I totally have enough energy to get everything I need to get done in a day — I feel like a super hero every-singe-day!
— Said no normal person ever.
I mean seriously? There is a lot to get done in a day no matter who you are and it’s all important. The more you put on your plate, the more tasks that stack up. And the older we get, the harder it can become because we naturally, dare I say it, age. Ug! With aging comes decreased muscle mass and play time and an increase in wrinkles and life demands. All of which can be damaging and toxic energy zappers. Fighting to stay young and energetic can feel harder each year. (Can you tell I have a birthday coming up — ha ha)!
Ok, enough of the doom and gloom because I’m willing to bet you know the song I’m singing. The good news is that age really is relative. There are people that are much younger than I, who have made terrible life choices and are in much poorer condition. On the flip side, there are just as many people older who are killing it, loving it, feeling great and winning at life. Where do you sit on the spectrum?
The best news? For the most part, you’re in control!
While we can’t freeze time and must accept the natural process of aging (and trust me, it’s better than the alternative – catch my drift?), there are choices you can make to remain healthy, happy and full of energy. Some are as simple as productive habits, some are simply ways of thinking and others are things that can actually help you. And while I’m no anti-aging expert, I do like to think I have more energy than the average bear, so let me share a few Simple Secrets I have come across…
Teresa’s Top 5 Simple Secrets to boost energy and feel young:
- Eat smart food. Real food is energy and we measure it by way of calories. Make sure you eat enough high quality food to provide sufficient energy. I define high quality as having a high nutrition ROI (return on investment). What are you really getting in exchange for your caloric price tag? Stick whole foods that are full of healthy fats, lean proteins, and complex carbohydrates.
- Don’t eat stupid food. Yes, food in its pure form is energy. Food in its highly processed form can be the opposite. Simple sugar can spike blood sugar for a hot minute and fill you with a jolt of energy until insulin comes to shut it down. Now your zapped and looking for the next substance to perk you up. This is a dangerous cycle.
- Eat fruits and vegetables. Trust me! They are full of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that are the co-factors that make energy happen. If food is the energy, let’s say the “nails,” then vitamins and minerals are the hammer that makes them useful. You can have a lot of nails laying around and without the right selection of “tools” to make use of them, they’re just not that helpful.
- Exercise. Nothing beats the natural high of a good workout. And not just a muttering around at the gym watching other people workout, chatting on the phone or wasting time spaced out on the elliptical so you can say you “worked out.” I mean really work out! Make your heart and lungs pump! Sweat is a good thing! Not only do these endorphins give you a natural high, the real trick is that you should sleep much better at night. This is a winning cycle.
- Drink in moderation. And by this I mean caffeinated and alcoholic beverages, not water. Drink TONS of water! Dehydration is a huge cause of fatigue and here are my top 10 tips to help you drink more. Back to our potentially toxic substances, keep these numbers in mind if you are a coffee drinker or boozer because overdoing it in either way will not boost energy or be good for your health.
- Caffeine: <200-300 mg a day, about 2 cups, is shown to be beneficial in increasing mental and physical acuity. And actually, research has supported up to 4 cups a day, but I’m a bigger fan of swapping out those last 2 cups for pure, clean, 100% hydrating water.
- Booze: 1 drink a day for the ladies and up to 2 for the men is considered “moderation” and has proven to be beneficial for several reasons, including its natural ability to ease tension, help you relax mentally so you can wind down and recharge. And obviously, alcohol is a sedative and depressant, so keeping this on the lower end will serve you well.
Disclaimer here: if you’re not a caffeine or booze consumer, don’t start now to boost energy upon this recommendation. These guidelines are more here for those who currently enjoy these so they don’t overdue it.
A little supplemental assistance may help too!
