Most people have periods when they have low energy levels, but, this is more common when you are older. Years of sitting on the sofa after work and eating food that isn’t healthy. This is made worse as your energy levels fall and you don’t want to leave your sofa. You have fallen into a cascading downward cycle making it difficult to get out of. No worries, this blog is going to help you break out of this spiral, get more energy and help regain your edge.
Why Your Energy is Lower in Your 50s
For guys, as you age, you begin to lose muscle mass from age 30 on. Your bone density decreases and your testosterone levels drop. To make matters worse, your metabolism slows down which causes weight gain. The extra weight, weaker muscles, and lower testosterone levels make you feel sluggish.
Get More Energy By Eating the Right Food
Eating Healthy
There are many foods that can help give you an energy boost. These are foods that you should add to any healthy diet. It was okay when you were twenty years old to eat processed foods or whatever else you wanted. As your activity level, metabolism, and blood pressure decline, you need to eat healthier.
As you eat healthier your body begins to change. Your immunity improves, your health improves. Your skin, teeth, eyes, and muscles become healthier. As you lose weight the burden of carrying that weight disappears. Your energy begins to improve.
The types of foods you eat determine how much energy you feel. High carbohydrates, healthy fats, and proteins are more difficult to digest and thus release energy into your body slowly
and give you a longer-lasting source of energy. Simple carbohydrates such as natural sugars are easier to digest and give you a quicker surge of energy. Each is necessary to keep you energized throughout the day. For quick energy, simple carbohydrates that also have vitamins and nutrients maybe your best option. Fruit such as bananas, which contain vitamin B3 (niacin), or oranges that have vitamin C are great choices. See Take your vitamins below.
Drink more water
Drinking water is an easy way to get a shot of energy if you are becoming dehydrated. Dehydration saps you of energy. and makes you feel tired and sluggish. Keep a bottle of water with you when you work out and when you are playing sports.
| QUOTE The strongest have their moments of fatigue. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche |
Ensure You Don’t Eat the Wrong Foods
Foods to avoid
Some of the foods you should avoid may be obvious, such as potato chips, as well as highly processed and refined foods. Sugary foods, such as cereal, baked goods, and even white bread, pasta, and bagels will also sap your energy levels.
Foods you might not expect such as orange juice, yogurt, and Turkey will leave you drained of energy. Both orange juice and yogurt have high levels of sugar which may give you an initial energy boost will later result in an energy crash. Better to peel an orange and eat it or buy plain yogurt and add fruit to it. You should avoid Turkey if you want to stay alert and active afterward. Turkey has a chemical called tryptophan which is a natural sedative. Now you know why you are tired after eating Thanksgiving dinner.
Reduce your alcohol intake
Most of us have experience with the effects of drinking alcohol. While alcohol sometimes makes you feel energized for a short amount of time. This is a result of metabolizing the alcohol in your body. Alcohol is also a sedative and will make you feel relaxed and tired. Alcohol may help you fall asleep but it will alter your sleep by putting you into deep sleep and skipping over REM sleep. REM sleep is necessary for helping you feel rested.
Along with the other negative effects of alcohol, such as a hangover, and its impact on your kidneys, it is best to limit your alcohol intake.
Avoid caffeine
Caffeine will give your energy levels a boost. Caffeine has a negative impact on sleep patterns, especially when consumed mid-day to early evening. The downside withdrawal effects of caffeine make you feel tired, nervous, irritable, and restless. This causes the cycle to continue as people have a mid-afternoon coffee to feel better.
The amino acid L-Theanine, found in tea and wild mushrooms, taken as a supplement counters some of the negative side effects of caffeine. L-Theanine may also help with mental function and to reduce anxiety and stress levels. L-Theanine is found in supplement form.
Get More Energy through More Restful Sleep
Make sleep a routine
Poor sleep will sap you of energy for the rest of the day. How much sleep do we need? Experts suggest most people need between 6 – 8 hours of sleep each night. The key to having more energy though is to ensure you have a consistent sleep pattern. Going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, and ensuring you have enough sleep will help keep your energy levels constant.
