We all want to have extra energy, a sip out of the youth fountain, providing us with that zest that keeps us going (see: energizer bunny, the battery mascot for twenty some years now) enabling us to achieve a ludicrous amount of chores in one single day. Most of us achieve this heightened state through some form of energy drinks, coffee , or soda, head buzzing and body twitching right on time at 9 AM. Little do we realize that with each popped top and indulgent sip into our routine nemesis, we are doing a number on our gastrointestinal tract and mental state.
You may have heard before that, hold onto your chairs, the simple combination of exercise and a sound diet can get you those same effects, and for most of us, that sounds too time consuming and committing. It forces us to sweat, look into some places we may not want to point our finger, at ourselves, for lack of what we should be doing, or for the truth of what we have been doing (ie: eating bags of Doritos-what are these anyhow?). It sucks. I know. This is why I am here to help break it down into a not so scary state. Let’s go through the aforementioned buzz enhancers and highlight some other options that not only enhance your gusto, but also boost the health of your innards!
1. Energy drinks. The devil. Therefore, I will not give them respect of highlighting any one in particular. Let me dive in headfirst and say it doesn’t make sense that one would choose to drink something that may cause inflammation, pain, bleeding and ulcerations in the small intestine and the stomach- for a buzz – juss sayin. There is something wrong about consuming something that has a warning label on it- at least this is my own personal opinion. So after you’re zinging, stomach bleeding, and heart beat is next to near putting you into cardiac arrest, the sugar spike is just icing on the cake. Oh you thought that this was healthy and a great little treat on your diet? Think again 😉
2. This is not me saying to give up coffee, as I am an avid lover, and barista myself. This is just to kick up a bit more awareness in the act of consumption related to this beautiful past time. Dehydration. Coffee is indeed a diuretic. What does this mean? It means it gets your pipes pipin. The effects; dehydrated cells have difficulty absorbing nutrients aiding to adrenal exhaustion. Think of it this way; your body when on caffeine is a heightened state of awareness, also known as fight or flight. Pile on top of this, University stress, work stress, family, time, all the stressors, and you are operating in a constant state of FLIGHT, panic, exhaustion. Now that’s not a smart state to operate from, is it?! Keep your Joe’s in the single digits, savoring each sip and like a night out, be mindful to consume twice as much water with every cup.
3. Soda; a lofty word for carbonated sugar. Do you realize you are drinking bubbly sugar? That’s actually disgusting. America gets the gold star in this category, championing a whopping 57 gallons of soda per person per year or how about the fact that it erodes your tooth enamel, kidney issues due to soda’s high content of phosphoric acid. If that doesn’t make you vomit, I can’t help you there. Let’s meet another fuzzy friend found in soda, called benzoate. He is a wizard when it comes to changing your DNA, opening the flood gates for diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver and Parkinson’s. Drink up!
Ok, now that everyone is backed into a corner, grossed out, and reevaluating their life, let’s talk business. There is a way to get mad amounts of energy WHILST giving back to your body, providing it the nutrients the building blocks necessary for utmost health. We all have access to the fountain of youth, that is, through food and being active. Your cells can only be as awesome as the things you are putting into your body. Need I continue?
Here are a few alternatives to giving yourself diseases, drinking sugar, and tweaking out:
1. Sweet potatoes! The high content of carbohydrates helps to fight off midday fatigue because it is a complex carb it takes energy for our bodies to break it down and these macronutrients are recycled into the body and used. Unlike white potatoes and other white starches, which are all converted straight to sugar. Are you seeing a pattern?
2. Moringa Oleifera. The hit of vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium and potassium, coupled with a hit of antioxidants will surely put a pep to your step! Through the consumption of Moringa, you not only boost the immune system (winter is coming…), but you also detoxify the entire body system. If you’ve ever thought to do a cleanse but the sheer thought is dreadful, start here. If you change what you are putting into your body, there is no need to do earth shattering cleanses that take 289 days to complete. There aren’t many excuses you can use to get out of this one-it’s simple, effective, and doesn’t require you putting on your runners.
3. Breathing. Who would have thunk? I know we do it all day. Most of the time, we are operating at a level of shallow breathing. This is why, often times, things like yoga stir up irritation in people- the breath forces the energy to shoot around in ways it has not been flowing. For a quick burst of energy and zest try the breath of fire exercise. It is a powerful Kundalini Yoga breathing exercise that quickly oxygenates your blood, detoxifying waste throughout your body, synchronizes your entire system under one rhythm, balances and strengthens the nervous system and so many other amazing things! Check out the video below and begin your journey!
If you walk away from this article not changing anything, but have a heightened sense of awareness as you are popping the top to your next whistling Coke, we have made strides! It’s all about awareness and realizing that you too have access to the fountain of life. How you choose to treat yourself, eat, and move are some of the few things we actually are in control of. You might as well take hold of those reins and get started now because (shocker) we’re not getting any younger 😉 !
Cited:
http://www.medicaldaily.com/pulse/soft-drink-dangers-8-ways-soda-negatively-affects-your-health-319054
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2008/01/12/what-happens-to-your-body-within-an-hour-of-drinking-a-coke.aspx
http://anmolmehta.com/blog/2007/04/19/book-of-yoga-pranayamas-breath-control-breath-of-fire-breathing-exercise-ch-1/
