Here are a few of the habits and routines I’ve adopted to get my energy back. They’re all research based and I will try to give you the links but here goes. A short post for you!

FOOD: Cut out the empty carbs, that was for me the four tortillas and chips I ate most days. Once I’d decided to do this, I tried for a week and noticing exactly what I ate was a bit of a surprise. Glucose ups and downs from eating too much bread and cookies and pastas and potatoes and grains mess with our emotions which messes with our bodies. It’s a symbiotic balance. The low afternoon crash I’ve had most of my life went away when I stopped the carbs. You can find out more by following Dr Jessie Inchauspé at https://www.glucosegoddess.com for a free download and her advice and stories are on Instagram too. Well worth checking.

VEGGIES: Fill each meal with at least 50% veggies and not the heavy kind. Again, there’s quite a bit of science that shows the benefits of greens, salads, all the micronutrients in colorful vegetables. One thing that helped me was to commit to one salad a day. I can do that on the road, visiting friends, and it allows me to think I’m doing my best. Looking at the food offered at restaurants with this in mind makes me realize how far our Anglo western (UK/USA) cultures have moved away from lighter meals full of fresh food and proteins. Me, I have always preferred to make meals from scratch, the premade and processed foods just don’t satisfy.

ALCOHOL/POT: Both are too easy to use on a daily basis. Just watch how often, when and where. Both are depressants, lowering our energy (after the initial rush of sugar in the booze). For me, I stopped having beer or wine at home so it really did become a social thing. I had to go out to for a drink. That alone made me more aware of how much I could drink if it was too easy. Listen to Dr Andrew Huberman on both topics for the detailed peer-reviewed science. Pretty much ALL of my friends in New Mexico drink and smoke cigarettes, some like a breakfast beer and that worries me but it’s up to each of them. Right? I can only take care of myself.

MOVEMENT: I’m not going to call it exercise because everyone freaks out with that word so yeah, moving. Every hour of sitting and reading or working on the computer, I get up a walk the dogs even if only for five minutes. I stretch in the evenings before a shower and movies or bed. There’s also a ton of science about how only a seven minute (exercise) routine each day makes a huge difference. Here’s an article talking about a few options. I like it but no it’s not a daily habit although I miss it when I skip a session.

MEDITATION: Some of us are so bloody hypersensitive to our bodies, the ups and downs, that the usual recommendations for meditating make us more self focused. Another way is to take five minutes, sit, and listen. That’s it. Listen to all the sounds around. When I catch myself wandering off, I remind myself to listen. No equipment needed. Yet the simplicity works – for me. Alan Watts was known for this type of focus.

PROTEINS: Lastly I wanted to give you the link to Dr Hyman’s work. He’s written a few books on food and longevity. I came across him in an interview on some podcast last year and followed up by getting one of his books. There’s some rather out there ideas but I like the basic premise and science based tools for bettering my health and energy levels. How much protein was one thing I’d been lacking as I’m not too much into meat (poor bloody critters) but the days when I’m down, low, physically and mentally, I remember to get something into me. That’s all it takes. Here’s one of the articles of his on the topic.

Okay, there you go. My basic shorter list of what I do…

I hope it helps.

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