6 ways to naturally energize yourself this summer

It’s easy to slip into hibernation mode when you live in a tropical climate, like Southwest Florida, but here are some holistic tips I often share with my patients to help reboot your body and brain.

Spray on a grapefruit scent.
Researchers have discovered that this citrus fruit’s refreshing scent instantly boosts electrical activity in the brain, helping you feel 25% more energetic and clear-headed. This property of grapefruit has long been known in aromatherapy where grapefruit essential oil is derived from the rind of this fruit and is cherished for its many uses and benefits. The aroma of Grapefruit essential oil matches the citrus and fruity flavors of its origin and provides an invigorating and energizing effect on the brain. Air diffused Grapefruit essential oil invokes a sense of clarity, and due to its main chemical component, limonene, can help to uplift mood.

Keep a daily journal
When people vent in a journal – it revs their energy levels by at least 30%. Scientists discovered that journaling dampens the output of the stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, and increases the production of energizing and happy oxytocin. By recording your thoughts and feelings, you can observe them and analyze them as if you were watching a movie – without getting hurt by them. This opens up energy reserves in your otherwise stagnant Mind-Body where so many unspoken secrets and suppressed traumas have created energy blockages over the years.

Add fiber to your breakfast
Adding as little as 10 grams of fiber to your daily diet can cut blood glucose levels by 12% and insulin output by 28% two key steps in warding off energy stealing blood sugar fluctuation. I recommend organic slow cooking steel cut oats cooked with fresh strawberries in water with or without nonfat milk or nondairy milk, like almond, cashew, rice, or coconut milk. As the name implies here, these types of oats are cut and not rolled. They basically look like cut up brown rice and are very coarse, so they take the longest among all the oats to cook. And because they are minimally processed, they are also the healthiest types of oats to eat. I like the recipes in which you first precook the oatmeal for about 15-20 minutes and then let it stand for several minutes, and then add milk or nondairy milk and several finely cut strawberries.

Pace while you chat
Just two minutes of exercise can rev your energy levels by 50% and this effect can last for up to 90 minutes. Research tells us that motion stimulates the brain’s alertness center and boosts the flow of oxygen rich blood to the central nervous system. I recommend walking back and forth for the kind of conversations and required seminars and meetings where you would otherwise feel bored but have to do. I do not recommend pacing for tasks and assignments which require tapping into your analytical or introspective skills such as active problem solving, meditation, or prayer.

Stand with your shoulders thrown back
Lifting your head, standing up straight and smiling can help you feel 25% more refreshed within 30 seconds. Great posture and an upbeat expression trick the brain into producing energizing neurotransmitters. I have written about facial gymnastics extensively, where you train yourself to look happy while looking in the mirror. The same philosophy applies to standing up straight and proud –optimal musculoskeletal positioning sends cues to the brain to interpret that person’s state as happy, free, and energized.

Greet the sun
Exposure to as little as two minutes of morning sunlight can help shut off production of melatonin –a sleep hormone that can drag you down all day long if the levels are too elevated. Our pineal gland is responsible for the production of both melatonin (a sleep inducing hormone) and a serotonin (an energizing hormone) and is greatly affected by the exposure to morning light. Even if you don’t have time to go outside, just go to a window to observe the morning sky and that should be enough to shift the body towards serotonin enrichment.

Hope these little tips are helpful and remember that Nature provided us with all the tools to be healthy and balanced.

The author of ‘Diet Slave No More!’, Svetlana Kogan, MD is a Board-Certified Internal Medicine, Holistic & Functional Medical Doctor with 25 years of experience.
Her website is CustomLongevity.com Office Phone: 239-676-6883