Everyone has days when they feel sluggish or out-of-sorts. Most people then reach for caffeine, usually in the form of sugary or artificially-sweetened soft drinks or coffee.
Instead, it makes sense to take the Save Our Bones approach and get to the root of the problem. Today, we’re going to do just that.
You’ll discover what is making you tired so you can feel more energized throughout the day without having to drink lots of caffeine-containing beverages.
I can’t wait to show you three ways you can overcome tiredness and its detrimental effects. Because, as we’ll also discuss today, low energy can negatively affect your bone health (something your doctor will never tell you).
Lack Of Energy Has A Ripple Effect
Feeling tired during the day feels miserable, but that’s not the only problem with daytime exhaustion. When you’re sluggish, you aren’t motivated to engage in bone-healthy activities like walking and other weight-bearing exercises
Low energy affects your nutrition, too – you’re a lot more likely to throw a processed packaged meal into the microwave or turn to fast food when you’re tired instead of taking the time to prepare a bone-healthy meal.
Even though preparing bone-healthy foods can be as easy as making a smoothie, exhaustion certainly decreases your motivation.
So let’s look at these three habits that can make you tired, so you can begin to take steps to change them into positive, energizing ones.
1. You Eat At Your Desk Or Don’t Take A Lunch Break
Did you know that spending just 20 minutes out in nature – not walking along a city street – can rejuvenate your energy and mood? Staying behind your desk or eating lunch in the same space where you’re working all day can create a sense of monotony and tiredness.
But if you take that lunch hour – or even just half of it – to get out into a natural setting, you’ll feel much better for the rest of the afternoon. If you absolutely can’t get away, try surrounding yourself with pictures and even sounds of nature. Surprisingly, this can be very effective; a remarkable study has shown that imagining and remembering time spent in nature has a beneficial effect similar to actually being outside.
Five-hundred and thirty-seven college students were asked to participate in several comparative exercises. For example, in one experiment, they took a 15-minute walk indoors or along a tree-lined river path. In another, the students took time to imagine various scenarios: indoors or outdoors, alone or with others, active or sedentary. Using diary entries, the researchers tracked the students’ moods, energy, social interactions, and activity level.
The results were clear: the participants who spent time in nature or imagined themselves in natural settings felt more energetic.1 Another fascinating finding in this research is that being in nature has more benefit that just being outdoors1 (such as in a suburban neighborhood or city sidewalk). So feelings of energy after being outdoors can’t be attributed to the mood-boosting, uplifting effects of exercise and social interaction alone.
Taking some time to listen and view natural settings – even in your imagination – can lift the doldrums and infuse you with more vitality.
2. You Restrict Carbohydrates
The carb-cutting fad has not disappeared, and many people still take the low-carb approach to nutrition and weight loss. But your body needs healthful, complex carbohydrates, particularly for energy.
When I say carbohydrates, I’m not referring to acidifying breads or pastas, but rather complex carbs found in fruits and vegetables.
A Tufts University study confirmed and expounded on the fact that carbs are necessary for energy production. Since the body can manufacture but not store glucose, it must have a steady supply. It uses carbohydrates to produce glucose, your body’s “brain fuel.”
To explore this point, researchers gave 19 women between the ages of 22 and 55 a choice of diets. Nine chose a low-carb diet and 10 chose a low-calorie, macronutrient-balanced diet. After one week, the participants were assessed.
The study concludes that:
“Low-carb dieters showed a gradual decrease on the memory-related tasks compared with the low-calorie dieters.”2
More research shows that carbohydrate-restrictive food selection affects mood as well. A 2006 report notes various studies that all indicate high-protein, low-carb diets are associated with depression, whereas healthful, complex carbohydrate ingestion was associated with better moods.3
If you’re following the Osteoporosis Reversal Program, then you’re already consuming the proper amount of complex carbohydrates balanced with protein. The 80/20 plan (80% alkalizing foods and 20% acidifying) along with the Foundation Foods checklist is the perfect recipe for feeling energized during the day.
