5 healthy habits for beating energy VAMPIRES.

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I love this vampire gurl!

As we’ve established I’ve jettisoned the java.

As we’ve also established, I did it only because my machine broke (pour some grounds out for our fallen homie) and I realized even without my morning jolt I wasn’t appreciably more tired.

I was just tiredtired.

It seems we’re all tired tired.

We’re coming off the Halloween High, gearing up for holidays-to-come, and the lament I most frequently hear from friends is how *exhausted* they are.

A National Sleep Foundation survey found over 63% percent of Americans aren’t getting the slumber they need and are leading groggy, tired lives.

I can’t help you locate that elusive extra hour of slumber, but I do have ideas how we can fight the energy-vampires around us and win.

I want to do yoga.

I want to PLAY.

There are weights which need hoisting.

I have trashy television to watch.

I can’t afford to be drained of energy.

As a result, I’m committing to 5 healthy habits to beat back vampires & amp up energy through the rest of 2016.

Join me?

  • Make your coven eat breakfast! We all know breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Studies reveal many of us don’t put this theory into practice. Research also indicates breakfast does more than spark metabolism! It’s linked with lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol. Stress is an energy vampire (and heart attack trigger)! Make it fast. Make it simple. Make breakfast part of your morning routine & set your day up for energy-success.

 

  • Hydrate (insert awkward NOT with blood joke) With cooler weather it’s easy to forget about hydration The majority of our blood, however, is made up of water and dehydration causes it to thicken. The result is the heart works harder to pump blood through the body & we feel fatigued. There’s still debate as to HOW MUCH water we need. I go with the fact *most of us* need more than we’re getting. Carla tip: If you don’t rock the water try adding in water-containing foods (yogurt, watermelon, oranges, cucumbers and broccoli etc).

 

  • Cut back on (afternoon) caffeine While it may cause you to openly weep feel counter-intuitive to *skip* your pick-me-up there’s science behind this. An afternoon latte provides energy for a few hours. The vampire, however, arrives at night. Caffeine remains in the body for 3-5 hours after ingesting and, if you’re sensitive, for up to 12. Even if you don’t experience difficulty falling asleep the quality of rest can be vampired impacted by late day caffeine. Carla tip: Almost all decaf. coffee contains a measure of caffeine. Perhaps swap even decaf. for my fave drink which rhymes with enjoy?

 

  • BREATHE!!! Lately Ive noticed I’m “shallow breathing.” My lungs don’t fully inflate (so I yawn & feel worse) & my poor overworked cranium never gets the oxygen it needs to feel awake & alive. In an effort to keep the energy snatchers at bay I now set smart phone reminders to BREATHE. Once an hour I pause and take 10 slow, deep, FULL breaths. My breathing-breaks are brief—but the impact on my energy level lingers. Try it. I, too, was a skeptic.

 

  • Drive a STAKE through sugar (just in case you’re not on my low processed no sugar bandwagon) Sugar is one of the biggest energy vampires around. Not ready to surrender the sweets? Perhaps include fiber with sugary snacks. It sounds odd but fiber slows rate of sugar entry into bloodstream. Something as simple as whole grain crackers with your chocolate can lessen energy dips & is like SILVER to energy-stealing vampires. Wanna resemble our family? ROLL THAT FUN SIZED SNICKERS IN SOME CHIA. It’s tastier than it sounds…

Now you.

  • Are you game to EAT (breakfast) DRINK (lottsa H20) BREATHE & be LOW-SUGAR-merry as we finish out the year?
  • Have you already succeeded in beating away blood energy suckers & forcing em into the Veil of the Shadows?

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Comments

  2. Sugar is a sneaky one for me. I don’t think I eat that much but when I really pick apart my food – YEP – sugar!!! I have to be careful there…I too have lots of trashy TV to watch!!

  3. I need to stop using sugar as a crutch. It’s too easy to reach for my crack in the afternoon LOL
    Jelly beans!

  4. The time change this year has thrown me off. Even brighter mornings aren’t helping, I’m exhausted

  7. Your points are spot on. Another one I would add is to put boundaries in place to protect yourself from people who drain your energy. People and relationship dynamics can such the living daylights out of you and seriously rob you of energy. Good to have a strategy to block the energy drainers, and on the flip side, spend way more time with people that give you energy.

