy levels?
There are several reasons why you might have low energy:
- Poor diet: An unhealthy diet can lead to nutritional deficiencies that can cause fatigue and lower your energy levels.
- Anemia: Fatigue is one of the most common signs of iron deficiency or anemia.
- Lack of sleep: Sleep loss is a major energy drain. To maintain our energy levels, we need 8-9 hours of sleep every night.
- Stress: Prolonged stress can be responsible for fatigue and low energy levels. According to a 2011 study of 2,483 people, fatigue is strongly associated with increased stress levels.
- Sedentary lifestyle: Lack of physical activity is also linked to low energy levels.
How to increase energy levels naturally?
Here are a few tips and tricks to increase your energy levels naturally.
Healthy and balanced diet
Do you often feel tired after eating high-carbohydrate and refined food? This is because the sugars present in these foods are absorbed quickly. One of our top tips on how to increase energy levels is eating foods with a low glycemic index. They may help improve your energy levels as the sugars present in these foods are absorbed slowly over a longer period of time. Some of the foods with a low glycemic index are:
- Whole Grains
- High-fiber vegetables
- Nuts
- Healthy oils like olive oil
- Add moringa to your diet
If you are wondering how to increase energy levels, moringa may be a great option for you. According to a 2015 study conducted on rats, moringa can increase energy levels and endurance. Moringa also has potent anti-fatigue properties, so it may help improve glycogen reserves during physical activity and reduce triglycerides, urea and lactic acid.
If you are constantly tired, it could be possible that you have anemia. The fatigue happens because your body lacks the iron it needs to make hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is responsible for carrying oxygen around the body. Due to lack of hemoglobin, less oxygen reaches your tissues and muscles, resulting in low energy levels. To help combat this, you can add moringa to your diet as it is one of the best plant-based, iron-rich foods. Iron is notoriously difficult for the body to absorb. Another reason why moringa is a great way to help with anemia is that moringa can help your body readily absorb more iron.
Regular exercise
Regular exercise can increase your energy levels. We know it sounds bizarre to work out to combat fatigue but, it really works. According to a 2006 study, chronic exercise increased feelings of energy and lessened feelings of fatigue. The good news is that you don’t have to take part in high-intensity, killer workouts to reap these benefits. If you are wondering how to increase energy levels with exercise, we recommend brisk walking, low-intensity cycling, and yoga.
Limit sugar intake
If you are always feeling sluggish, excessive sugar in your diet might be the culprit. Although a sweet, sugar-filled snack can give you an instant boost of energy, the effects wear off pretty quickly. This is because high-sugar foods make your blood sugar rise quickly. This leads to your body releasing large amounts of insulin to bring your blood sugar back down. This rise and fall in blood sugar levels is responsible for an instant energy boost followed by fatigue. If you want to know how to increase energy levels, try avoiding foods high in added sugar to keep your energy levels more stable and reduce fatigue.
Control stress
We have already discussed how stress can cause fatigue and lead to low energy levels. If you are wondering how to increase energy levels, managing stress can prove helpful. If your fatigue is stress-induced, taking up activities like yoga or meditation as a routine “self-care” approach can help you become more resistant to stressors. In fact, according to a study, engaging in just 25 minutes of yoga or meditation could boost your mood, as well as your energy levels and executive function.
