How to Increase Energy - · How to Increase Energy How unfortunate that people say “I need to exercise,” equating exercise to an inconvenient, unpleasant chore. Along the same

How to Increase Energy

How to Increase

Energy

Understanding the causes of fatigue

and learning what to do to increase your energy

By Sue-Anne Hickey

by Sue-Anne Hickey. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be

reproduced or transmitted in any form, by any means, without written permission

by the author.

Disclaimer: This book was written as a guide only. The information contained here is designed for

educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. Always

seek the advice of your physician before undertaking any health program of any kind.


Table of Contents

Table of Contents..................................................................................................3

Introduction ...........................................................................................................4

Increasing Energy by Building a Solid Foundation................................................6

The 4 Pillars of Health .......................................................................................6

1. Follow a healthy diet...............................................................................6

2. Exercise..................................................................................................6

3. Environment, lifestyle, thoughts..............................................................7

4. Vitamins, Supplements and Herbs .........................................................7

10 Causes of Fatigue and Ways to Increase Energy ............................................9

1. Lack of Sleep, Insomnia.............................................................................9

2. Poor Diet and Hypoglycemia....................................................................10

Hypoglycemia ..............................................................................................10

3. Poor Digestion..........................................................................................11

Intestinal problems.......................................................................................12

Liver.............................................................................................................13

4. Depression...............................................................................................14

5. Dehydration..............................................................................................14

6. Stress.......................................................................................................15

7. Lack of Protein .........................................................................................16

8. Anemia.....................................................................................................16

9. Lack of B 12 .............................................................................................17

10. Glandular Problems..............................................................................17

The Adrenals ...............................................................................................17

Indicators of Adrenal Stress.........................................................................18

The Thyroid..................................................................................................19

Summary ............................................................................................................20


Introduction

Are you tired of feeling tired? Would you like to wake up every day, ready to jump

out of bed, with enough energy to do everything you want to do all day?

No matter what age we are, if we are full of energy we feel great and we feel

young.

The purpose of this e-book is to allow you to look at the causes of fatigue and

discover which ones might be affecting you. Learn what you can do to achieve

optimal energy!

Our natural state is one of health and vitality. I believe everyone can enjoy

vibrant health and non-stop energy just as I do. I’d like to share with you some

helpful practices and ideas I have gained over the years. I hope to inspire you to

make the changes you need to, to increase your energy.

Although I always followed what I considered to be a healthy diet, I had no where

near the strength and endurance that I have now. I had hypoglycemia and my

energy was up and down all day long. I would boost it up with sweet fixes and

then it would crash. By mid afternoon I would be completely exhausted, yawning

nonstop for half an hour.

When I began practicing yoga in 1990 I completely transformed my life. I stopped

smoking, changed my diet and developed an interest in spirituality and

meditation. My self-confidence increased and I traveled around the world on a

solo spiritual journey for one and a half years. In 1998 I began teaching yoga full

time.

For over 20 years I have been learning and reading everything I can about

nutrition and diet, implementing changes along the way.


In 2006 I decided to turn my passion into a career. I began taking classes to

become a naturopath which resulted in further transformations in my own well-

being. The eczema that plagued me for over 15 years is gone. There are no

more afternoon energy slumps. And my stamina and strength continue to

increase. While I was once struggling to keep up with the slower groups of the

450 members in my cycling club, I am now among the fastest women.

In this book, I have gathered what I consider to be some of the most important

causes of fatigue and with a little detective work; you should be able to discover

which of them might be affecting your energy. Why are you tired? When are you

tired? What’s the root cause? With the answers to these questions in hand you’re

all set. Are you ready and able to make a few changes?

Changing long-term habits is a challenge and takes determination. Many years

ago I did a cure for candida (overabundance of yeast). I went cold turkey, no

sugar or anything containing sugar. The first month was a nightmare, but

gradually it became easier. Keep your goals in mind. Nothing will change if it

doesn’t give you pleasure. The pleasure of having a strong healthy body with

non-stop energy must be greater than the pleasure of eating junk food.

Implement changes slowly. If I can do it so can you!