Your Posture Is Slumped
When it comes to feeling energized, how you hold your body makes a significant difference. A slumped posture greatly reduces your oxygen intake, setting the stage for acidifying carbon dioxide to accumulate and sap your energy. In addition, if you sit up straight, you can mimic the “power pose” we talked about in a recent post. Research clearly shows that how you hold your body affects your brain, mood, and self-image.
Feeling confident and full of life is definitely a motivator to exercise more. And the good news is, the more you exercise, the better your mood and the greater your energy, which encourages you to exercise again.
Take Exercising For Your Bones to the Next Level!
Learn the 52 exercise moves that jumpstart bone-building – all backed by the latest in epigenetics research.
You’ll find that the Densercise™ Epidensity Training System fits the bill perfectly for staying motivated and increasing energy while building stronger bones. For one thing, Densercise™ can be done anywhere, any time without special equipment; so you can easily work it into your lunch hour to help boost your energy for the afternoon (even better if you can do some Densercises in a natural setting!).
If you’d like to share exercise tips or bone-healthy ways you’ve overcome low energy, please feel free to share with the community by leaving a comment below.
Till next time,
References:
1 Ryan, Richard M., et al. “Vitalizing effects of being outdoors and in nature.” Journal of Environmental Psychology. November 2009. 30(2010) 159-68. PDF. https://www.selfdeterminationtheory.org/SDT/documents/2010_RyanWeinstenEtAl_JEVP.pdf
2 D’Anci, Kristen E. “Low-carbohydrate weight-loss diets. Effects on Cognition and mood.” Appetite. February 2009. Vol. 52, Issue 1, pages 96-103. Web. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666308005515
3 Coelho, Jennifer S,; Polivy, Janet; and Herman, Peter C. “Selective carbohydrate or protein restriction: Effects on subsequent food intake and cravings.” Appetite. May 2006. Pages 352-360. PDF. https://www.eetonderzoek.nl/publikaties/coelho_appetite_2006.pdf
Then hold it at least 14 inches away from your face to reduce the risk of sleep interference. Starting your morning with a java jolt is no big deal—in fact, studies show that up to three daily cups of coffee is good for you—but using caffeine improperly can seriously disrupt your sleep-wake cycle, says Dr. Towfigh.
I agree with the comment from Alma re the proofreader. I just get a good laugh when I see the odd mis-spelled word. Lets not get too critical. Life is too short.
My husband is pre diabetic and i am counting my carbs for 90 days so i can find out how my glucose levels are counting the amount of carbs i am eating during the day, so here is the truth, that when we age the carbs are important still for energy but the amount of carbs is the key to keep you from getting diabetic. I still eat carbs, but now i am aware how important is the amount you eat specially in the american diet.
Ann, re your complaint about people needing to proofread before we hit the Send button–many of us type on tiny Smartphone screens, & it is easy to overlook errors in spelling that would jump out at us on a larger screen. Also, it is unbelievable how petty your comment is–instead of criticizing, why don’t you publish something positive that will help us build our bone health, which after all is the purpose of this program?!
Hello Vivian, I would like to order rhe epidensity training system I am just wondeing how many pages do I have to print if I want the paper books. I am still old fashioned and don’t yet use electronic books Thank you. Louise
Please, please Vivian lets get Densercise in book form or dvd. I have a portable dvd and can do all my excerises outside in the summer. That would be awesome . Thanks.
ork and fight about misinformations
Dear Vivian thanks for all your updates i have the Save our bone programme would like the others Bone Appetite,Densexercise the whole series where in United Kingdom can i get these books. Ordering postage very expensive. I cant remember all the weekend challenges if it is in book form it would be easier. Thanks Grace
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Hi Grace,
To avoid shipping fees, you might prefer the digital version of Bone Appetit (and of course, Densercise is only available as an digital ebook). You can get all the details by clicking on the “Shop” link at the top of the page. 🙂
Carbs are good because it gve us heat and energy, but Complex carbs , nit simple carbs – and eat only the calories needed not to overblow it and it will be stored as fat. Just in everything in life, for a well rounded health should always be in moderation, and for older adults , as always:: , no overeating in any nutrients, proteins , carbohydrate and fats, just enough calories needed by the body in every ocassion. And there will be no health problem but lived a healthier, aches and pain free, body living a happy, joyful, vibrant life all our days !!!
