Raw Rewind: The #1 Way to Have More Energy
The following article was originally published on Fit On Raw in June 2009. If you feel groggy in the mornings, need afternoon naps, or just don’t feel as energetic as you think you should, keep reading…
There are hundreds of articles and books dedicated to helping you have more energy. I’m sure you’ve heard of these solutions: eat less meat, cut down on sugar, eat more fiber, drink lots of water, exercise everyday, on and on.
I’m here to tell you that you can significantly increase your energy by doing just one simple thing. But first, let me dispel a few myths…
Do Nuts and Protein Bars REALLY Increase Your Energy?
Have you seen those Emerald nuts commercials? You know, the ones where the people fall asleep during important tasks because they haven’t got enough energy. Then a friend gives them some nuts and woo hoo, they have energy galore!
I want to let you in on a little secret: there is *nothing* you can eat that will increase your energy. Not fruit, not vegetables, and certainly not nuts!
Digestion is a process in your body and it *requires* energy. That’s why everyone retires to the couch after a large Holiday meal. Your body is working overtime to process all of the food, leaving you too worn out to do anything else!
Which brings me to my next point: there are certain foods that require *less* effort from your body to digest. Raw fruit, for instance, only takes *minutes* to go through the full digestive process.
But again, even raw foods do not give you energy. It just uses up less, providing you with optimal fuel and letting you retain more of your own energy than if you had eaten, say, a bologna sandwich.
What About Exercise?
If simply eating an apple requires energy, you know what exercise does, right? Yep. Exercise saps your energy!
Think about it: you decide to go for a jog. You spend a good 30 minutes on the track. How do you feel afterwards? You feel a little worn out, right? And probably a little hungry, too.
With that said, making exercise a regular part of your life will *improve* your energy expenditure in the long run.
Because your body is now engaging in more intense periods of movement, average daily tasks will become even easier to perform. They will require less energy from you than they did before an exercise routine was implemented.
Exercising also makes the *true* energy booster even more efficient…
So What Does Give Us Energy?
Good question!
The *only* thing that we can do to actually restore our energy is…
*SLEEP*
That’s right. Good ole’ sleep. It’s easy to do, you can do it in the comfort of your own home, and it’s free! What’s better than waking up naturally after a good night’s rest?
When you sleep, your body goes into hibernation mode. Because you are not moving, eating or thinking, you are creating less of a demand on your body. All of your organs, muscles and nerves are given the chance to rest and recover.
How much sleep do you need? It’s an easy answer, but you might not like it…enough.
You need enough sleep.
You want some numbers? The general guideline is 8-10 hours every night. However, this changes from person to person. Someone who is training for a marathon will need much more sleep than someone who only goes for long walks on the weekends.
Tips For Getting Quality Sleep
As evidenced by the vast number of sleeping pills and potions used by the general public, people have a hard time getting quality sleep.
Here are some easy tips to help you *finally* get some sound sleep:
- Go raw! As stated earlier, eating healthy raw foods require less energy, allowing you to sleep much more soundly.
- Don’t eat too late. Try to finish your last meal a few hours before bedtime so that your body is not digesting food while you are asleep.
- Be a yogi! Just a few minutes of yoga, or any kind of light stretching, is a great way to calm your body and mind before sleepy time.
- Start an exercise routine. You will be amazed at how wonderfully exhausted you feel when bedtime rolls around.
- Turn off the computer or put down the laptop at least an hour before you go to sleep. I’m really bad about this sometimes, but it truly makes a difference.
As far as getting *enough* sleep, you simply have to get into the habit of doing so. The easiest way to do this is to gradually add on time to your nights. For instance, start by going to bed just 20 minutes earlier than you usually do. Add 20 more minutes the following week, and so on.
You can also try just adding a few restful moments throughout your day. That means no TV, no computer, and no phone! While this isn’t as restorative as sleeping, it does provide your body with a little bit of recovery time.
I have one last little point to make. If you wake up in the morning exhausted, that’s because you are! The absolute best thing you can do is go back to bed. Even if it means skipping exercise, go back to bed.
Yes, it’s that important.
What’s Your Sleep Schedule?
I’m an early to bed, early to rise type of gal and I feel best with about 9 hours of sleep a night. How about you?
Leave your comments below!
