Parenting

Take Five Steps to More Energy By Dr. Thomas O. Goode Energy is the key to life. When you have energy you are able to do more, see more, and be more. Unfortunately, we have lost touch with what our bodies need to perform well. This often leaves us chronically exhausted and sluggish. The good news is that there are positive steps we can take to remedy this situation. First and foremost, we need to reeducate ourselves. Learning what the body and mind needs for peak functioning allows us to care for ourselves with intention. Only then is it possible to break the low energy cycle and live well. Five Simple Steps to More Energy Food. Food fuels your body. It supplies the energy you need to live your best life. The body needs proper nutrition to perform a number of tasks. It utilizes the food you feed it to make the energy necessary for all bodily functions. It uses the energy it produces for external tasks as well. Your mental and physical activities all depend on energy. If your body is not receiving the proper nutrients, it will first take what it needs to keep itself running. Whatever is left over goes towards your conscious actions. Therefore, in order to live well and accomplish your goals, you must feed your body well. This means giving your body more of what it uses efficiently and less of what it can not use at all. For instance, your body digests and utilizes protein first. Nonessential foods such as fat and alcohol are digested last or stored as fat. This is because your body doesn't need them to thrive. A well balanced diet consists of adequate protein, plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and a small amount low fat dairy and fat. You should also strive to eat quality foods. Foods in their natural state without added chemicals are good. Organic produce and grain fed meats are best. Water. Dehydration is one of the major and lesser known reasons for fatigue. We reach this state because the body does not tell us it needs water until the last minute... Therefore, it is possible to be dehydrated before you become thirsty. In addition, we often confuse our thirst and hunger signals. That is why dieters are often told to drink a glass of water when they are hungry. Many times the body needs water not food. To ensure you get the water your body needs, drink 6-8 8 ounce glasses of water a day. Exercise. When you are tired, exercise is about the last thing you feel capable of. But, exercise actually increases your energy level. When first adding regular exercise to your life, you will notice that you are tired afterwards. Stick to it. After a short amount of time you will be less tired after your workouts and have more energy overall. It is also important to remember that exercise does not have to be grueling or extensive. Be sure to choose an activity you enjoy and will enter into with pleasure. That could be walking, running, gardening, swimming or canoeing. Just as long as you are active. Walking for a half an hour a day provides you with enough exercise to increase your energy level and live well. Emotions. Many people do not realize how much energy it takes to restrict their emotions. It takes a great deal more energy to keep your emotions in check or bottled up than it does to freely express them. Learning how to constructively express displeasure or ask for what you need is uplifting. Dealing with your emotional issues in a positive way takes away the burden of harboring them. This results in more energy for the things you enjoy. Breathing. Most of us take breathing for granted. It is something our bodies do. Unfortunately, for many of us, it isn't something we do well. As we age, we begin adopt shallow breathing patterns. These patterns do not provide our bodies with the oxygen necessary to proper functioning. Proper breathing involves drawing big breaths and expanding the abdomen, solar plexus, and lungs with oxygen. Learning how to breath well can give your body more of what it needs. Then it can give you more energy and more of what you desire from life. For more information on proper breathing techniques, visit www.fullwavebreathing.com . Dr. Thomas O. Goode is the co-founder of the International Breath Institute, which was created in 1991 to teach people how to enhance their health and prevent premature aging. He is also an inspirational speaker, workshop facilitator, and author of seven books, the latest of which is Fully Alive-Feel Better, Look Younger and Improve Your Sex Life. To contact Dr. Good, receive the free ezine, or for more information on Full Wave Breathing, visit www.fullwavebreathing.com Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com.