Increasing Energy by Building a Solid Foundation

The 4 Pillars of Health

In order to build up to optimal health and high energy, we start with the basics.

You can think of the four pillars of health like the four legs of a chair. If you’re

missing one of the legs, the chair will collapse. If you find you are weak in some

of the four pillars, begin by implementing changes in the easiest one for you and

then move onto the next.

1. Follow a healthy diet

Choose whole foods, living, growing foods, plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit.

Reduce or eliminate processed, packaged, fast foods and the 4 whites:

• White sugar

• White flour,

• White pasta

• White rice (yes white rice is a refined food, choose brown rice)

Replace refined carbohydrates with whole grains, grains that you can see with

your eyes. Choose good quality protein and fats.

My website gives a good overview of healthy eating guidelines

2. Exercise

Most important, exercise increases your sense of well being and happiness, as

well as many other obvious benefits, such as increasing endorphins resulting in

the “runners high.” It helps your mood, enhances sleep, alleviates depression,

increases energy and helps stress management.


How unfortunate that people say “I need to exercise,” equating exercise to an

inconvenient, unpleasant chore. Along the same lines as I have to diet. Both

eating healthy delicious food and exercising can be an absolute joy and two of

life's greatest pleasures. What could be better than walking along a forest path

close to nature? Find something to do that you love, simply...

Get up and get moving!

3. Environment, lifestyle, thoughts

What is your home environment like? How about at work? What kind of lifestyle

do you lead? Are you constantly stressed or do you create time to recharge your

battery? Do things that do things that are pleasurable, take some down time,

relax, get together with friends, create balance in your life.

Through your thoughts and feelings you attract everything to yourself, both good

and bad.

The good news is that you are in control of our thoughts and with some practice

you can train the mind. You can learn to let go of the negative thoughts such as

anger, bitterness, jealousy, and focus on the positive, attracting more positive

into your life.

“You Can Heal Your Life”, is an excellent book by Louise Hay. It helps you heal

and transform your life by recognizing and addressing the mental patterns that

create “dis-eases” in the body.

4. Vitamins, Supplements and Herbs

Do you need to take vitamins and supplements?

If you :

• Eat only organic food

• Get plenty of rest and never burn the candle at both ends

• Do not have any stress

• Eat plenty of raw food, rarely cooked

• Are never exposed to any air pollution or chemicals

• Live in the southern hemisphere and get adequate sun exposure

• Drink only pure water

Then no, you do not need vitamins, supplements or herbs!


What and how much you should take is a completely individual matter that will

change over time. An evaluation with a naturopath can help you determine

exactly what you need.

Let the 4 pillars of health be your 4 pillars of strength.

Implement them and watch your energy soar.


10 Causes of Fatigue and Ways to Increase Energy

Do you know why you are tired? Is it simply lack of sleep or could it be something

hidden that you may not have considered? Often medical tests don’t reveal a

liver that is overworked or weak, glandular imbalances, etc.

The following list will determine the causes of your fatigue and offer some

solutions.

1. Lack of Sleep, Insomnia

In our fast paced busy lives, most people are sleep deprived. This is sometimes

the most obvious reason for fatigue, but often the most difficult to overcome.

How much sleep is enough? Everyone is different, aim for 6.5 to 8 hours. People

that sleep between 6.5 to 7.5 hours per night are said to live the longest.


Here are some suggestions to help you improve your quality of sleep.

• Go to sleep at the same time every night, get into a routine.

• Never deprive yourself of sleep.

• Eat a healthy diet.

• De-stress and slow down before bed time. Prepare the body for

sleep by taking a bath, reading, doing what you need to relax. Soon

you'll connect these activities with sleeping and they'll help make

you sleepy.

• Work out emotional issues.

• Keep a journal by your bed to write down and let go of all your

worries before you sleep.

• Exercise

• For some, eating a light protein snack at night can help, but don't

eat too much right before bedtime.

• Don't nap during the day if naps seem to make your insomnia

worse.

• Avoid or limit your use of caffeine (coffee, tea, soft drinks,

chocolate)

• No screens for 3 hours before bed to reduce stimulation. Turn off

the T.V. or computer.

