Boost Energy: 9 Free Ways to Stay Active

You do not need to spend money going to the gym to stay active and boost energy. There are actually many ways we usually overlook in our day to day lives that can help us stay active. We will look into these underrated tips and explain how you can implement them into your lives.

1. Eating the right food

Now you may already know that eating the right food is directly related to optimum health and feeling good. But many people do not know the full truth of what is the best food for our bodies. Have you ever had an unhealthy junk-food meal and felt really bloated, tired or even sluggish - Why is that? Well, when you eat high-density fat foods like meat and other animals products your body needs to work really hard to break everything down. So all your bodies energy is focused on doing that resulting in a lack of energy for you to do your daily activities. Also, this lack of energy can you make you less aware, more sleepy and more sluggish limiting your daily potential.

So what can you do? One thing you can do starting today is to reduce or eliminate animal products. The reason for this is that all animal products are very high in fats that are not only hard to break down but also result in atherosclerosis. What this means is that the saturated fat and cholesterol found in animal products increases the plaque build up in your arteries and puts a large strain on your heart and this can result in many cardiovascular diseases like heart disease. 

This strain on your heart due to narrow arteries means you use more energy than usual and results in the same sluggishness as stated before.Luckily plant-based foods have none of these toxic substances and are so easy to digest leaving you feeling fresh and energized through your entire day. If you don't believe me, try a plant-based diet for a month and you will begin to feel and see amazing results. To read more about the benefits of a vegan diet read our previous blog post.

2. Avoid Caffeine!

This make seem counter-intuitive but caffeine-rich drinks such as coffee and energy drinks might actually be causing your tiredness! The reason is that caffeine is not a sustainable source of energy what so ever - you may get an hour or two of alertness but eventually you will crash and feel awful when the caffeine effect wears off. If you have to drink caffeine we recommend to drink very small doses throughout your day as a pose to consuming one large beverage. However the better more sustainable and effective way to boost your energy is through consuming the right foods - let me explain. 

Instead of drinking a cup of coffee in the morning have a smoothie or a fruit bowl, this will keep your blood sugar stabilized and give you're a boost of energy. Sucrose and sugar from fruits help stabilize your blood sugar levels because they are disaccharides, which means they contain both glucose and fructose as a pose to other foods such as starchy vegetables and grains. This doesn't mean they are bad or unhealthy - this just means that they are not the ideal choice for boosting your energy. So take this knowledge and apply it to your daily life by adding loads of fruit to your morning breakfast!

Here are a few fruits that are great for improving energy levels:

• Peaches
• Apricots
• Nectarines
• Plums
• Cherries
• Oranges
• Lemons
• Limes
• Bananas
• Dates
• Guava Lychee
• Passion Fruit
• Papaya
• Pineapple

3. Walk short distances instead of taking transport

Walking short distances throughout our day can make a huge difference to our health. The problem with our world today is that we have become very busy and forget to prioritize our health! Walking short distances is a fun and convenient way of improving your health, whilst simultaneously reaching your destination. Also, this does not affect your day, you still get your daily tasks completed whilst also maintaining your health.

So next time you need to get somewhere, consider walking or cycling if it won't make you late. Or, be a bit more mindful and provide yourself with more time beforehand. This may be irritating or boring at first, but doing this every day can really make a massive improvement to your health after a few months.

Some of the benefits of walking includes:

• increased cardiovascular and pulmonary (heart and lung) fitness
• reduced risk of heart disease and stroke
• improved management of conditions such as hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol, joint, and muscular pain or stiffness, and diabetes
• stronger bones and improved balance
• increased muscle strength and endurance
• reduced body fat.

To read the rest of this blog and learn 6 more ways to boost your energy click here: Boost Energy: 9 Free Ways to Stay Active