Do you wake up every morning feeling refreshed and energetic? Do you begin each day with thoughts about all of the exciting opportunities that await you? Or, like many Americans, do you wish you could sleep just a few more minutes to reenergize yourself in preparation for your daily whirlwind of activities?

Take a few moments to visualize how great it would feel to enjoy more energy, vibrant health, and a sense of well-being. “All of us want to enjoy life fully, regardless of our age,” noted Lisa Margolin, holistic nutritionist and co-author of ViVa’s Healthy Dining Guide. “We need to feel healthy and have enough energy to sustain the active lifestyle that today’s world demands of us.”

These 7 simple steps are designed to help you improve your energy level, and your physical and emotional health:

1. Move your body. Begin your day with 10 minutes of exercise. Walk, do stretching exercises, jump on an exercise trampoline, ride a bike, climb your stairs several times, it doesn’t matter. Just spend the first minutes of your day moving your body to stimulate blood circulation, and start your brain working. Once this becomes a daily habit, increase the time to 15, 20 or 30 minutes. Do it everyday, vary your routine whenever possible, and make it fun. For every 15 minutes of exercise, our metabolism is boosted for the next 6 hours, which is especially important as we grow older. You will soon notice an increase in your energy level, and your emotional vitality.

2. Drink lemon water. Squeeze a lemon in a 6 to 8 oz. glass of purified water, and drink it after you exercise. Lemon water, cold or warm, is a great cleanser, purifier, and rejuvenator. It helps to detoxify the liver, by aiding in fat metabolism. It also aids in digestion. Drinking lemon water as your first morning drink is a simple and easy way to regularly aid your body in the detoxification and cleansing process. If you want a greater boost to your metabolism and energy level, add a pinch of cayenne pepper, and an herbal sweetener like Stevia, to the lemon water. That will quickly get your blood flowing, and boost your energy level.

3. Early morning snack. Eat some fresh seasonal fruit along with your lemon water, and before your breakfast. Watermelon is a refreshing, nutrient rich, cleansing fruit, and is cooling to your body after your exercise routine. Whether it be an apple or pear in autumn, orange or kiwi in winter, a mango or papaya in spring, melons, cherries, strawberries, peaches, or blueberries in summer, a serving of fruit will also help to jump start your energy level for the day. When you start your day by following a healthy routine, you are more likely to continue eating healthfully throughout the day.

4. Improve one meal. Be mindful of your food choices throughout the day, since everything you eat has some effect on how you feel. Add more whole grain products like brown rice, barley, quinoa, oats, and millet to your diet. Focus on adding fresh vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and seeds, and other nutrient rich products to your daily menu. Reduce your intake of meat and unhealthy processed foods. Prepare and eat at least one healthy meal each day. When dining out, select a healthy meal, with minimally processed foods. Change your life-long habits gradually. As you begin to feel better, you will want to continue the changes that help you feel good.

5. Look inward. Allow yourself a few minutes each day to reflect on your world, your life, and the people around you. Are you feeling stretched to the limit? Do you wish that you were leading a more meaningful life? Take the time to spend with family members, friends, and other people who are important to you. To feel healthy and energetic, you need to assess all of the components of your life. Decide if you are living your life fully and enjoying each day, while effectively managing the inevitable stresses of life. If life changes are necessary, make them slowly and thoughtfully, and be accepting of yourself.

6. Reduce clutter. Create a short list of the ways in which you can simplify your life. For many of us, this is a complicated and complex world today. To live authentically and at peace within ourselves, we need to find ways to simplify our way of life. Clean out a closet, get rid of old, unused clothes, and papers, or say no to a social invitation that will just cause you stress. Find some ways that work for you to ease the daily demands of life around you. You will feel lighter and more at peace, if you can find a few manageable ways to simplify the way you live.

7. Sleep longer. Go to sleep ½ hour earlier than you normally do. Turn off your television, put down your book, turn off your computer, and go to bed. Many of us are sleep deprived; yet there is no substitute for a restful night’s sleep. Take a hot bath or shower. Afterwards, spray yourself with a light mist, prepared with a few drops of lavender essential oil and water. If you feel the need to stretch out before going to bed, spend 10 minutes doing some yoga stretches. The stretching and breathing will help relieve any tension so you will sleep more restfully. When you wake up, feeling wonderfully rejuvenated, remember to start your day with at least 10 minutes of exercise!

About the Author
Lisa Margolin, J.D., M.S. is a holistic nutritionist and co-author of ViVa’s Healthy Dining Guide, a comprehensive directory of more than 2,100 vegetarian, healthy ethnic, and natural foods restaurants, and markets across the United States. For more information on healthy lifestyles visit www.healthybelly.com.

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Publish date: 10/21/04