• Getting out of bed when you're not sleepy and restricting your time

in bed will actually help you to sleep more.

2. Poor Diet and Hypoglycemia

The most important thing to do to increase energy is cellular nutrition. Your

healthy diet needs to nourish your cells for optimal function. Fortunately, the

more you eat a nutritious diet, the more you crave healthy food and the easier it

becomes. I briefly discussed healthy diet above and more information is available

on my website www.health-and-natural-healing.com

Hypoglycemia

We are a carbohydrate addicted nation. Years ago, it was thought that eating a

diet high in fat was the cause of many of our diseases. Doctors told their patients

to limit fat intake. What resulted was a huge increase in eating refined

carbohydrates along with a drastic increase in obesity.


Refined carbohydrates spike your glycemic levels, offering short bursts of

energy. This results in the ensuing crash or hypoglycemia as your blood sugar

levels drop too low after the quick fix. It also leads to insulin resistance and

diabetes.

Many have no idea that they are hypoglycemic, because when their blood sugar

gets low they simply reach for more food or another coffee to boost themselves

back up again.

What to do?

Increase protein! Eat a breakfast high in protein and three meals with complete

protein, avoid sugar and refined carbohydrates. Never skip or delay meals. Have

healthy protein snacks on hand if necessary.

For more balanced energy throughout the day, eat foods that have a low

glycemic index such as vegetables. Choose complex carbohydrates such as

brown rice or quinoa that offer long lasting, sustained energy. They will give you

more balanced energy all day long.

See my website for more facts about sugar.

3. Poor Digestion

You may have heard the saying “You are what you eat.” This is only partly true.

We may add, “You are what you eat, absorb and assimilate.”

Many health issues and fatigue are caused by poor digestion, in the stomach,

intestines or a liver that is weak or overworked. If you are not properly digesting

and absorbing the nutrients you are eating and if they are not being transported

to where they are needed, you will feel tired and have other health issues.

Do you feel tired before a meal?

This can be a sign of hypoglycemia.

Do you feel tired after a meal?

A good, nutritious meal will leave you feeling satisfied, not full or tired.


Unless you have eaten too much, if you feel tired after a meal you may lack

hydrochloric acid - HCL or stomach acid. This starts the digestive process and

stimulates the secretion of bile and digestive enzymes from the pancreas.

Lack of HCL or hypochlorhydria is quite common and becomes more prevalent

with age. Increasing digestive enzymes or taking a digestive enzyme supplement

is key.

Digestive enzymes are found in raw foods and a great source is fresh sprouts.

Here's a simple test to see if you lack HCL. After a meal, drink a glass of water

with a teaspoon of pure apple cider vinegar. Apple cider vinegar mimics stomach

acid. If you feel better, you could lack HCL and a digestive enzyme supplement

could be beneficial.

Intestinal problems

Over the years, particles of food that we eat can become encrusted on the

intestine. This hinders the nutrients ability to pass through the intestinal wall into

the blood stream.

We are also constantly being exposed to chemicals and toxins. A periodic

cleanse or detox is absolutely necessary and beneficial to everyone, to rid the

body of the accumulated wastes and toxins and increase energy. There are

many different kinds of cleanses depending on your particular need.


Liver

The liver performs over 500 functions and at almost 3 pounds, it is our largest

intestinal organ. Yet for all the liver does, it remains overlooked and largely

abused, often by a diet including processed and fried foods, alcohol, a sedentary

lifestyle and environmental pollution.

When the liver is congested and lazy this causes:

• Digestion difficulties

• Sleepiness after meals - from 30 minutes to an hour after eating

• Headaches, migraines

• Constipation or diarrhea, gas, bloating

• Waking up at night between 1 and 3 AM

• Allergies

• Inability to lose weight

• Feeling tired upon awakening

• Low energy in general

One way to check your liver:

After eating, drink a small glass of tepid water with the juice of ½ lemon. If you

feel better this indicates that your liver is toiling. Lifestyle and dietary changes

and supplements can help.