Now onto the long awaited product review and giveaway! Have you heard of MitoQ? You know one of my favorite things about this blog is the opportunity to try out new products and let you know what I think of them. I get dozens of offers of products to try and I am really selective about which ones I choose. When MitoQ reached out to me I was immediately interested not only because am I intensely passionate about fighting aging and increasing energy, but also because it looks like they have created something very unique in the supplement market:
Why is MitoQ an important breakthrough? Because mitochondria are the tiny organelles in your cells that generate the energy your body needs to work well and this is the first time anyone has been able to deliver high levels of anti-oxidants to them. Keeping mitochondria healthy is one of the best things you can do for your health. MitoQ will literally give your more energy and, potentially, slow down the aging process.
My experience with MitoQ
It’s hard to provide a supplement review, only because it’s so hard to know what it’s doing. It’s not just like a protein powder that you can check ingredients, read the nutrition label, then taste it and know ASAP if it’s a good product. But I did start taking the supplement and using the serum in early June and if you’ve been following my progress, you know things are going very well. I have had more energy, have fueled stronger workouts and have made pretty ridiculous strides in my running in the past month.
When you look at the science behind MitoQ, it makes sense
Mitochondria are responsible for making 90-95% of the energy in your cells and in the process produce 90-95% of the free radicals. They also reduce in function around 10% every decade, meaning cell energy and protection decrease as we age. We see this in our skin but it is happening to our other organs as well, which slows us down. For this reason, mitochondria need very good antioxidant protection.
Essentially, MitoQ boosts mitochondrial function to reduce free radical damage and increase energy production and they can act a bit more like they did when we were younger. It is scientifically proven to be 847 times more effective than CoQ10! MitoQ is backed by over $50 million in research and has over 200 papers published investigating its effect.
Want to try MitoQ? Discount and Product Giveaway details!
I know product reviews are so much more fun when there is something in it for you! So I’ve got 2 goodies for you! First, I encourage you to do your own research on the product by visiting their website and checking them out on FaceBook, Twitter, or YouTube to see if this might be a good supplement for you.
*This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of MitoQ. The opinions and text are all mine.
20 Comments
Mary Liz Olazabal
I’d push my workouts, weights, runs and swim. Bike the bridges to become better on hilly terrain and ultimately participate in a half ironman instead of going as a spectator.
Teresa
Wow Mary!! Those are some outstanding goals!! You can do it! I’m inspired just reading your post 😉
Sarah Hussey
With more energy, I would get up a little earlier and be able to workout and run longer, and then still have energy to spend with my husband and son, and not be grumpy in the evening 🙂
Teresa
Awe Sarah — I love the idea of less grumpy in the evening. Everybody wins!!
Connie
If I had more energy, I would get up before work to get in a weight or HIIT workout and then after work get my runs in. At least 3 times a week to make myself a stronger runner!
Teresa
Connie that is a good plan no matter what! Put it on a post it note and do it! 🙂 🙂
rhoni4
I would train harder if I had more energy. Some days I don’t want to train at all.
Teresa
You are so right about training harder. It’s one thing to get out there and do anything, and a completely different thing to stress/tax your body to the point that it’s forced to adapt to the increase pressure…I love the hashtag #buildingastrongerbody — it’s truly exhausting 😉
Mimi
I love the idea of eating what will give you the most return on investment. Definitely a new way of thinking about food. Thanks!
Jenny
i would run twice as far!
Christine Alter
With more energy I’d finally manage to get myself in to 6am boot camp or red line HIIT class each morning like I have been wanting to do all summer long, since I choose to ride 2 horses or play sand volleyball in the evenings during summer evening daylight hours…my body needs the 2-a-day routine badly to make up for the office/desk job I have….!!!
Kayla (@BlondesRun)
I would get more blogging work done with more energy!
Sandy T
With more energy, I would get up early for more runs during the week!
Teresa
That is an excellent use of energy Sandy!
Kim Tapia
I would be more motivated to work out!
Teresa
And you’d find that once you workout more, your energy will escalate even higher!
Nicole
I would do more skiing
Teresa
What a fun sport!
Tansy Woods
A) workout another hour, B) cook yummier more involved healthy meals, C) project positive energy to everyone I meet!
Teresa
Awe — and the world would be such a happier place! xo