Dragging your feet? Need a third cup of coffee to keep you going? Wishing your alarm clock would take a hike? If you feel like your energy is lagging and you are crashing off in the afternoon – a few nutrition tweaks can make some big improvements!
My name is Katie Vigesaa, I am a real food promoting registered dietitian. I offer individualized nutrition consultations, in person classes to local businesses, and am in the process of putting together classes you can view ONLINE! My greatest passion is teaching people just like you that real food eating can change your health for the better.
Let’s get to our topic – 3 ways to increase your energy!
- Enough protein!
The first reason I typically find my client have low energy is they aren’t getting in enough nutrient rich foods, but specifically not getting in enough protein! If you are just grabbing a piece of toast, or a bar for breakfast, not eating lunch or just nibbling on what the kids are having – you are lacking protein.
Low protein = low energy. When I say protein I mean proteins like eggs, yogurt, cheese, beef, fish, chicken, and turkey. These are proteins that your body is very efficient at using for energy.
Try a couple eggs for breakfast, maybe 3-4 oz of chicken on a big salad for lunch, and maybe a slice of slow-cooker pot roast with veggies for dinner. I think you’ll be surprised at how your energy takes off. These animal derived proteins animal proteins are typically higher in iron and B vitamins – both big energy givers.
And yes, things like beans,peanuts and nuts have protein – but they are inefficient forms of protein. Healthy foods, not great protein sources. Think you are getting enough proteins? Try food journaling for a few days and see!
- More gut bacteria
Did you know your gut bugs can increase your energy? Those probiotics are truly energy givers. Most of the time people just think of probiotics for a healthier digestive system, and of course that helps, but they work another way!
They help you break down your food better. When you are digesting your food better, you absorb the nutrients better. Things like B vitamins, iron, and amino acids are important to increase your energy. If you aren’t digesting your food properly, you aren’t getting your energizing nutrients.
If you want to get more probiotic rich foods in your diet, include things like kimchi, miso, sauerkraut, or plain organic yogurt daily. If that doesn’t interest you, just take a good quality probiotic.
- Enough water!
I know you might know this but you need enough water to keep your energy up! A general recommendations is half of your body weight in ounces. So if you are around 200 pounds then shoot for around 100 ounces of water. You need that fluid to move toxins out of your cells and move nutrients into the cell.
Katie Paige Vigesaa, RD
