How to have more energy when it's colder and darker earlier
Happy Wednesday! I hope you are doing well! I'm looking forward to this weekend because I'm going to San Francisco! I've never been there before, so I'm really excited about it. I'll just be there for a short time, but I was able to get free flights with airline points.
I hope you are doing with the time change well. This is not my favorite time of the year. I don't like it when I'm done working for the day and it feels and looks like it's 10pm. I remember when I lived in Wisconsin, I would get home from work, and it was dark and cold, and I would go inside and sit on the couch with a blanket because I was tired from the cold and dreary weather. It’s a little bit better here since it’s not as cold, but I still have days when I just feel like I don’t have any energy. So, what can you do during this time of year to get more energy?
Work out in the morning. If you can get up any earlier, it will really give you more energy if you work out before starting your day. Even it you get up 30 minutes earlier, you can do a quick workout or go for a walk. It can be very difficult to get up, but once you do it, you will feel so much better. This is a good time to start getting up earlier since it should feel like it's an hour later. I've always done my workout first thing when I get up (because, if I didn't, I'm not sure if I would do it). It will help to wake you up in the morning and give you energy throughout the day and not feel like you just rolled out of bed and went to work. And, that way, you will have already done your workout, so won’t have to worry about it when you get home.
Watch your diet. When you think of Fall and Winter, you probably think of warm, comforting foods like soups and stews. We tend to eat heavier foods in the colder months. Although it is good to eat more cooked foods during the colder months, if you eat too many heavy foods, it is going to make you feel tired and weighed down. Try to eat a well balanced diet that includes a lot of vegetables to crowd out some of the heavy foods. For example, try having a vegetable based soup instead of a creamy soup.
Try to avoid sugar as much as possible. This time of year there are tons of treats around. There is leftover Halloween candy and soon there will be Christmas cookies and other treats at home and work. When you eat sugar, it initially gives you energy, but then you will crash and feel tired. Also, try to eat throughout the day to keep your blood sugars balanced. This should help keep you from overeating and from “crashing.” Try eating 6 small meals or 3 meals and 2 snacks.
Make sure that you are getting an adequate amount of vitamins and minerals. Often you will feel tired if you have any deficiencies. Try to follow a healthy diet, but, if you aren’t already, you may want to consider taking a multivitamin with minerals. Adding extra B12 is often helpful too.
Try drinking a green superfood powder. Instead of drinking an energy drink in the morning, try drinking a green superfood powder that provides natural energy. Many of the energy drinks have extra sugars and some other things in them that aren’t very good for you. I like Amazing Grass. It comes in a variety of flavors and actually tastes really good.
Make sure you are getting enough sleep. This time of the year can also be very busy with all of the holidays, but make sure that you are still getting to bed at a decent hour so you don’t skimp on your sleep. Try to aim for 7-8 hours a night. Also, if possible, try to stay on a consistent sleep schedule. If you stay up later on the weekends or sleep in, it may make it more difficult for you to fall asleep during the week.
Consider doing a cleanse. You may be feeling tired and weighed down if you have built up toxins in your body. When you have built up toxins in your body, you also may not be absorbing your nutrients properly, so may have some deficiencies, which may be making you feel unenergetic. Following a cleanse will help get rid of those toxins that are making you feel that way. I am currently offering my Eat Clean, Get Lean Fall Cleanse, which is a 14 day cleanse based on whole foods. I'm planning to do it when I get back from San Francisco. You can read more about it by clicking here.
