Brent Kearney

Feeling tired or sleepy during the day? Nubella has published Five Ways to Boost Your Energy. They are:

1. Drink half your body weight in pounds, in ounces of water, per day. So if you weigh 180lbs (82kg), you should drink about 90oz (2.7L) of water per day. This does not include juice, soda, coffee or tea — just water. Water helps many bodily functions, and you will feel better if you drink enough of it.

2. Eliminate caffeine from your diet. Caffeine is a diuretic, causing you to dehydrate. It also causes the loss of essential calcium and potassium from your system.

3. Eliminate processed sugar from your diet. Consuming sugar causes your blood-glucose level to spike, which is inevitably followed by an energy-sapping low.

4. Eat plenty of natural, whole foods, such as grains, fruits and vegetables. These foods contain complex carbohydrates that provide lasting and quality energy to your body.

5. Eat three meals per day, especially breakfast. I disagree that there is something magical about the number 3 — its probably better to have 5 small meals instead of 3 large ones — but I completely agree that a breakfast of high-quality food is especially important for energy throughout the day.

Number two, for me, is something to consider. I’ve been a coffee fiend for a long time, and failed to find much evidence of its negative effects. It is true that caffeine is a diuretic. If I over-dose on coffee in the morning and I’m training that day, I really notice it. I love coffee enough not to eliminate it from my diet, but I will definitely seek to moderate my caffeine intake. I may even switch to decaf…

Two more items that I would add to Nubella’s list are:

6. Exercise regularly. Low-intensity “base” training, where your heart rate is elevated to 60-70% of your max (not more) is a good place to start. Most people’s maximum heart rate is about 220 less their age. For example, an average 35 year old’s max is about 185, and so they would exercise with their heart rate between 111 and 129 beats per minute.

7. Get enough sleep! Duh! ;-) Sleep is very under-appreciated in modern society, but it is essential to our health and well-being. It is worth doing some research on, and taking steps in your life to ensure that you’re getting adequate amounts of it.