Learn what might be causing your low energy, and then heed these tips to help reclaim your liveliness.

1. Processed and refined foods sap energy. Instead, go for protein and fresh produce.  
Step away from the bagels and candy bars.  Instead, embrace protein and fresh produce. Quality protein sources, such as beans, fish, and nut butters, rebuild stores of depleted hormones, such as cortisol, while fiber-rich produce keeps you feeling full, stabilizes blood sugar, and provides energy-essential nutrients such as magnesium.

2. Optimal digestion is essential to optimal energy. Consider probiotics.
The digestive system starts the process of making nutrients usable and available to every cell.   If you’ve got a chronic digestive problem, it could be affecting your energy. Check with your health care provider about taking probiotics, which can rebalance gut function.

3. Allergies squelch energy.
Releasing histamine and pro-inflammatory molecules called cytokines as part of an allergic reaction has a fatigue-inducing effect.  Quercetin may help address allergy-related fatigue.  

4. Fuel mitochondria, the energy powerhouse in your cell with B-Complex Vitamins and Co-Q10.
Mitochondria, the energy powerhouses in each cell, convert protein, glucose, and fat into energy in a process called the Krebs cycle. B-complex vitamins kick start the process by revving up the Krebs cycle.  Supplement daily with a multiple that provides all eight B’s including B1, B2, B3 and B5. 

Studies show that coenzyme Q10 (co-Q10) also supports mitochondrial function, boosts energy production, and improves stamina. 

5. Energize your brain.  
Powering down your brain is just as important as keeping it fired up. Magnesium tames your stress response and enables your muscles to relax, leading to better sleep—and ultimately more energy. Whole grains and legumes, nuts, seeds, dark leafy greens, and cacao, are good source of magnesium.

Vitamin C supports the adrenal glands, energizes the brain, and helps the body make L-carnitine, an amino acid that enables mitochondria to convert fat to energy. 

6. Move and groove.  Exercise enables muscle cells to produce more mitochondria to make more energy.
Does the thought of exercising make you feel more fatigued? If so, start with slow, gentle activity, such as walking just 15 minutes a day. Then choose something you love, like dance, martial arts, or hiking, and try to do it four times a week.  Before long, you’ll find that exercise actually gives you more stamina. Not only does it build muscle and burn fat, but it also enables muscle cells to produce more mitochondria, which in turn make more energy. Plus, it shifts stuck energy associated with difficult emotions. Exercise can (and should!) include sex, says Laurie Steelsmith, ND, a Honolulu-based naturopathic physician. “Getting your sex life up and running is essential for your vital energy flow.”

Reprinted with changes from DeliciousLiving.com, by permission of publisher.