Increase your energy and your metabolism

NEW: inmaricopa.com is pleased to be bringing you, on a regular basis, timely, useful and informative articles by a wide variety of local experts. This is the second in a series of articles about healthy eating, exercise and weight loss.

Do you go looking for something to keep you awake by 3 p.m. every day to get an energy boost? Do you wish you had a few good ideas on how to get your metabolism working even better? In this article written by Lisa Druxman, M.A., Founder of Stroller Strides and author of LEAN Mommy, she shares some very simple tips that will make a difference for you daily when you follow them.

Let’s face it. We all want the secret to increased energy and a faster metabolism. There is no secret, but I promise if you follow these four tips you will look better and, more importantly, feel better than you ever have. They are nothing new; however, this may be the first time you will find ways to stick with it and achieve the result.

1. Water: You’ve heard it time and time again, but it’s true. Most people walk through their day dehydrated. Ever feel thirsty? Probably at least once per day? Your thirst is a poor barometer to your actual hydration. By the time you get thirsty, you are way past being dehydrated. Why does this matter to you? Water is key to energy and to your metabolism. It will not only help you feel satisfied, but it will enhance digestion. Often, tiredness is really just a symptom of dehydration. Drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water. Fill up a 64-ounce jug of water each morning and commit to finishing it by day’s end.

2. Fruits and veggies: Just like water, most of us don’t get enough. You should have at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. The fiber will help you feel full and will increase your metabolism. The vitamins and minerals will keep you feeling energized. When you eat fresh foods, foods that are truly alive, you will feel more alive, too. It’s easy to lose track, so here’s a little trick that was inspired by a company called Balance Beads. Put five bracelets on your right hand and each time you have a serving of fruit or a veggie, move a bracelet to your left hand. At the end of each day, make sure that your right hand is bracelet free.

3. Pump that heart: Your heart is a muscle, and it needs to be worked so it can stay in shape. When you exercise, you burn calories, increase endorphins and your immune system. It doesn’t have to hurt. In fact, most people usually do too much, too hard, too fast. However, if you are breathing at the same rate as when you sat down to read this article, you are not working hard enough. Make sure that you are a little out of breath. Make a personal commitment to break a sweat each day. Whether walking the dog, playing in the backyard with your kids or participating in a traditional exercise routine, make it happen every day. Kick it up a notch. Increase whatever you are doing regularly by just a little more and it will reap great change!

4. Breathe: It’s the easiest thing to do, and you think you do it all the time, but you don’t always breathe to its full benefit. Many yoga studies show that left nostril breathing can lower blood glucose levels. What we do know for sure is that oxygen is essential to life and to the function of your cells. Breathing practices such as those learned in yoga and other mind/body activities will teach you great breathing techniques to increase your energy. To make it happen every day in your life, find something that gives you pause each day. Maybe it’s waiting for a site to download or waiting at a red light. Make that your cue to take three deliberate, energizing breaths. Breathe in for three counts, hold for three counts and then release for three counts. Rest assured, that moment of oxygen will give you more energy and kick start your day.

Natalie Richardson is the owner of Stroller Strides Maricopa & Casa Grande. She can be reached by phone at 1-888-263-5158 or via email at [email protected].

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