Balance your Fluids
Drinking fluids is important for improving energy because fluids are important for normal physiological functions. Nutrients are stored in the body; water is not. Body fluids are essential for the transportation of energy, regulating body temperature and helping with chemical reactions. The process of maintaining your fluid balance is known as euhydration, and it means that you must take in as much fluid as you use. Too much fluid and too little fluid can be detrimental. Dehydration or fluid loss results in dizziness, increased heart rate, a decrease in respiration, a drop in blood volume and nausea. Too much fluid can overtax the kidneys, leading to muscle weakness and nausea. Fluid balance, just like emotional and physical balance, is essential.
Train Yourself in Positive Eating Habits
The first step of change is learning new eating patterns. Here are five examples of changes that you can make in your eating habits:
– Do not eat dinner as a meal within 2 hours of sleeping.
– Graze. Eat smaller amounts more often.
– Snack on healthier foods such as fruit, vegetables and popcorn rather than high fat, high sugar snacks.
– If weight loss is your goal, begin by changing you eating habits by eating smaller portions, avoiding seconds, and eliminating negative foods from your nutrition.
Set Nutritional Goals
Write a list of changes that you would like to make to your diet and to your nutritional plan. Consider different eating plans such as low fat/high fiber, vegetarian, complex carbohydrates/lower calories, or no junk food diet. Making an energy shift to a different eating pattern will result in a shift in your energy. Consider taking unhealthy things out of your diet like diet soda, alcohol, daily double lattes, high fat foods, food binges, chips and candy.
Increase your Awareness of your Diet and Nutritional Habits
Noticing what you eat can make a big difference in making decisions about positive and negative food choices and dietary habits. Writing down a food log is very helpful for some people. Write down everything you eat for a week. Another way to stay conscious about your eating is to think about your new food plan before you start eating, and notice how the food in front of you fits into your plan. It is easier to bring only healthy food home from the grocery store rather than try to resist the junk food once it is in the cupboard.
More to come ..
Keep your eyes peeled as we continue to release excerpts throughout upcoming weeks. If you fall in love with these tips from our excerpt series, make sure to stop in and grab a copy of Health in a Heartbeat, available on Amazon today.