Suggestions to boost your liver:

• Exercise

• Reduce stress or better manage stress

• Ensure proper digestion

• Make the necessary changes to your diet especially reducing any fried, fatty

foods.

• Reduce exposure to chemicals in cleaning products, beauty products, etc.

• Work out any negative emotions, anger, bitterness, etc.

• Do a cleanse

A consultation with a Naturopath can help find the right vitamins, tonics or herbs

specifically for you.


4. Depression

Every thought we think has a direct effect on our health and well being. What do

you do when you’re down in the dumps and your energy is also in the basement?

Open the curtains, let the sun in, go out, get some fresh air, meet with friends,

change your ideas, exercise, but do not stay isolated!

Do you know what is causing your depression? Some hidden causes include:

• Hypoglycemia (sugar addiction)

• Stress

• Lack of minerals, iron, protein

• Tired liver

• Unresolved anger

Bach flower essences and some natural herbs can help. Always seek

professional help if problems persist. My site has suggestions for depression

during PMS

5. Dehydration

Your fatigue may be simply because you are not drinking enough water. You

want to be a river, not a stagnant pond! It is important to drink before you are

thirsty, if you are thirsty it is already too late, you are dehydrated.

How much water you need depends on your size, weight, and lifestyle. Your

urine should be transparent. Aim for 6 to 8 glasses per day. This does not include

coffee, as coffee is a diuretic.

It is important to note that many people mistake thirst for hunger and overeat

simply because of lack of fluids. Drink pure water, not tap water.


6. Stress

It is not the stress in your life that’s the problem. We all have stress. The

important thing is how you handle it. Learn to respond mindfully to stress rather

than react.

One of the best things to do when stressed is deep abdominal breathing .

Usually during the day we practice shallow breathing using only the top part of

our lungs. When you practice deep abdominal breathing you use the full lung

capacity. Breathing through the nose, take a full deep inhalation filling up the

lungs, right to the clavicles. Long, slow exhalation, without exaggerating or

forcing anything.

The benefits of deep abdominal breathing:

• Gaining a sense of control over the body and emotions

• Blood pressure decreases

• Heart rate slows down

• Anxiety decreases

• Muscles relax

• Body and mind become calm

Take time for you and do what you need to do to de-stress, whether it is yoga,

tai-chi, meditation, a hobby or exercise.

Find more tips on stress management on my site.


7. Lack of Protein

Protein forms the building blocks of the body. It provides optimal health, repair

and replenishment.

Protein is also important for:

• Structure and connective tissue

• Enzymes

• Muscle contraction,

• Protection, ie white blood cells

• Skin, hair

• Hormones

• Neurotransmitters,

• Digestive enzymes, and so much more.

I know first hand what happens when we lack protein. Being a vegetarian for 16

years I was certainly feeling the effects and my body was becoming weaker.

When I started eating chicken, fish and more eggs, as well as making other

changes, my energy and strength began to skyrocket.

Does everyone need a lot of protein? No, it depends on your metabolic body

type, which I will discuss in my upcoming e-book. It also depends on your age,

how active you are and if you are hypoglycemic or diabetic. In general, get 20 to

30 per cent of your total daily calories from protein.

8. Anemia

It is estimated that iron deficiencies are the most prevalent deficiencies affecting

human populations today.

Iron is part of hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying component of the blood. Iron-

deficient people tire easily because their bodies are starved of oxygen. A simple

blood test will tell you if you are lacking iron or not absorbing iron correctly.

Iron is best taken on an empty stomach with vitamin C or food high in vitamin C

for absorption. Avoid taking iron with calcium or any foods containing calcium as

this will prevent iron absorption. Take ferrous gluconate rather than ferrous

sulfate.


9. Lack of B 12

The B vitamins offer many health benefits and influence the health of most of the

internal organs of the body. They help promote energy, maintain the nervous

system, improve immune functions and buffer the effects of stress.

Symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency may take more than five years to appear

after the body stores have been depleted. Unfortunately, blood tests are not

always a good indicator of lack of B12.