Go raw and be fit,
Swayze
P.S. Can’t get enough quality sleep because you can’t stay raw? Can’t stay raw because of crazy cooked food cravings?
I’ve got just the thing…
“How to Conquer Your Cooked Food Cravings Once and for All”
A Guide for Destroying Cravings on a Raw Food Diet
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5 comments
I was averaging 3-5 hours of sleep and sometimes none in 24 hours because there is so much to do and so little time. Now that I’m studying to be a yoga master my teacher suggests that I get at least 6 hours to properly take care of my body and brain. So, I am now working on that. I sleep very well and enjoy a high percentage of raw food in my diet. Thanks for your encouraging bloggs!!!
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I can make a few days of late night early mornings but as a rule I get by on 6-8 hrs depending on my activity during the day.
I have been known to get home from work and at 7.30 start stacking zzzzzzzz’s and wake at 7 am still feeling trashed.
Then other nights I put a late night at 11pm and get up at 4am feeling fine sometimes waking before the alarm.
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I look down the small narrow dirt streets past all of the red toned adobe buildings with their tin and tile roofs, glancing up at the colorful clothes hanging from wires stretched between the neighboring buildings waving in the mild ocean breeze. A slight whistling sound echoes in the air as the wind rushes past the flowing shirts and bright dresses pinned ever so carefully to the lines. Off in the distance at least several streets away I hear the faint barking of a restless dog and moments later the shrill scream of a cat possibly fighting to preserve its life. Except for these few small noises the city seems eerily quite. Where are all of the people? At this time of day the streets should be swarming with activity. Even with the sweltering sun beating down overhead you would expect to see someone moving about accomplishing some burdensome task. But there isn’t anyone in sight. Not up the partially tree shaded alley to my right, not down the narrow twisting cart path that meanders to the fishing docks to my left. I look in all directions and see nothing but, wait! I think I see a faint shadowy outline far ahead. It appears to be the form of a person up in the distance near the palm tree which leans lazily in the sun. I now see small clouds of dust cast into the air as their feet trod slowly along the edge of the dusty street. As we move closer to one another I can now make out what must be a younger lady dressed in casual tan shorts and a top with a bright flowery print, definitely not the type of clothing worn by a local. It is clear that she must be a visitor like me, drawn to the areas casual charm and warm breezy climate. As we pass, I offer the normal afternoon greeting in my feeble attempt at the local language. Her reply is much more polished and smooth suggesting a better grasp of the language but her pail skin belies that of a sun deprived Northerner like myself. Again the silence is only broken by a couple of vacationing “gringos” out exploring but where are the real people that inhabit this small sun drenched town? I scan in all directions looking for any further signs of life. Still only the breeze breaks the silence. Could it be that a strange plague has swept over the city or have all of the residents been abducted? Maybe it is the bullfights that have drawn them away from their casa, but they never hold them in mid day. I stand staring at a floating yellow dress which is floating back and forth across my view when all of a sudden it dawns on me. Right on the back page of the wrinkled travel brochure which I received in the mail some months earlier was the answer that I was searching for. I can recall the words as though I am reading them again now. “The people of this region are known to partake in an afternoon ritual which they call a Siesta. Each day at the same time they get an afternoon nap to rejuvenate and rest” Of course! They are all at siesta. I walk on up the dusty dirt-paved street, wiping the sleep from my eyes while my stomach growls a little, wishing I had purchased that ripe golden papaya that I had gazed upon an hour earlier, before the town had become all quite and motionless. If only I were a little wiser, I too would be at siesta instead of dragging my hungry pale body fruitlessly through this deserted village. I will just have to chalk up my ignorance to never having read that well crafted article on sleep by Swayze Foster which I carelessly left on the worn blue airplane seat next to the half eaten bag of over salted peanuts and the seven empty mini tequila bottles. Viva la Siesta!
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Hey!
I was surprised by this article I enjoyed reading through
Thanks – I will try to get more sleep – add on some minutes each day =)
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I only get 4.5 to maybe 6 hours a night. I have the problem of staying up late and I have to rise early. Some times on the weekend I’ll get 8 hours and your right I do feel like I have more energy.
How many hours before going to bed should you stop eating ?
I’m going to try adding 20 minutes idea. Thanks for tip and article.
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Leave a comment, beautiful.