Now that I’ve laid out my goals in my Becoming My Own Client posts it’s time to put things into action. I am purposely going to skip over, Goal #1: Lose Weight. I’d like to be back to my pre-pregnancy weight by October 2013, because my action step to make this happen is to focus on working on goals 2-7. As you will come to see that all of my goals overlap with one or more other goals, to be successful I must find balance in all aspects of my life.
Increase energy by eating more greens
Goal #2: Increase my Energy.
en·er·gy/ˈenərjē/
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power – vigour – vigor – vim – zip – strength – pep
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Action steps to increase my energy:
- Reduce or eliminate caffeine. Caffeine can cause dehydration and the rise and fall of blood sugar which can cause mood swings and cravings. I don’t have a lot of caffeine, most days just one cup of coffee but more and more I am finding myself having a second cup of coffee to “make it through the day”. That being said my goal is to replace that second cup of coffee with a glass of water or herbal tea.
- Drink water. If there is one thing that most people don’t do enough of it’s drink enough water. Most Americans are in a constant state of dehydration which can have a number of negative effects including cravings.
- Eat dark leafy green vegetables. Greens a filled with vitamins and nutrients that make you feel refreshed and energetic. They help improve circulation, purify the blood and strengthen the immune system. I love greens but for some reason I don’t eat enough. My goal is to eat dark leafy greens, such as broccoli, collards, bok choy, kale, mustard greens, broccoli rabe, arugula and dandelion greens, 5 days per week.
- Use gentle sweets. I am going to avoid processed sugars and use natural sweeteners like maple syrup, agave nectar, dates, and coconut sugar. Also I am going to increase the number of sweet vegetables such as yams, carrots and beets, that I eat to help reduce cravings for sweets.
- Get physical activity. Simple activities, like walking or yoga, can help increase energy by doing as little as 10 minutes per day. I have increased the frequency of my workouts but now I want to do more yoga and increase intensity.
- Get more sleep and rest and relaxation. A tired and stressed body craves energy and often we turn to food for energy instead of what we really need- a nap. Lately I have been staying up later at night once E goes to sleep but really I need to go to bed earlier so I get more rest.
- Take time for myself. Finding activities that restore your energy, such as a walk, a bath, a museum, or a movie helps to increase energy. I haven’t been taking nearly enough time for me so my goal is to take 30 minutes per day to do something just for me.
How do you increase your energy?
I’m enjoying hearing about your journey. For me, I realized I was just subbing regular sugar with dates and alternative sweeteners so until I limited those and eventually cut those out, I didn’t really lose much weight. And I still got sugar crashes. I hope you find what works for you!