Use meditation and deep breathing before bed
Deep breathing exercises not only help give you energy by oxygenating your blood but also helps relax you by slowing down your heart rate. Breathing exercises also give you an endorphin rush which further relaxes you. This also reduces the cortisol levels in your body which further reduces your stress level. When your body is stressed it produces the hormone Cortisol. Sustained levels of cortisol have a negative impact on your body.
Mediation, in combination with deep breathing, clears your mind and puts you in the perfect state for a good night’s sleep.
Eat a light dinner
If you enjoy eating a large meal make sure that you go to sleep at least 3 hours later. Even then you may have an uneasy sleep as you digest your meal. You may experience an increased body temperature (meat sweat) when trying to digest a lot of meat while you sleep.
Some guys experience acid reflux and heartburn when sleeping. These are usually caused when you have had an acidic, fatty, spicy, or large meal before bed. Alcohol is also known to trigger this. Acid reflux occurs when the contents of your stomach come up into your esophagus. Heartburn, a symptom of acid reflex makes you feel a burning pain in your chest. When you lay down Acid reflux is made worse. You can avoid this pain and discomfort by eating earlier, avoiding certain foods, and refraining from having a nightcap.
Avoid Weight Gain and Do Your Best to Lose Weight
Lose weight
Losing weight may be the most important and impactful thing you can do to boost your energy level. You no longer need to carry around the extra weight you once had, and you may also get a testosterone boost from doing so. Your sleep quality should also improve and you should experience less stress.
Exercise regularly
Your body loses muscle mass at the rate of 1% a year starting in your 30s. Over time this contributes to tiredness and muscle fatigue. Exercise improves your energy levels as it causes your blood to become oxygen-enriched. This may give you a sense of euphoria from aerobic exercise.
An exercise program for older guys should include lifting weights and limiting excessive cardio training. Weight lifting will increase and strengthen your muscle. As muscle mass increases it triggers your body to boost testosterone levels. Guys who run or ride a bike for a long period of time show higher levels of cortisol in their bodies. Cortisol has a negative impact on your testosterone levels.
Change Your Mood, Get More Energy
Talk with friends
Sometimes our feeling tired has to do with our mental well-being. Socializing with others makes us feel better and happier. It gives us a reason to get off the sofa and to clean ourselves up. If you are an introvert, large social interactions may actually sap you of energy. It is still important for our well-being to engage, share, and interact with others.
Take your vitamins
Vitamin D and B12 are both helpful in reducing fatigue. Fatigue is common with vitamin D deficiency. Vitamin D helps keep your immune system strong and helps keep your energy levels up. Most people are vitamin D deficient during the winter months when they aren’t exposed to direct sunlight.
B12, found in meat and fish, helps transform the food you eat into energy. Taking supplements for B12 isn’t useful if you have adequate levels in your body. However, for those over 50, you may be B12 deficient as your body is less able to absorb B12 past this age. Similarly, if you are vegan, your ability to get sufficient levels of B12 is limited due to your diet.
Ashwagandha and Rhodiola Rosea are two natural herbs that have been shown to have success in increasing your energy. Ashwagandha is said to provide an energy boost by helping to regulate cortisol and in turn blood sugar levels. Rhodiola Rosea is supposed to sharpen your focus and counter fatigue. Both of these herbs can be found in supplement form.
Smile
What may be obvious is when you feel good you smile. What isn’t as obvious and less well known is that when you smile you feel good. Smiling releases endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine into your system. Endorphins help trigger positive feelings and help reduce the perception of pain. Serotonin stabilizes our mood and gives us feelings of happiness. Serotonin is necessary for your brain and nerves to function. Finally, dopamine handles pleasurable feelings or sensations.
Often times we don’t feel like smiling after a hard day at work or other stressful events we encounter each day. Can you fake it till you make it? Research suggests that forcing a smile will provide some of the same benefits as a natural smile.
Conclusion: Get More Energy
For other ways to gain energy check out Ice Recovery for Health and Vitality: For Surprising Energy
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The content does not substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the support and guidance of your physician when you are unsure about any health issues.
