Have Low Energy? Try ACV and Other Natural Remedies

Each day, we perform hundreds of activities without thinking about it. We get up, make breakfast, make the bed, get ready for work or school, interact with family and friends, drive to work, carry out work-related tasks, return phone calls, drive to the store, make dinner, send text messages, maybe squeeze in some exercise time, make dinner, run a child or two to an extra-curricular activity, and the list goes on. Then, we go to bed, only to start the routines all over again.

But those hundreds of activities can leave even the most energy-hardy among us frazzled and feeling quite depleted. No one asked us to be Super Star, hurling from one task to the next, but our society demands it. Then we marvel at our collective lack of energy.

What to do? Perhaps society is coming around and slowing the pace just a bit. But, we still need to juggle the demands of family and work and all of our obligations regardless. How do we have enough energy to get it all done?

We can turn to some natural remedies. Natural remedies work in tandem with the body's systems to optimize energy levels without resorting to harmful chemicals and over-the-counter-pick-me-ups.

When we think of natural remedies, water may not come to mind. But, that is the first key to boosting energy. Making a habit of consuming enough water to make the urine clear is a sign that our bodies are working at optimal efficiency. Just think: a flower needs water. Without it, it wilts. We work the same way. We are mostly made up of water, so without enough, we wilt. When the sluggish-monger hits, going for the water is an easy remedy.

Next, we can try a tonic of organic apple cider vinegar (ACV) in water (see recipe below). Grandma used to tell stories about drinking ACV, and she was right. Remember the adage, "an apple a day keeps the doctor away"? It's the same idea. The ACV goes to work in the body to boost energy levels. It helps to regulate the pH of fluids. When our pH is neutral, our energy levels are more optimal.

Sadly, the American diet tends to be overly acidic and thus, our bodies remain in an acidic state. ACV can help regulate that. It works by having the body release bicarbonates (the same stuff found in baking soda). The ACV needs to be organic and have "The Mother" - it will say it on the bottle. The Mother is the pulpy goodness found at the bottom of the ACV bottle and is nutrient-rich. That is the stuff that really does the trick for helping energy.

Speaking of diets, that is one place where we can really improve our energy levels. Sure, you always hear the doctor chanting about eating healthfully. Then, so many others repeat it verbatim. But what do they really mean?

It means eating lots of fruits and vegetables, preferably uncooked or cooked minimally. It also means eating good amounts of beans and rice and whole grains and limiting processed foods and refined sugar. Leafy greens, blueberries, and pumpkins are powerhouses of healthy goodness and they taste good, too! If you make your own bread, you can easily work whole grains into your diet.

We also need exercise. Once again, this information is touted in the news, by doctors, by your neighbor's mother. Yeah, yeah, we say. Exercise. It used to be that working on the farm or leading more of an outdoor life was enough exercise. But, people are in offices and spend lots of time indoors and we're often too tired to bother. Then with the demands of everything else, it is extremely difficult for a lot of people to establish normal exercise routines.

We can do something else. Is the office on the 8th floor? We can take the stairs, twice daily. Need to run to the store? Park as far away from the entrance as possible, and then walk. Find a cart out in the parking lot and push it in. Play catch for ten minutes in the yard with the dog, or your child...or somebody else's child. Get up five minutes early in the morning and do some crunches and push-ups. All those little bits of time add up to big health benefits and will leave us energized because the heart pumps that nutrient rich blood throughout the body, boosting energy levels for several hours.

We need to eat less, but eat more frequently. Three big meals are hard on our tummies. The body has to divert blood to the stomach to digest that big blob of food we consumed at the lunch table. No wonder we drag our feet at three in the afternoon. Instead of a big lunch, break it into smaller parts. Then, go for the power snacks. Grab some crackers and cut up an avocado. Avocados are packed with energy and will pass their power-potency on to our flagging bodies. They are packed with great protein, good-for-you fats, and can even help us lose weight. They're known for their high folic acid content and help us to build strong arteries.

Still, another natural way to boost our energy levels is to meditate. It wouldn't seem like a sedentary activity would really help us to be more alert and active, but meditation is like exercise for the brain.

The act of intensely focusing on something or repeating mantras makes the brain go into a really "alive" state. Meditation, has the added benefit of calming the mind and releasing stress. A regular practice of meditation can really help battle those feelings of lethargy.

Stress is the grand swindler of energy. Stress-reduction techniques such as meditation and deep-breathing can prove useful to our minds and bodies. Identifying sources of stress (bad stress that causes us to feel anxious is what I'm referring to here) and eliminating them can go a long way toward increasing our vitality. (Eliminating stress isn't always easy: jobs and money are two big culprits that aren't easy to fix, but we can take baby steps toward stress-reduction.)

A power nap is another good remedy. A 20-minute nap is what's usually recommended by the experts. But, we sometimes need more than that. As long as it doesn't affect our nighttime sleep, take up to a 60-minute nap to feel refreshed and energized.

Finally, here are some recipes that we can use to help boost our energy levels throughout the day.

CClitgirl's ACV Energy Drink

(FYI: I make this drink every morning and take to work to sip on throughout the day. Now that it's a part of my daily life, I know I'm going to have a bad day if I ever forget it at home.)

Ingredients:

• 32-ounce Nalgene bottle (or something similar)
• 4 tbsp Bragg's ACV
• 1 tbsp baking soda
• 2 tbsp stevia (a natural sweetener that comes from a plant - no chemicals and no calories)
• 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• Fresh, preferably filtered, water

Mix all ingredients then add water. The stevia will help mask the taste of the vinegar, as will the pumpkin pie spice. Don't be surprised if your friends start asking you for some of this stuff - it's said to also help with headaches and cramps, though I have no proof of that.

CClitgirl's Morning Tonic

(FYI: I don't drink coffee - I try to stay away from caffeine and it upsets my tummy, so this really gets me going in the mornings.)

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp. molasses
• 2 tsp. ACV
• 2 tsp. honey
• hot water

Put molasses, ACV and honey into cup and mix. Add hot water and enjoy! This drink has lots of iron, good-for-you energy and all the benefits of honey. Enjoy!!