Dr. Ryan’s Simple Nutrition Tips for Boosting Energy

By Dr. Heidi Ryan, Bariatric and General Surgeon at VIPSurg Las Vegas
Originally Published June 30, 2015 and Updated March 21, 2019

It’s no secret that regular exercise, stress management, and getting enough sleep are critical for combating fatigue. It also turns out that our eating habits directly affect our energy levels, and there are ways we can use nutrition to feel more energetic throughout the day.

As busy and productive people with over-scheduled, stressful lifestyles (sometimes combined with little quality sleep and poor eating habits), it is no wonder so many of us feel drained. Fatigue breaks us down physically and emotionally in addition to weakening the immune system, making us more susceptible to illness, depression, and even chronic conditions like heart disease. The good news is that we can take steps to naturally increase our energy through nutrition too.

• Eat Breakfast
  • You get energy from the first hour and you’ll be less hungry the rest of the day
• Eat nutrient-dense foods
  • Optimal energy metabolism requires an abundance of vitamins and minerals. If we don’t get enough nutrients from foods, we suffer from sub-optimal cellular energy metabolism, making us feel tired and sluggish
• Choose foods that have a lot of nutrition per calorie. These include:
  • vegetables
  • beans
  • nuts
  • seeds
  • fruits
  • whole grains
  • lean animal proteins
• Seek out foods high in antioxidants
  • Antioxidants are the body’s scavengers of those damaging chemicals that tax our system and cause fatigue and lead to illness
  • There are thousands of natural, protective antioxidants in fruits, vegetables, and other plant-based foods

Good nutrition is one of the most important factors for good health. You can dramatically improve your health and energy levels by making simple adjustments to your eating habits. Seek out colorful, juicy fruits like berries and melons, and dark green leafy vegetables like kale, broccoli, collard greens, and spinach, and you will be on your way to a healthier, more energetic you!