{"id":33362,"date":"2015-05-27T21:10:29","date_gmt":"2015-05-28T05:10:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/?p=33362"},"modified":"2015-05-31T21:01:51","modified_gmt":"2015-06-01T05:01:51","slug":"5-deceptively-easy-ways-double-energy-today","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pickthebrain.com\/blog\/5-deceptively-easy-ways-double-energy-today\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Deceptively Easy Ways to Double Your Energy Today"},"content":{"rendered":"
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It\u2019s 3 pm at work, and you\u2019re dragging. You\u2019ve still got a couple hours to go, and you\u2019ve already had a coffee or two, but you just can\u2019t get the energy to really focus enough and keep going to make it happen.<\/p>\n

What do you do?<\/p>\n

Well here are five tiny habits you can start doing (today) for loads more coffee-free energy to keep you fueled for your busy life.<\/p>\n

#1.\u00a0Flip the nutrient ratio<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ever notice how when you eat certain foods (or a big meal) you feel sluggish, tired and gross for a few hours? Maybe you just feel unproductive and sleepy after lunch while you\u2019re working \u2013 well that\u2019s because what we eat has a large influence on our perceived energy.<\/p>\n

Think of it like this: how do you feel after eating a salad versus eating a big steak with mashed potatoes and gravy?<\/p>\n

The steak and mashed potatoes probably make you feel stuffed and tired. Now I\u2019m not saying to stop eating steak or go vegan or anything, but maybe save that for a dinner meal.<\/p>\n

When you add more plants to your meals, you\u2019re going to be getting more fiber, more nutrients, and more water, while also getting filled without stuffing yourself and feeling heavy after.<\/p>\n

The idea\u00a0of flipping the nutrient ratio simply means to include more\u00a0unrefined<\/em> grains (like whole wheat, brown rice, quinoa), which are dramatically higher in nutrients, vitamins and minerals, rather than the typical “Standard American Diet” which leaves you sluggish and tired.<\/p>\n

It also means including more plants and “green things” that are fresher, which will give you important vitamins, hydrate you, and leave you feeling less tired\u00a0after you eat.<\/p>\n

#2 Do the swap<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ever find yourself struggling to get anything done first thing in the morning without coffee?<\/p>\n

Or maybe it\u2019s the afternoon crash – if so, wait before you reach for that next cup of coffee.<\/p>\n

A recent study suggested that drinking ice cold water first thing in the morning (or anytime you need a pick me up) might be just as effective as drinking coffee (and a lot better for you).<\/p>\n

Next time you need to wake up a bit and don\u2019t have a good spot to nap, take a couple ice cubes, toss them in your water and you’ll get a pretty quick wake up call.<\/p>\n

Especially if you find yourself working lots of hours, it can seem natural to just rely on drinking multiple cups of coffee per day, but not only is too much coffee (and caffeine) just going to increase stress hormones, it’s also going to affect your ability to relax after you finally get off work.<\/p>\n

#3 Follow the rule of 180<\/strong><\/p>\n

You\u2019ve probably heard all the conflicting advice on the planet regarding nutrition: eat every three hours, make sure to eat breakfast, do intermittent fasting and so on and so forth.<\/p>\n

But eating every three hours is one of the best things you can do to offset low blood sugar<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Low blood sugar is a primary cause of fatigue, lack of energy, mood swings, and cravings. And just by eating more regularly \u2013 keeping your blood sugar consistent, you can offset any kind of crash that will alter your energy levels.<\/p>\n

Like we\u2019ll talk about in step five, the best way to also have a stable blood sugar is to change specifically what you’re eating.<\/p>\n

Some of the fastest ways to do this are super simple, like:<\/p>\n