A balanced diet that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables plays a big role in maintaining fitness and overall health. Thanks to this diet, the body receives the right amount of nutrients. However, it happens that at a certain period of life we have to expend more energy than usual or fight fatigue. In such cases, including certain vitamins in your diet will help improve performance.
This summer we're bringing you the power to boost your energy levels and improve your performance with the best vitamins from Myprotein.
Products that increase productivity and mental activity
In order to maintain clarity of thinking, the brain needs protein, so it is necessary to include protein foods of plant and animal origin in the diet.
It is known that the brain needs sugar to function, and many people eat sweets. When working sedentarily, this is a sure way to excess weight: after all, sugar is quickly absorbed and burned. It is better to eat foods that contain natural sugars and starch: brown bread, potatoes, rice, legumes, nuts, etc. Such food will be digested more slowly, and the brain will have enough nutrition for several hours.
If the brain lacks biologically active substances, it is useless to train the memory and perform various exercises. Cells do not have enough nutrition - where should they get it from? Of course, only from food. Vitamins of group B and vitamin PP, as well as polyunsaturated fatty acids, are very important.
Include fatty fish, cereals, eggs, dairy products, and yeast in your diet. Avocados, raisins, dried apricots and seeds also help relieve fatigue and cope with prolonged mental stress. Take nuts with you to work: pistachios, almonds or walnuts.
Substances contained in squid, shrimp, crab, and fresh onions will help improve concentration. A piece of chocolate will help you calm down and stop being nervous, but don’t get carried away with it.
Strawberries or bananas also help relieve stress and improve your mood.
A simple product - carrots, in combination with ginger, cumin and sour cream will help improve memory and vision: after all, this is what suffers the most when working at a computer. Add blueberries, fresh or dried, to your carrot salad and your eyes will thank you.
How to get rid of stress? Choose your relaxation technique
The reaction to stress determines the relaxation method that is most suitable for the person.
- Do you tend to get angry, worried or excited? Try relaxation techniques that allow the mind to cool down, such as meditation, deep breathing, or guided visualization - imagining yourself in a pleasant, relaxing place, reproducing sounds, smells, tactile sensations.
- Do you tend to become tired, withdrawn and sleepy? The body will respond to relaxation that stimulates and energizes the nervous system, such as rhythmic exercises - dancing, running, walking. You can simply use a rubber expander for your hand, rotate your head, or toss a tennis ball.
- Do you tend to feel anxious on the inside and become sluggish on the outside? You need to identify relaxation techniques that reset the nervous system, such as walking and power yoga.
How to increase functionality: step-by-step instructions
Step 1 . Before we increase our performance, let's rest. Without proper rest there is no proper work.
Step 2 . Let's start planning. Without planning, you will never have increased performance. Therefore, at this stage, get yourself a diary.
So, every evening you will need to write down all your planned activities for tomorrow. This should be done in the evening, since in the morning the brain is in a sleepy state and does not want to think about anything at all.
Step 3 . We set priorities and determine our productive time. Every person is different, which means that each person performs best at different times.
Some people work productively at 7 am, while others only start their engines at 7 pm.
Therefore, determine the time of your greatest productivity.
Now let's start setting priorities.
Once you've created a to-do list for yourself, look at which tasks require you to be most productive. Write these things down for your active time. Small tasks can always be done in the morning. And you can leave the not particularly important ones for the evening.
Step 4 . Let's concentrate on work. During work moments, try to concentrate only on work. Disable Skype, ICQ and other programs. Set yourself a schedule!
From today, try to concentrate on work and be distracted only by vital problems.
Step 5. Switch. Once you have mastered one thing, try to switch to something completely different.
If you have been doing mental work for 2 hours, then for the next 30-60 minutes you can do sports, routine or household chores.
After brain activity, the body needs rest and switching.
This is the only way he can continue further brain activity.
Step 6 . We fight laziness. If you really want to improve your productivity, then suppress laziness. Don't put off everything until later.
Step 7. Delegate authority. Don't try to do everything yourself. If you can shift some tasks onto the shoulders of others, shift them!
By delegating some tasks to others, you can better concentrate on more important tasks.
Iron
Iron plays a critical role in the body's energy production. It is necessary to produce enough hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in red blood cells. Therefore, iron deficiency can cause fatigue.
A study examining the relationship between iron supplementation and fatigue in women found that compared with those receiving a placebo, subjects receiving iron had an 18.9% reduction in fatigue.1
Red meat and liver are excellent sources of iron, so vegetarians and vegans are especially susceptible to iron deficiency. Other dietary sources of iron include beans, nuts, dried fruits and micronutrient-fortified breakfast cereals.
Iron tablets may not be safe for people with certain medical conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome, and should be taken with caution. Before you start taking iron tablets, you should always consult your doctor.
Causes of Energy Deficiency
The decline in vitality depends on various factors: quality of sleep, good nutrition, peace of mind, physical activity. During the day we can spend all our energy on unnecessary things and by the evening we will feel weak, weak and tired. To prevent this from happening, a person’s life force must be spent sparingly.
One of the main causes of energy deficiency is poor health:
- Liver problems.
- Poor thyroid function.
- Increased blood sugar levels.
- Mental disorder.
- Chronic fatigue.
If your health is normal, but the feeling of powerlessness and apathy is still present, pay attention to your lifestyle. A body with signs of fatigue and weakness will not provide us with sufficient energy if we do not eliminate the following reasons:
- presence of bad habits;
- poor sleep quality;
- not enough exercise;
- poor nutrition;
- poor environmental situation.
