How To Boost Your Energy & Stay Energized Throughout the Day

Fat burns more like a big log on a slow fire, and sugar burns more like kindling, in a quick intense burst of energy that dies out quickly. (If you want to read more of the cool sciency stuff on why you want your brain to be fat adapted, check out my article on the subject.) Fortunately, it’s relatively easy to switch your body into fat-burning mode. It takes just one day. In three meals and one snack, you can banish those energy crashes. This diet also includes some of my other favorite fatigue-fighting foods. Consider it your 24-hour energy rehab.

Breakfast

Focusing on a meal loaded with healthy fats in the morning will lay the foundation for fat-burning and steady energy all day long. Featuring wild-caught salmon, eggs, and avocados, this breakfast is filled with the uber-important fats your body needs. Complement your meal with an iced adaptogenic latte for an extra energy boost to start off your day.

Avocado Lox on Sweet Potato “Toast”

Ingredients

• 1 large sweet potato
• 2 large eggs
• 1 avocado
• Wild-caught lox (salmon)

Directions

1. Slice the sweet potato lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices. You’ll be using two slices – reserve the rest for another use (or keep them wrapped in the freezer for future “toast”)
2. Place the two sweet potato slices in the toaster on the highest setting. Toast for about 5 minutes or until cooked entirely. Toast a couple times if needed.
3. While the sweet potato is toasting, cook the eggs to your preference.
4. Cut the avocado into slices.
5. Top the sweet potato toast with egg, lox, and avocado.

Iced Adaptogenic Energy Latte

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup coconut milk
• 1/3 cup organic cold-brew coffee
• 1 tablespoon spirulina
• 1 cup raw chopped spinach
• 1/2 cup frozen papaya
• 1 scoop pea protein
• 1 teaspoon chaga powder
• 1 teaspoon ashwagandha powder

Directions

Combine ingredients in blender and blend. Serve over ice.

Lunch

Shredded Brussels Sprouts + Sardine Salad

Refuel at lunch with this hearty salad. Not only do the sardines and almonds contain more healthy fats to keep your fat-burning fires stoked, but the Brussels sprouts and kale are essential for methylation, your body’s biochemical superhighway that gets your cells all the energy they need to thrive.

Ingredients for salad

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts, trimmed and shredded
• 1 bunch of Tuscan kale (or any kale), chopped into ribbons
• 2 medium apples, cored and sliced
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 2 cans wild-caught sardines

Ingredients for dressing

• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

1. Mash, slice, or dice sardines to desired consistency.
2. Combine all salad ingredients together.
3. Combine all dressing ingredients together and toss with salad. Serve immediately.

Snack

Chocolate Nut-Butter Fat Bombs

When the afternoon lull rolls around, it may be tempting to reach for something sugary. Instead, pop a couple of these fat bombs, delicious little nuggets that pack a punch with energy-filled fats from coconut oil and nut butter. They give you the impression of a sweet treat without the energy crash.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
• 1/3 cup nut butter of your choice
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup (or other desired sweetener)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of sea salt

Directions

1. In a bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well.
2. Spoon into a silicone mold of choice (you can also use mini-muffin tins with liners).
3. Freeze until set and pop out of molds.
4. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Dinner

Grilled Adaptogenic Mushrooms + Onion Steak

Continue to support methylation with the B-vitamins (especially B12), brain-food omega fats, and the energizing bioavailable iron all found in grass-fed meat. Amp up this energy-packed meal with the addition of adaptogenic mushrooms to end the day balanced and strong.

Ingredients

• 12-ounce grass-fed flank steak
• 8 ounces mushrooms (turkey tail or cordyceps are best)
• 1 cup onion, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves, chopped

Directions

1. Heat 1 tablespoon of desired cooking oil in skillet over medium heat. Cook the beef until browned on each side to preferred level of doneness. Remove from skillet.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of desired oil in the same skillet. Add in mushrooms and onion and cook until tender. Add in garlic and rosemary and cook for about 1 minute.
3. Cut the beef diagonally into thin slices. Place on plate and top with mushroom/onion mixture.

