5 Ways to Improve your Energy
Do you have the energy you need to do all that you want to this summer?
I remember when every day was a struggle for me. I did the things I needed to do and thought that was just the way it felt to be a working mom. I didn’t even realize how tired I was until I wasn’t, but I’m glad that I found my way through to where I am now.
I can now wake up at 6am to do yoga, then do a 30 minute FASTer Way workout, head to my group tennis lesson, work or spend time with my kids in the afternoon (depending on the day), and go for a walk by the lake in the evening. Not all of those happen every day, but I am grateful to have the energy to be able to do all that I choose to.
No longer do I find myself wishing for an afternoon nap. I’m sleeping well at night and waking up ready to go.
If you are struggling with your energy, I want you to know that you aren’t alone. I hear this all the time from the women I work with. It’s easy to chalk it up to “regular” life or age and think that’s just the way you have to feel. It doesn’t have to be that way though.
Here are the top 5 areas to investigate to optimize your energy:
Get your nutrient levels checked - vitamin B12, vitamin D and iron (this includes checking hemoglobin and ferritin) are ones I commonly find to be suboptimal. If any of these are low, it can definitely affect your energy, as well as many other areas in your body. Low iron was a big contributor to my low energy, and finally getting my levels optimized has been life changing for me.
Optimize your sleep - in order for you to be well rested, you need to be getting enough good quality sleep. If you are having trouble falling or staying asleep (SO common with peri/menopause) or if you aren’t going to bed early enough, then it’s hard to recharge your batteries for the next day. There are many really effective natural options that can help to optimize your sleep quality.
Get a full thyroid panel done - optimal thyroid function has a big impact on energy levels. Many times only TSH is checked on blood work, but I find running a full thyroid panel can be really eye opening and is the best way to check that your thyroid is doing what it is supposed to. A full panel includes checking T3, T4, reverse T3, and thyroid antibodies (thyroperoxidase and thyroglobulin), in addition to TSH. What I consider optimal ranges are a bit different than the conventional ones. Optimizing those levels can make a huge difference to how you feel.
Check for insulin resistance - if this is present, the swings in blood sugar can impact your energy, slow down your metabolism, and increase your risk of heart disease, among other symptoms. In order to do this, I check fasting insulin (not usually checked conventionally), as well as the more common fasting glucose. I use those numbers to calculate your HOMO-IR number, which is an indicator of insulin resistance (how much insulin your body is needing to produce in order to keep your blood sugar where it is).
Take a close look at your nutrition - you need to be fuelling your body with enough carbohydrates, fat and protein in order for it to function optimally. So many of the women I work with are not eating enough, especially protein and healthy carbohydrates, and changing that can really increase energy and help you lose weight (I know that seems counterintuitive, but it’s so true!). You don’t expect a car to run well without enough or the right gas - your body is the same.
Whether you are feeling tired or not, I encourage you to explore all of these areas. Optimizing them will give you more energy to enjoy your life and will also improve your overall health to keep you feeling your best for years to come.
I often hear women say that life started going downhill after 40, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Let’s talk to see what can be done to help you feel great so that you can fully enjoy every season of the year and of your life.