Ever get so tired in the afternoon so that you find yourself reaching for caffeine or sugar to get through the rest of the day?! This is a common problem for many folks, and while there are many reasons for a dip in energy during the day, here are some of the usual suspects:

• Sleep: Aim for between 7-8 hours each night
• Water: Most people do not drink enough water. Try to have ½ of your body weight in ounces each day, up to 100 ounces. It’s an incredible energizer to be fully hydrated and it works much better than coffee or sugar, which will drop your energy levels even lower after the initial boost!
• Nutrition: Make sure you are eating regularly throughout the day, with plenty of vegetables and clean protein sources at every meal for blood sugar control. Eat organic as much as possible and eliminate all processed foods and sugars.
• Exercise: Aim for a mix of cardio and strength training exercises. Interval training, as Tana outlines, is best for increasing energy and optimizing brain function.
• Supplements: High quality supplements can support your overall health, and increase energy levels. These should include a good multi-vitamin, vitamin D,  and omega-3 fatty acids. Depending on your diet and what medications (if any) you are taking, there may be other supplements that are indicated, such as Vitamin B-12. Check out brainmdhealth.com for our high quality supplements.
• Check your numbers: Getting a complete set of labs done to evaluate hormone levels, including cortisol, vitamin D, and thyroid, may help to illuminate other reasons for low energy.
• Mindset: Low energy can sometimes indicate our emotional or psychological state needs attention. To energize our hearts and minds we all need different doses of the following: social support, a feeling of productivity, creative outlets, spiritual connection, a sense of community/family, and fun! If you recognize one area that is lacking in your life, see if increasing it helps with your overall body-mind energy.

Here’s to increasing energy!