I agree, Elsie – balance is very important!
I , too, would Love to see the densercise program published in Book form, It has been a waste of money so far…for me! PLEASE give strong consideration to this request from many of your supporters!!
Many Thanks!
Carbohydrates are important for health. But we need to eating complex not simple carbohydrates. They also need to be balanced.
Some people at work were doing a health challenge. They were eating the Paleo diet and seeing how many people lost weight and how much on this diet. Carbs are restricted on this diet. Unfortunately, several runners in the group found that they could no longer run their average daily miles. Their average was 5 miles, and on the Paleo diet they were averaging 2-2.5 miles and feeling tired. One woman talked to her trainer and when he heard what she was eating, told her she needed to add carbs back into her diet to be able to run again.
That’s very interesting, Alex – the results of the challenge certainly back up the study mentioned in this post!
Vivian,
Are you ever going to publish the Densercise in book form like you did the Save the Bone & Cook Book? Our exercise room does not have internet access.
Hi Diane,
We don’t have plans for a hard copy of Densercise as yet, but you don’t need internet access to read the manual. It’s delivered as a PDF file which you can print or read on-screen. 🙂
I have tried printing the book but it does not allow the same. Any suggestions?
I would enjoy having the exercises to be punished in a book form rather than just on the internet.
Doesn’t anyone proofread their comments before they hit send??
@Suzanne Jenkins, good info for people that are NOT diabetic, and need to learn these things. @ Carlos de Souza, I haven’t read these books, but my husband has full blown type 2 diabetes from a pituitary tumor which is affecting his adrenals glands, thyroid, pancreas, & other problems like his kidneys. Each person is different, & should see a doctor if they have diabetes to find out what could be causing it, & how it has to be handled whether with diet alone or with differing insulin shots. My hubby has to take 2 different types of insulin, & watch his diet, & carbs, but still has outlandish A1c’s, obviously he sees an endoctrinologist, & eats corect amount of carbs.(the right ones) Sorry, but reading a book or two isn’t going to help everyone. It may help some who do not watch their diet properly, but think we will stick with our doctor. Thanks for the advice tho’. Great info in the aritcle!
For MARY, reply to her , Try Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils, maybe it will help, email me if interested.
Unfortunately, most people do not know their test result numbers for fasting glucose, insulin, and HgA1c. You can fool a glucose blood test (good around 80) by eating carefully a couple of days prior to the test. Glucose can look pretty good but if the insulin is too high (ideal be between 2 and 6), a higher number shows the pancreas is working too hard to clear your blood of glucose. When the beta cells in the pancreas give up, the person moves from pre-diabetes to full blown diabetes. The HgA1c (preferable 5 or below – above 5.7 indicates pre-diabetes or worse) tells you how well your body handled carbohydrates for the past 90 days – you can’t fool Mother Nature and you can’t fool the HgA1c. The American diet is loaded with junk food – overly processed simple carbs with bad fats, and lots of sugar and salt – in other words, industrial man-made food sometimes referred to as frankenfood. If your 3 blood sugar numbers point to pre-diabetes or full blown diabetes you will need to rethink the QUANTITY and QUALITY of carbohydrates – even the good carbs. Your blood tests should be your road map and refinement guide.
ANYONE who claims that carbs are good for health need to read either Dr. Perlmutter or Dr. Bernstein. Really nothing further to add.