Researchers highlight natural ways to rev-up your vitality and refresh body & mind

It may mean that leaves turn colors soon, but the end of summertime can turn into leaving you feeling as drained as a wading-pool that’s sprung a leak. All those sunburns, sandy bathing-suit bottoms and heat exhaustion sure can take their toll… so now’s the perfect time to bust a new move!  

If you’ve burned yourself out with non-stop stress and frantic fretting so far, make it your goal—ASAP—to avoid mental pressure, anxiety, tension and physical exhaustion now, before winter arrives. To help get you on your revitalization journey, here are some simple, natural, effective ways to recapture that youthful va-va-va-voom feeling!

Plan Ahead… With a Twist
Check that your upcoming plans are realistic and reasonable, as well as time-manageable and—here’s the twist—pleasurable. Are there annual rituals or events (transcontinental travel arrangements, Monday Night Football viewing parties, perhaps?…) that you fear spearheading this year, or things that cut into your precious free time? Consider opting out. It may not be popular to say no, but it is possible. Instead, make some plans for you, whether it’s trying out that chic spa that’s the talk of the town or visiting a new art exhibit in the neighborhood.

Pencil-in Some “Me Time”
Speaking of you, try to include an hour or two where you know you can just relax and prepare yourself mentally and physically for the next task. Enjoy a 15-minute walk outside in Nature’s “natural lighting” (especially now during dwindling daylight saving time)—it’s an automatic, easy, pick-me-up. Why not hike a new trail…or take a rambling bike ride with no set destination? See where you end up—and watch your energy levels soar as a result of your spontaneity. Or, grab a buddy, partner or pet and turn “me time” it into memorable “we” time. But make it on your terms.

Drinking Without the Dip
Keeping your body hydrated is one of the most important fatigue-fighters in your arsenal. Make sure that you’re getting the recommended eight-to-ten full glasses of pure, clean water each day. It is difficult to keep on going when your eyes get blurry after 8 hours spent staring at a screen. It isn’t always possible to sneak in a quick power-nap after that long lunchtime meeting, either. And so it may feel tempting to toast to finishing the 4th quarter’s robust revenue returns with a drink after work, slug back a designer “energy drink” or add extra-espresso shots to the cappuccinos at your local coffeehouse; however, those may not be the wisest choices to stay alert, awake and edgily, cleverly creative.

Alcohol and sugar-laden beverages as well as the caffeine in coffee can zap you of zest over the long haul. Sure, that initial jolt may pep you up briefly, but eventually your energy will drop lower than before you downed that cup o’ Joe (Yoshioka et al, 2001).

To avoid energy level spikes and dips, you may want to find healthier forms of caffeine. Green Tea makes a terrific choice to stay alert without the jitters or the crash (Geleijnse et al, 2002). Green Tea extract in supplement form is even better, since taking a capsule is a lot easier than drinking cup after cup of tea.

Moreover, in order to get the amount of nutrients from Green Tea to feel its protective antioxidant benefits, you’d need to drink 40 cups each day—but your caffeine overload limit would have been exceeded after just a single cup (Henning et al, 2004).

Nutrition Matters
First, be certain to get enough sleep to reboot your brain. Next, ensure that your body is fed and getting the proper nutrients, especially during anxiety-filled times or workday stress. Frequent “mini-meals” are ideal, but this means dividing your typical three meals a day into six smaller segments, to be eaten every three hours. Choose iron-rich, energy-filled, nutrient-dense foods, plus fresh fruit and vegetables. Lean protein supplies your muscles with the amino-acids needed to keep you ready for action (Jacobson et al, 1993). When you eat carbs, try whole-grain varieties that digest slowly, packed with essential B-Vitamins like Riboflavin, Thiamin and the key amino-acid Methionine, to rev up body and mind.

Spark Up with Supplements
Speaking of vitamins and nutrients, consider dietary supplements as your convenient, healthy allies for peak perkiness. Several vitamins, minerals, enzymes and natural herbal extracts can help ward off mental and physical exhaustion—particularly if you work out frequently or have a taxing job that pushes your body and brain to the limit (Suzuki & Itokawa, 1996).

The connection between Vitamin B deficiencies and fatigue is well-founded. British scientists at the Institute of Health and Sports Sciences at King’s College School of Medicine in London completed studies suggesting that reduced levels of B-Vitamins are linked to chronic fatigue (Heap, Peters & Wessely, 1999). Researchers conducting animal studies at the University Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences in India demonstrated several benefits to using Green Tea extract in fighting fatigue (Singal et al, 2005). For additional energy-amplifying nutrients, check out the box on this page (“3 Nutrients to Combat Burn-Out”).

Whatever the season, everyday life doesn’t have to be a mental and physical drain. There are simple, natural ways to keep you from feeling weary. Hopefully, following some of these easy, healthy suggestions can help you find your hidden stores of vitality, vim and vigor…and turn the many stressors of the season into an invigoratingly brisk autumn breeze.

References:
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Ganzera, M., Yayla, Y. & Khan, I.A. (2001). Analysis of the marker compounds of Rhodiola rosea L. (golden root) by reversed phase high performance liquid chromatography. Chemical & Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 49(4), 465–467.

Geleijnse, J.M. et al. (2002). Inverse association of tea and flavonoid intakes with incident myocardial infarction: The Rotterdam Study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 75(5), 880–886.

Heap, L.C., Peters, T.J. & Wessely, S. (1999). Vitamin B status in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 92(4), 183–185.

Henning, S.M. et al. (2004). Bioavailability and antioxidant activity of tea flavonols after consumption of green tea, black tea, or a green tea extract supplement. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 80(6), 1558–1564.

Jordan, P. (2002). Clean up, to heal: Plants with high concentration of chlorophyll help in purifying the body. The Hindu. Sunday, March 31. Retrieved online May 20, 2006 from http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/mag/2002/03/31/stories/2002033100140700.htm.

Kelly, G.S. (2001). Rhodiola rosea: a-possible plant adaptogen. Alternative Medicine Review, 6(3), 293-302.

Panossian, A., Wikman, G. & Wagner, H. (1999). Plant adaptogens III: Earlier and more recent aspects and concepts on their mode of action. Phytomedicine, 6(4), 287–300. Retrieved online May 25, 2006 from http://www.urbanfischer.de/journals/phytomed.

Singal, A. et al. (2005). Green tea extract and catechin ameliorate chronic fatigueinduced oxidative stress in mice. Journal of Medicinal Food, 8(1), 47–52.

Suzuki, M. & Itokawa, Y. (1996). Effects of thiamine supplementation on exercise-induced fatigue. Metabolic Brain Disorders, 11(1), 95–106. wholehealthMD.com. (2004). Supplement index. December. Retrieved online May 10, 2006 from http://www.wholehealthmd.com/refshelf/items_index/1,1538,HS,00.html#C.

Yoshioka, M. et al. (2001). Combined effects of red pepper and caffeine consumption on 24 h energy balance in subjects given free access to foods. British Journal of Nutrition, 85(2), 203–211.