    Good to deal with the energy drainers but also powerful to focus on doing more of the things that give you energy too.

  9. Wow, we are all feeling the lack of mojo! It’s weird…the collective census…isnt it. Like showing up to work and your outfit matches a co-worker. So much in common, I guess we are all connected! Love the theme its perfection!

  10. I think I do tend toward shallow breathing mid-day.
    I’m also exhausted.
    I’ll try this.
    I’ll try anything at this point 🙂

  12. Yes to all! Especially breakfast. I protein load in the mornings and find my body is much happier with me. Yesterday it was thin sliced chicken breasts, this morning I had very low-sugar homemade BBQ over rainbow quinoa. I just got my first bag of chia seeds, so I am looking forward to experimenting with them. I must confess to still clinging to my morning coffee. Here is to a healthy rest of 2015.

  14. Those all sound like great ideas. 🙂 I know I’ve noticed a huge difference in how I can relate to my body and the rest I need once I cut out caffeine. I’m back to a cup of tea in the mornings, but I like being in better touch with how I feel and what I need.
    The deep breathing – I need to try that. I have a feeling it would help me relax a lot…

  15. Love this. BREATHE is the one I forget while in the office….when I need it most! Before I finished reading, I added the alarm to my phone, but since I know I’m inclined to ignore that, it’s also a neon green sticky on my screen. In fact, I think I’ll do that now….

  16. I am a diaphramatic breathing failure, to be honest! I don’t like to think about my breathing (really, one more thing?!) but I know I should!

    • I’m SO THE CAMEL TOO. I’ve learned the shocking hard way, however, how I feel better with water. My best tip is get a soda stream. TOSS OUT THE SODA FLAVORING CRAP 🙂 drink the stream only. Carbonated water is the only way I water…

  20. Breathing…definitely something I need to continually work on! And sugar – oy vey. I know if I gave up sugar I would feel a million times better (I’ve done it before). New Year’s resolution #1!

  26. I’m not tired….and I get up at 4 and out the door to run, swim or cycle + yoga (and lately lift as race season has ended) before I leave for work at 6:15. I am ENERGIZED through the work day because of my morning exercise! I am excited about the holidays- making my own cards, sewing presents for family members and preparing meals for ones I love! I’m 62 and have more energy (sans caffeine except for one cup in the wee dark hours) than I did when I was in my 30s and 40s!

  27. I’m going to work my way…dare I say WYCWYC my way…through. I’m already the master of eating breakfast. Good breakfast. I *have* cut back on afternoon coffee as some days I really don’t feel the need for it and skip it. I like water and drink it, but not always as often as I’d like since I have to plan for the days I’m on the road. Sugar though. I just don’t want to give up my nighttime peanut M&Ms. And I know there are probably sugars in my bread…and there is a lot of Halloween candy around right now. Like a lot. But I’ll work on it 🙂

  28. I have to add one to the list that I need to work on – don’t stay up to all hours of the night! But I know that I don’t hydrate enough, sleep enough and that I eat too much sugar and drink too much caffeine. It’s no wonder I always feel like I’m dragging!

  29. YES YES YES to all of this, which I do on a daily basis…I cut off my coffee intake at 9:30 AM or earlier these days…It makes a huge difference. I do have to cut off my water as well in the afternoon otherwise I am running to the bathroom ALL night…DOH!

  30. Love these ideas! All I would add is saying no to anything extra that will stress you out and saying YES to enjoying the things that only come around once a year. 🙂

  31. I passed every single one. I did! ALL FIVE.

    Carla knows what she’s talking about.

    However, I wish I could remember to drop my shoulders throughout the day because as soon as I get really interested in my writing, I lean forward and up they go.

  32. I recent gave up processed sugar and cut my coffee down to one cup in the morning and I have noticed a HUGE difference in my energy!!

    You wouldn’t think that those 2 things would increase energy but it really does!

  35. I think eating breakfast is key! I have been really trying to eat it daily, except I do find myself eating it pretty late in the day on busy days.

    I have cut caffeine down and no longer drink it in the afternoon. I think I sleep so much better now at night.

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