Top 3 Ways To Boost Energy Naturally Using Functional Medicine

There are two types of people in this world… 1. People who see aging as an inevitable decline in health, with more doctor visits, pharmaceuticals, aches, pains, and issues as the years go by. 2. People who age with high energy – celebrating each passing year as they grow in wisdom, clarity, experience, and purpose. Which one are you? I peg you as someone in the latter group – a person who likes getting older.  That doesn’t mean everything is easy and you never have a single problem or care. Of course, that would be unrealistic! But you know, as things come up, you have the knowledge, experience, support network, and drive to find a solution and take care of it. You expect a lot out of life, and that expectation is only growing as you get older. You’re the kind of person who enters her 40s, 50s, or beyond with a desire or pull to DO more.  You are not in a holding pattern or just waiting for the inevitable decline. Instead, you’re looking for new opportunities. When your kids leave the house for college, you’re finding a new hobby or volunteer opportunity. When you imagine your kids having babies of their own – you see yourself fit and active, keeping up with all that boundless energy. You have a strong career trajectory in corporate – or if you want to get out of corporate, you’re building your business on the side as we speak. If you already have a business, you’re pouring your time and energy into making it better and growing it. Maybe you’re even the kind of person who never really sees herself retiring. Do you have the energy to take care of it all?  Because the truth is, we often start to see declines in our energy as we get older. Case in point… do you feel as energetic now as you did in your 20s?  Unfortunately, for most of us, the answer is no. And honestly, in many ways, it’s not your fault. Certain functions in your body, like our mitochondrial function (that produces your energy) and your metabolism, can naturally slow as you age. But when you add any of these into the mix….

• Toxic body and cleaning products
• Processed foods
• Inflammatory foods (gluten, dairy, sugar, soy)
• Excessive caffeine
• Unchecked stress 

…Your energy levels can plummet even more.  All of those things work against you because they increase the toxic load in your body, which in turn slows down your mitochondrial function at the cellular level (which is how your body makes energy). So to help you stay feeling great (no matter what stage of life you’re in)… I’m giving you the top 3 areas you can shift to see an increase in energy – plus my coaching on how to implement.

3 Tips to Boost Your Energy Naturally

1. Start a nighttime routine. Getting great sleep helps your energy levels during the day.  One of my favorite ways to improve sleep is a nighttime routine that calms you down and gets you ready for the night.  Here are some nighttime routine ideas to include:

• Stop all use of screens an hour before bed.
• Place your phone or other electronics in a separate room from where you sleep.
• Give your bedroom a “spa” makeover with clean sheets, and turn on the essential oil diffuser 15 minutes before hitting the hay.
• Curl up with a fun book as you wind down.

2. Replace inflammatory foods with health-promoting alternatives. Suppose your diet is filled with inflammatory foods like gluten, dairy, sugar, seed oils, soy, or processed foods.  In that case, you are NOT providing your mitochondria with good fuel to produce energy. Instead, you’re crippling your energy production at a cellular level.

• Focus on reducing then eliminating one type of inflammatory food at a time.
• Find substitutes while you transition.
• Search for non-inflammatory versions of your favorite recipes online.

3. Decrease caffeine intake. Notice I didn’t say ‘eliminate completely’.  We use caffeine for energy… …But truthfully, too much is actually an energy killer! You may feel a boost when you first drink it, but it’s always short-lived, and you’ll eventually crash. Plus, it does long-term damage to your adrenals – no, thank you! If you’re a big coffee drinker, going cold turkey might not make sense. So instead, here are a few options you have to reduce the harmful effects of caffeine:

• Stop drinking caffeine at noon.
• Switch to half-caff or wean to decaf.
• Try a coffee alternative like Teecino, Dandy Blend, or Four Sigmatic.

So if it’s really that simple… why are so many of us still so crazy tired all the time?

There’s one thing that takes more people out before they reach their health goals than anything else… It might sound simple, but it truly is a huge blocker, and I want to tell you how to get around it. The #1 thing that can stop you from getting healthy is failure to get started. Let’s be honest! We are all bombarded with plans, tips, tricks, potions, advice, articles, and everything about getting healthy. There is NO shortage of information out there. But are you acting on it? If you’re like most of the population, the answer is no!  And I’m not calling this out to create any guilt or shame if you’re someone who’s had a hard time getting started with a healthy living plan. Quite the opposite. Today, my goal is to leave you feeling empowered and excited to step forward with your plan to get healthy. One of the biggest reasons people fail to get started is because they are STUCK in a comfort zone. Of course, your “comfort zone” gets its name for a reason – it’s comfortable! It sure can feel easier to get takeout for dinner (again) when that’s what you’ve done most weeknights because you’re too tired to cook. And boy, is it easier to continue eating inflammatory foods like gluten, dairy, or sugar than overhauling your pantry or recipes. This perceived sense of difficulty to change is a HEALTH KILLER. Yes, I’m intentionally being dramatic. Because you know what else is hard? It’s hard getting diabetes. It’s hard dealing with digestive issues. It’s HARD going on tons of pharmaceuticals. It’s hard to keep paying for visits to M.D.s (yes, even though it’s “covered” by insurance, you’re still paying). It’s HARD not being able to take part in family activities with your kids and grandkids because your energy doesn’t last.. It’s hard to receive diagnosis after diagnosis from a doctor and be told surgery is your only option. It’s hard to have cancer.  I think you get the picture, so I’ll stop there. Things will get easier when you get a plan that works and gets you STARTED. After that, habits WILL form, preferences will change, and what feels hard becomes easy before you know it. One of the best ways to get started with your healthy plan is to do it WITH someone. Whether you and a friend or family member link up to hold each other accountable, invest in working with a coach or practitioner, get someone around you who can be on this journey with you. It truly makes all the difference in the world. The good news is you can take steps NOW to feel more energy in the next 30, 60, and 90 days. Boosting your energy can happen fast when you first focus on the right things. One of the first steps I recommend is to reduce the toxic load on your body.  So I’m giving you my Eliminate Toxic Load Guide. In this guide, you’ll discover my top hacks so you can release weight, restore energy, reclaim vibrant health and boost immunity… And best of all, it’s totally free. So access the guide here – and start increasing your energy naturally, no matter your age. 

Take Good Care,