4 Science-Backed Secrets to End Tiredness and Boost Energy
The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, but you’re still feeling blah? Steven Gundry, MD, explains why: As we age, our ‘cellular energy engines’ get tired. “The reason you feel you ‘don’t have it in you’ is because you literally don’t,” he says. In his new book, The Energy Paradox, Dr. Gundry reveals his all-day energy strategies to end tiredness.
Savor a ‘Super Seed’
To keep tiredness at bay, Dr. Gundry recommends foods rich in prebiotic fiber. This spurs the creation of beneficial fats that generate energy in cells, boosting pep by 55 percent for three hours. His top pick: mild-tasting, edible basil seeds, which have twice as much prebiotic fiber as chia seeds and which he likes in smoothies and puddings. “It puts chia pudding to shame!” he raves. Find basil seeds in Asian markets or online (Buy on Amazon, $7.99).
Try a Booster
Everyday environmental toxins, like BPAs in household plastics, tinker with the DNA inside our cells, making us tired. Luckily, an antioxidant known as CoQ10 repairs damage they cause. Plus, “CoQ10 is crucial to cellular energy production,” Dr. Gundry notes. Try: Life Extension Super Ubiquinol CoQ10 with BioPQQ (Buy at Walmart, $29.74), a blend that boosts energy by 38 percent. Note: Talk to a doctor before supplementing.
Soak Up the Sun
“I recommend exposing your skin to the sun for an hour every day,” Dr. Gundry says, ideally between 10 am and 2 pm. “It helps your body produce vitamin D, which is intimately connected with energy. I tell my patients that they should think of sunlight as one of the most inexpensive and effective supplements out there.” Just 20 minutes of sun daily ups your stamina by 25 percent, report British scientists, by triggering a chain reaction that fires up cellular energy.
Breathe Before Meals
Taking a few deep breaths before eating reins in the production of the stress hormone cortisol, which allows cells to convert 18 percent more food into energy. Dr. Gundry’s favorite technique to end tiredness: Breathe in through your nose for a count of three, then out through your mouth with pursed lips (like blowing out a candle) for a count of six. Repeat until your breathing feels deep and your chest relaxes.
A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, Woman’s World.