In addition, the lack of strength can be influenced by negative emotions, such as resentment, envy, anger, despondency and anger. You should get rid of them in a timely manner, avoiding strong experiences that block the channels of incoming energy.
All unresolved problems, both past and present, also block energy flows. Internal conflicts, an endless overabundance of thoughts and decisions in our heads are also negative, worsening our standard of living. I offer you a powerful practice for the perfection of the spirit that controls the mind and body.
How to increase vitality and energy
Why there is no energy: negative emotions
People who care about their health do not allow negative emotions to occur. They know that a strong surge of feelings is accompanied by the release of stress hormones. And after strong experiences, there is an outflow of energy, and with this comes a feeling of weakness and emptiness.
There are different situations, you need to take control of your emotions and not pay attention to the negative. In any case, you need to learn this for your own good, so as not to experience a decline in vitality. Get free Secret practices for good luck and success, which were collected and tested for you by karmic healer and magician Mikhail Fedorov.
All negative emotions disrupt the well-coordinated functioning of the body and release stress hormones, which increase blood pressure, cause headaches, increase heart rate, and cause a malfunction in the immune system.
Any negativity in our life takes away energy. Our energy reserves are depleted during conflicts, envy, and resentment. It is harmful to constantly engage in criticism and self-criticism, complaining and feeling sorry for yourself.
Our life is impossible without the daily huge flow of information coming from the media. More often we hear, see and read negative information about incidents, crimes, fraud, and disasters. This always subconsciously evokes negative emotions. Know that there is no point in focusing your attention on them, just understand how harmful they are.
A person in a bad mood is not capable of good, productive deeds. To be cheerful and full of strength, do not react to negative information flows. Learn to monitor and control negative emotions, then the body will not have a violent reaction and release of stress hormones.
Why energy reserves are exhausted: toxic environment
We have all noticed how toxic people “suck” our energy. They are rightly called energy vampires. Such people radiate negativity, complaining about life, health, low salaries and the weather.
After communicating with them, we feel depressed, tired and lack of vitality. If due to duty it is impossible to stop contacts with them, then try to reduce communication to a minimum. Unfortunately, such people may be close relatives (for example, parents).
Negative emotions repeated day after day can lead to spasms in the body and, as a result, to diseases. Psychosomatic illnesses begin with negative emotions such as fear, anger, anxiety. Learn to manage your feelings, then the energy reserve in your body will not run out, and it will circulate freely in your healthy body.
How to replenish your energy for the whole day
Loss of strength symptoms
- loss of energy drowsiness
- constant fatigue
- no strength to live depression
- no energy apathy
- feeling like I have no strength
- no strength or desire to live
- I get tired quickly
- I have no energy in the morning
- after work there is no energy for housework
- bouts of fatigue
- little vital energy
- no strength to communicate with people
- weakness drowsiness
- loss of strength, no mood
- I can’t, I don’t have the strength to endure work
- no strength to get a job
- constantly want to sleep, drowsiness during the day
- sometimes I can't get out of bed
- severe irritability
- tired of going to work
- no strength to get off the couch
- I don't even have the strength to wash myself
- loss of motivation
- And, as a result, “I just got up and I’m tired”
Symptoms of loss of strength
Don't neglect coffee
A cup of coffee is a great way to perk up, but only if you drink it at the right time. For coffee to be most effective, you should drink it not immediately after waking up, but several hours after you get out of bed. The most active time for caffeine is from 9.30 to 11.30 in the morning, say British neuroscientists. It turns out that caffeine interacts with the “energy hormone” cortisol, and therefore it is advisable to drink coffee at a time when the level of this hormone in the body is low. People who drink coffee between 8 and 9 a.m., when cortisol levels are high, become addicted to caffeine and its effectiveness decreases.
Restorative rest is a remedy against fatigue
Energy, mood, productivity, and memory depend on a night's rest, because almost a quarter of Russian adults sleep little and have little knowledge of sleep hygiene:
- Reduce time spent at the computer or in front of the TV after 8 pm. Bright screen light can make it difficult to fall asleep because it suppresses the production of melatonin, the hormone that tells the brain it's nighttime. Turn off the Internet an hour before your expected bedtime, better read.
- Hide the alarm clock when falling asleep, stop monitoring how much time you spend in bed, as this causes anxiety. Conscious insomnia causes the brain to remain awake and impairs deep, restorative sleep.
- Reduce temperature. The bedroom should be comfortably cool to match your core body temperature, which drops at night. The ideal temperature is 20-23 degrees.
- Avoid alcohol, which depresses the nervous system, which controls the body's response to internal and external stimuli. Alcohol may have a sedative effect, but will cause you to wake up in the middle of the night. Alcohol disrupts the natural 24-hour biorhythm and increases blood pressure at night, when a person is usually relaxed and calm.
- Add physical activity. Aerobic exercise increases the duration of the deep sleep phase and reduces the number of awakenings. Strength training increases immunity, increases resistance to stress, which is important in modern life, helps you relax better and fall asleep faster.
- Put off worries until tomorrow. Throughout the day, keep a record of all stressors, take a minute to find explanations and solutions for them, and develop action plans. As soon as your head touches the pillow, you will know that all problems have been thought through for a long time, and this will help you relax faster.
Use the 15-minute rule for good sleep: if you haven’t been able to fall asleep within a quarter of an hour, you should do something relaxing - read, listen to meditative music, knit, but just don’t turn on the Internet! If you feel drowsy, immediately return to bed.