As the years go by time may seem to speed up, but you might be slowing down. If you’re feeling fatigued or sluggish and craving some healthy ways to re-energize your day, there are quick and simple ways to get supercharged foods into your diet. Here are 10 delicious ways to boost your energy and keep yourself moving all day.
1. Green Tea & Matcha
With a moderate amount of caffeine, green tea is a great way to get fast and balanced energy that will last throughout the day. Full of antioxidant polyphenols and EGCG, green tea helps protect your cells and DNA from free radical damage, naturally decreasing risk of illness and disease. Drinking green tea every day will give you that healthy pick-me-up you’ve been waiting for.
Matcha is a specially grown, fermented, harvested and prepared green tea that amplifies all the wonderful properties of its mother leaves. The dried matcha is ground into a fine powder and traditionally prepared in a tea ceremony with a special tea. But you can make your own quick and simple hot or cold matcha drink any way you love it. Add water, milk, or use it in a smoothie or ice cream recipe. But if you serve it hot make sure the water is not too close to boiling, as the properties of the matcha might get lost.
2. Cacao Powder and Nibs
Cacao (kah-kow), or unprocessed cocoa, is an antioxidant, vitamin and mineral rich superfood that has been used as a health elixir since ancient times. You can add organic, cold-pressed raw cacao powder to shakes, smoothies, milk, yogurt, or other no-bake snacks for a quick and tasty boost. Keep the heat away from this delicious addition so you can get all of it’s amazing benefits.
Before there was powder, there was the nib. All chocolate starts with a whole nib, and this usually comes lightly roasted in snackable portions. This portable treat is full of flavor and still contains a taste of cacao butter; the healthy fat removed from cacao powder and main ingredient in white chocolate. This extra energy will also help sustain you throughout the day.
3. Yerba Mate
Made from the leaves of the holly tree in the South American rainforest, the “coffee of teas’” yerba mate (yer-bah mah-tay) boasts a robust, full bodied flavor and energizing caffeine, theophylline and theobromine. With vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants, yerba mate also delivers great nutrition and health boosting properties. Yerba mate can be prepared like loose leaf tea, in a French coffee press, an espresso maker, or in a standard coffee maker. Drink it hot or cold, and add your favorite sweeteners and flavors; try it with honey, cinnamon, lemon or mint.
4. Fresh Juice
Fresh pressed or extracted juice contains vitamins, minerals, fiber and enzymes not found in juices that have been, filtered pasteurized or reconstituted. The nutrients found in fresh fruits and veggies decay with the heat, oxygenation and age, so your best bet to get the most from them while you can. You can invest in a juicer or high speed blender, or head to the supermarket or local café; just make sure to start your day right with something alive and bright.
5. Fruit and Nuts
Just a handful of delicious and nutritious mixed fruits and nuts make a great mid-afternoon pick-me-up. Strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, grapes or currants make excellent fresh berry choices. Dried fruit can be high in sugar, so stick with unsweetened coconut flakes or dehydrated banana chips. Choose almonds, walnuts, cashews, acorns or Brazil nuts for that crunchy fix. Macadamias can be expensive snacks, and peanuts can be inflammatory and cause allergic reactions in some. The combination of natural sugar, fiber and healthy fats will get you over that infamous afternoon slump.
If you’re looking for a way to feel brighter, revitalized and refreshed these tasty tips will get you well on your way to an energized day. You’ll notice the difference right away, and those recharged feelings won’t fade into a quick crash. Natural, balanced energy is your best bet. So for your next quick kick give one of these hot picks a go!
