Energy and persistence conquer all things. ~ Benjamin Franklin


 

Day 3: The Gift of Energy

Energy!  Va-voom! 

Just wondering if you can make it through a day without sugar, caffeine, or other stimulants? 

Energy is what you can gift yourself after Good Health and Good Digestion.  

Because without good health and digestion, it's difficult for your body to create Energy.

Many of us rely on energy enhancements, which do increase our Energy ... but what goes up must come down (thank you Newton). Energy from sugar and other stimulants goes up for a few hours - and then falls.  When we continue taking those stimulants over the long term, our natural Energy will run lower than our original baseline over time.  Instead of levelling up, Energy will level down. #notcool

So what is the key to REAL energy?

It's actually optimizing your mitochondria. :)

Mitochondria are the powerhouses of every cell in your body. They are the absolute most critical physiological system involved in our energy levels.  If you deal with fatigue on a regular basis, it is almost certainly a sure sign that your mitochondria are not functioning well. 

The main issue, though, is as you age your mitochondria become damaged and dysfunctional.   And they shrink in size.  (Sorry to be the bearer of bad news.) Research has shown that for most people, the ability of our cells to produce energy decreases by HALF from ages 20 to 40.  Then from 40 to 70 they decrease by another HALF!  (ouch!)

As a result, the energy your mitochondria produce naturally decreases over time, reducing your health and longevity ... and causing fatigue. 

Then add in psychological stress, environmental toxins (e.g., heavy metals, air pollutants), poor diet, poor gut health (if you didn't read yesterday's note, you can find it here), and chronic inflammation ... they all cause further mitochondrial damage and dysfunction and shut the mitochondria down. 

The mitochondria shift out of energy production mode to cell protection mode.  (You know how you feel when you're fighting a cold or flu? The mitochondria are in cell protection mode to help your body fight off the virus or infection.  And as your body heals they they shift out of cell protection mode back into energy production and you are able to do more of the things you typically do.)

Research is now showing that these three things — the loss of mitochondria, the damage/dysfunction of mitochondria, and the shut down of mitochondria — are the primary factors that drive low energy levels.

In other words, if you’ve got low energy levels, it likely means that your mitochondria have become weak, damaged, dysfunctional, and switched off over time.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is found to be the root cause of most chronic diseases. So the key to ramping up your mitochondria and keeping them in Energy Production mode is the following:

- Reduce as much as possible what inhibits the mitochondria: reduce toxins in food, medicines, make up, skin care, cleaning supplies, and the environment

- Clean up your diet: see yesterday's post The Gift of Good Digestion.  Also "caffeine cycling" on and off helps maintain your Energy baseline while you can still enjoy the energy, mood and performance benefits of caffeine.

- Choose positive lifestyle habits: intermittent fasting, body movement, good sleep, grounding or earthing, and stress reduction.

So you have a choice: you can drag yourself through the day or you can optimize your energy levels so they are consistent throughout the day.  High energy levels mean you have the strength and stamina to tackle what each day brings and you're then able to accomplish what is important to you.

Even Abraham Lincoln realized, "The health you enjoy is largely your choice." 

There are no "quick fixes" that will give you the long term life sustaining I'm talking about here.  I'd prefer that you lay a foundation for a lifetime of vitality, amazing health, and a life filled with Energy.

A good and natural way to get started is by enjoying something daily (besides coffee) that will give you a boost.  My Energy Elixir is filled with natural, health promoting ingredients that will pick you up in the middle of the day.  If you haven't yet tried it, here's the recipe.    

More energy at the cellular level means better health, greater longevity, protection from countless diseases, and of course, more physical energy that you feel.

Va-voom!

With love,

- Lisa xo

P.S.  Any guesses what tomorrow's Gift may be?  If you get it right I'll gift you with 20% off any of my nutrition or coaching programs.  :)