Many people are deficient in Vitamin B12, especially those over age 50 as the

stomach does not produce enough gastric acid to release vitamin B12 from food.

Also, vegetarians are often deficient since dietary sources are mostly foods of

animal origin, although it is difficult to get enough B12 from food.

A high quality liquid B12 supplement taken for 3 months will give you enough for

one year.

10. Glandular Problems

The Adrenals

These two small glands sit over the kidneys. They are responsible for many

important tasks, including secreting over 50 different hormones and regulating

stress.

With so many functions to perform it is easy to see how the adrenals can become

exhausted. Stress, lack of sleep and hormone imbalance can cause adrenal

imbalance. Prolonged stress will cause adrenal exhaustion from continuous

hormonal output, leading to burn out.


Indicators of Adrenal Stress

Are you usually tired when you wake up, but still "too wired" to fall asleep at

night? Do you rely on coffee to get going? Is it hard for you to relax or to

exercise? Do you find that you get sick more often and take a long time to get

well?

There are distinct energy patterns in adrenal fatigue. Beginning with consistent

morning fatigue, most experiencing this will not feel awake until around 10 am

and will usually not feel fully alert until after lunch. The energy levels usually

swoon again around 2-4 pm but will pick up again around 6 pm. This fluctuation

continues into the evening with fatigue setting in by 9 pm, sometimes

accompanied by napping, which creates difficulty falling asleep later and

intermittent waking during the night.

Some other key signs of adrenal imbalance include

• Salt cravings

• Increased blood sugar under stress

• Increased PMS

• Peri-menopausal, or menopausal symptoms under stress

• Mild depression

• Lack of energy

• Decreased ability to handle stress

• Muscle weakness

• Absent mindedness

• Decreased sex drive

• Mild constipation alternating with diarrhea.

To restore adrenal balance you need more rest, protein and B vitamins. There

are other supplements that can help.


The Thyroid

Hypothyroidism or weak thyroid is often caused by an emotional shock, such as

a divorce, or separation of some kind.

A blood test will indicate low TSH - Thyroid stimulating hormone levels, revealing

hypothyroidism or a weak thyroid. Here are a few symptoms that indicate

hypothyroidism:

• Feeling cold, especially at night

• Cold extremities

• Difficulty losing weight

• Hypoglycemia or sugar cravings

• Easily fatigued

• Sore back

• Feeling depressed and not knowing why

• Weak muscles

If you have a weak thyroid or hypothyroid:

• Avoid anything containing chlorine, fluoride, bromide (i.e. especially.

toothpaste with fluoride and water with chlorine)

• Eat organic

• Reduce acidity

• Avoid coffee, tea, soft drinks, wine, spicy food, chocolate

• Avoid cruciferous vegetables in large quantities (broccoli, cabbage, turnip,

parsnips, and cauliflower)

• Exercise regularly

• Avoid dairy products for 3 months (notice the change)

• Avoid antibiotics

• Make sure you get enough essential fatty acids

• Eat healthy, whole, fresh foods

The thyroid can regenerate itself given the proper tools, even if part has been

surgically removed. You can completely rebuild your thyroid and eventually no

longer need Synthroid. Contact me for more information


Summary

There is a world of possibilities open to you when you start to take control and

make changes in your diet and your life. Focus on the positive, your goals, and

what you will be able to do when you achieve them.

We live in a society of quick fixes where we are expected to be Superwoman and

Superman. Got a headache? Take a pill. Feel tired? Drink some more coffee.

Ignore the symptoms, cover them up and keep on going.

However, the choices we make today affect our quality of life tomorrow. The

longer you ignore the symptoms the worse they will become.

It seems very simple to me. In health matters there is always a cause and once it

is determined a natural solution can be found. The body has an innate ability to

heal itself when given the proper tools. A few small changes taken slowly, one

step at a time and will put you on the road to optimal health and high energy.

I welcome all of your questions and comments. Please feel free to contact me.

To your lasting health and increased energy.

Documents

How to Increase Energy - · How to Increase Energy How unfortunate that people say “I need to exercise,” equating exercise to an inconvenient, unpleasant chore. Along the same