5 Reasons Why You’re Tired All The Time + How To Fix It

Far too often in my functional medicine practice, I hear my patients say they are tired all the time. They wake up groggy, spend the day fighting fatigue, and find themselves pounding espresso shots to get through the dreaded 3 p.m. slump.

And it’s not just sleep deprivation that’s to blame, either. Plenty of my patients sleep 8-plus hours a night and still struggle with fatigue; they are too tired to thrive at work, too tired to work out, and even feel lethargic at the thought of socializing with friends.

If you can relate to this, you’re not alone. Our modern lifestyles and the standard American diet — full of processed and refined foods that cause chronic inflammation and gut health issues — can put our energy levels on the chopping block.

The good news is that there is always a reason why you’re fighting fatigue. Here are five reasons why you’re tired all the time — and exactly what you can do about it.

1. Too much coffee

This one might come as a surprise. Isn’t coffee supposed to give you energy? When used correctly, caffeine can provide a helpful boost of energy and brain power. But it’s important to be wary of caffeine dependence and overuse. Too much caffeine can make you feel anxious, spike your heart rate and blood pressure, interfere with your sleep at night, and ultimately put your body under stress, contributing to adrenal fatigue, which can lead to extreme fatigue.

Exactly what to do: Try slowly decreasing your caffeine intake (limiting it to the few hours after you wake up) while simultaneously increasing your intake of healthy fats and protein, which provide stable, lasting energy to your body and brain throughout the day. You can also try Bulletproof Coffee, which can help reduce the negative side effects of caffeine.

2. An irregular sleep schedule

If you’re sleeping 8-plus hours a night but you’re still tired, it may be because your sleep schedule is inconsistent. Your body has an internal biological clock that drives the release of certain hormones, such as melatonin and cortisol, throughout the day. This means that going to bed at 8 p.m. on the weekdays and staying up until 3 a.m. on the weekends can leave your body confused and you feeling like you’re jet lagged all the time.

Exactly what to do: Try to keep your sleep-wake times as consistent as possible throughout the week (and weekend!) and notice how your brain fog clears and your energy levels recalibrate.

3. Lack of exercise

I know, I know. The last thing you want to do when you’re tired is exercise. But most of the time, it actually helps to get your body moving. In fact, it may be the cure to your fatigue that you’ve been hoping for. Studies have shown that exercise, especially mild-to-moderate intensity exercise, can actually lead to decreases in fatigue. In fact, a University of Georgia study showed that low-intensity exercise for 6 weeks led to a 65 percent drop (1) in feelings of fatigue compared to no exercise at all.

Exactly what to do: If you’re feeling constantly tired, try going on a 30-minute walk, playing tennis with a friend, or hitting the gym. You may find that it gives you a newfound burst of energy.

4. Too much sugar

The average American consumes 57 pounds of added sugar per year, which means a lot of us are on a blood sugar roller coaster with daily peaks and valleys. Unstable blood sugar can mess with your mood, cravings, weight, and yes — your energy levels too. In fact, fatigue is one of the primary symptoms of diabetes and pre-diabetes.

Exactly what to do: Use a food diary to take a good look at your daily sugar intake. Then, start replacing added and processed sugars with natural options, like fruit, while increasing your fiber intake — from sources like chia and flax seeds, legumes, and cruciferous vegetables — to help keep your blood sugar stable (2).

5. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

According to American Family Physician, about 4 to 6 percent of people may suffer from winter depression. My guess is that this number is actually much higher (studies have estimated (3) that as much as two-thirds of depression cases are undiagnosed). If you notice that you struggle with fatigue in the winter, SAD might be at least partly to blame — especially if you’re struggling with your mood as well.

Exactly what to do: Consider seeking treatment for seasonal depression and add mood-supporting wellness practices — like herbs, light therapy, and vitamin D supplementation — to your routine.

Dealing with daily fatigue can be an extremely frustrating and disheartening experience. And if your fatigue is extreme, it’s important to consult a medical expert to assess whether you may have an underlying health condition or chronic fatigue syndrome.

The good news is that once you know the reasons for your fatigue, you can start supporting your body in the right ways and get back to enjoying your life.

As one of the first functional medicine telehealth clinics in the world, we provide webcam health consultations for people around the globe.