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It's common to feel tired in our daily lives. To wake up not rested and get through the day curtesy of caffeine and sugar. As a result, one of the most universal desires is to have more energy and to feel less fatigued.
While most days, it might not feel like it, energy is something we can always access. As elusive as energy-filled days may feel, with a couple tweaks to our daily routines they can become a reality.
Energy is often looked at as a feeling. “I feel energized” or “I am feeling tired”, but energy is not a feeling. Energy is a physical state and it exists in a tangible form (as a molecule) that we create every moment of everyday in our bodies.
There can be several layers as to why the amount of energy we create is not enough to have us feeling energized. There are also universal ways we can tap into the body’s innate capacity to create and unlock more energy.
Why do we feel fatigued?
Fatigue exists on a spectrum and doesn’t always look like heavy eyes and needing naps. It often shows up as the inability to concentrate or as a lack of motivation. Fatigue can exist as a low-grade tired feeling all the way up to full-blown can’t get out of bed exhaustion. Fatigue can be mental, physical or both.
When it comes to improving fatigue, the type or severity isn’t that important because the root of all fatigue is the same. And that root, is a deficiency in the energy molecule, ATP.
The Molecule of Energy
ATP is often referred to as the energy currency of the body, as it is the molecule of energy. The more we can make, the better we function in our day to day lives and the more energized we feel regularly.
ATP is made in an organelle called the mitochondria.
When these energy generators, the mitochondria are under stress, when they are damaged or when they don’t get the raw materials to produce energy then we go into an energy deficit that causes us to have and feel symptoms of fatigue.
Dehydration, nutrient deficiencies and oxidative stress are the main stressors that impair the mitochondria’s ability to produce energy. If we can optimize the mitochondria, we can increase energy production and say a loud good-bye to fatigue. The even better news is, we CAN support/optimize the mitochondria and it’s actually quite simple.
1) Increase Magnesium Intake
Magnesium is an essential part of energy (ATP) creation. In fact, the body cannot make energy without magnesium. Because of this, if magnesium intake is low the amount of energy we have innately decreases.
Since it is estimated that 90% of the population has sub optimal levels of magnesium, increasing magnesium is a foundational step and a great starting point for most people.
We recommend taking magnesium glycinate, as it is the most easily used and absorbed by the body!
Our favorite brand is AOR- you can check it out here!
2) Increase Hydration
Dehydration is a big one when it comes to things that inhibit the ability of our body to produce sufficient energy. The major reason we see dehydration is because contrary to common rhetoric, drinking water does not equate to hydration.
In order for our body to utilize water, minerals are needed.
Most water lacks minerals- as do most diets. When our body lacks minerals, the mitochondria are not supported and we simply do not have the raw materials to make energy in the amounts we need- causing an energy deficit.
The solution? Add minerals to drinking water. Our favorite way to do this is by adding concentrace mineral drops. Concentrace is a blend of 84 minerals, found naturally in a salt water lake. We recommended adding 10 drops to 1L of water.
Side effects include deeper sleep and that “alive” feeling throughout the day
You can learn more about concentrace + minerals here
3) Get Morning Sun
A simple idea- waking up with the sun and aligning our day with nature is one of the most profound habits we can implement to increase energy throughout the day.
When we expose our eyes to sun right in the morning a cascade of events happens that assists us in feeling alert during the course of the day.
Even more profound is that light is absorbed by our mitochondria in the area specific to energy creation. It might sound a little out there, but it is basic biology that natural light prompts efficient energy production!
Pro tip: upon waking, get outside- sit on your porch, head to the backyard and simply let the sun do it's thing for 10 minutes.
4) Start Taking a Digestive Enzyme
This one may sound peculiar but adding an enzyme before meals is a small act that yields impressive results.
Food is the building block of energy- calories are needed to make energy and so are the nutrients found within the food we consume
Canada has one of the highest rates of adults with chronic digestive symptoms and by nature, meaning many of us are not absorbing the nutrients from the food we eat to the fullest capacity. A digestive enzyme attenuates this.
Next, the entire digestive process requires a lot of energy. Using a digestive enzyme helps to decrease the amount of energy it takes to digest food, allowing more available free energy for the body to use as it wishes,
Our digestive enzymes by Enzymedica are one of the mostly widely used enzymes recommend by health professionals. Learn more here!
When we are lacking in ATP, no matter how much caffeine we consume, how much sugar we reach for or how many hours of sleep we get we will always hit a slump during the day. It’s because on a cellular level- we are starved for energy but, we can fix that by simply encouraging our mitochondria to make more!
We hoped this helped give you an idea of how to increase your daily energy and tap into the infinite potential for generating energy!
Author: Lisa Kowalyk, CNP, B.Kin
