Best 6 ways to increase your Energy

Fight sluggishness and boost your energy level with these 6 easy tips:

1. Find some downtime every day-Even if it means getting up a few minutes earlier than everyone else in your house, take some time to really relax. Don’t read email, don’t write to-do lists. Do something that truly feels like downtime.
2.Make sure that you’re getting enough iron- Eat lots of leafy greens (especially spinach), pumpkin seeds, soy and other beans, tofu, tempeh, lentils, hemp seeds, blackstrap molasses, and sesame seeds. To increase iron absorption, include foods that contain vitamin C with your iron-rich foods (e.g. oranges, strawberries, red bell peppers, broccoli).
3.Make sure you’re getting your B vitamins- If you’re vegan, you’ll especially need to watch B12. Good sources of B vitamins include: nutritional yeast, fortified products such as soy milk and cereals, beans, tempeh, lentils, brewer’s yeast, and molasses.
4.Increase your intake of magnesium-rich foods- This includes nuts (especially almonds and cashews), soy beans, spinach, broccoli, pumpkin seeds, artichokes, black beans, and fortified cereals.
5.Include probiotics in your diet- Probiotics are the “living cultures” in yogurt and they help to maintain intestinal health and have been credited with other benefits from strengthening the immune system to preventing colon cancer. In addition to yogurt and soy yogurt, miso, sauerkraut, tempeh, and kombucha (fermented tea) also contain probiotics. They are also available in supplement form- look for one that must be refrigerated.
6.Eat lots of fiber- High-fiber foods help you to feel fuller longer than low-fiber foods. They help to maintain blood sugar and act as a broom to keep the intestinal track moving. Fiber helps to lower cholesterol and prevent constipation, diverticulosis, and colon cancer. Eat lots of whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, breads and cereals (check bread and cereal labels- not all are high in fiber), fruits and veggies, beans, lentils, ground flax seeds, oat bran, and nuts and seeds. Don’t let TV commercials fool you- it is easy to get plenty of fiber from the foods that we eat and no fiber “supplement” is necessary!