6 minute read
wellness
6 Tips to Sustain Your Energy Throughout the Day
If you were to create a visual of your energy levels, would it look like the greatest roller coaster to exist? Would it include high peaks (of energy) and several drops that would certainly have you holding onto your hat? If so, you’re not alone.
Advertisement
By Amanda Miller
Our energy levels fluctuate throughout the day. We often start off strong with high energy, but after a grueling day, we find ourselves needing an afternoon pick-me-up to help power us through to bedtime. It can be quite the ride, but it can also be difficult, especially when we have to keep up with kiddos whose energy levels never seem to hit those downward slopes.
Thankfully, there are ways to sustain our energy throughout the day so we can start strong and finish strong.
Food Makes a Difference
We’ve long heard before that the foods we consume play a significant role in how we tackle the day. We also all know that breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day. What we sometimes can forget is how helpful a snack can be in maintaining our energy. It seems our kiddos’ love for snack time is something we should take note of.
Meg Fraley, Family Clinical Supervisor at Nourished Colorado, recommends starting your day with a hearty breakfast followed by a morning snack. From there, have your lunch before fitting in another afternoon snack. She explains, “When we drink coffee or caffeine, it gives us that energy burst, but it’s not sustainable; whereas food gives us that longer sustaining energy. If we don’t have enough from the beginning of the day, we tend to get tired and not have enough energy, and we go to that place where we need caffeine. If we get more [food] in throughout the day, we tend to not have as much of a drop at that point.”
All Foods Are Great
The types and amounts of food one person may need to sustain their energy can differ from what someone else needs. The key is listening to your body to find out what works best for you.
Fraley shares, “When I am looking at what I am going to eat, I am looking at what foods sound good and what’s going to give me energy, and that differs for everyone. I recommend trying different foods and having your plate be as well-rounded as possible. Make sure you’re hitting all the different groups on that plate like fats, carbs, and protein, and really listen to your body, asking yourself ‘when I eat this, does it give me energy?’”
Make it a Coffee Combo
There’s nothing wrong with an afternoon coffee to give yourself the jolt of energy you may be needing to power through the evening. However, if you find yourself reaching for that cup of joe each day and your energy isn’t kicking into high gear quite like you anticipated, consider pairing your coffee with an energy-sustaining snack.
“I’ll do an afternoon iced coffee and pair it with something else, and what I noticed is when I’m getting tired, that combination really helps. The caffeine really spikes our energy, and then we crash because we’re not giving ourselves something more sustainable. I recommend a pick-me-up of some sort, but I highly recommend adding food. I tend to go for something with protein or carbs at that time,” says Fraley.
Sleep Well and Often
Getting the right amount of sleep at night is difficult. The daily stressors alone are enough to keep us up at night, but trying to get in as many hours of sleep at night as possible will help to keep you alert throughout the day.
Fraley agrees and shares that food can play a role in good, quality sleep. She says, “I think it all goes full circle. If you’re not getting enough food throughout the day, it’s hard for you to get a decent quality sleep. If my patients are struggling to sleep, we’re talking about ‘are you getting enough food?’, ‘is your body waking up because it's hungry?’, and ‘are you fully nourished enough?’ When my patients get enough food, their sleep in turn gets better.”
Get in Movement
When you’re exercising, you may think that you’re getting more tired. However, exercising is actually beneficial in doing the opposite and boosting your energy. According to Dr. Toni Golen and Dr. Hope Ricciotti, exercising boosts oxygen circulation throughout the body. They explain, “This increase in oxygen not only supports the mitochondria’s energy production, it allows your body to function better and to use its energy more efficiently. Plus, your body gets a boost from an exerciseinduced increase in hormone levels that makes you feel more energized.”
The movement you choose to participate in doesn’t have to be extensive either. A little bit will go a long way. Fraley shares, “Movement can give us energy, but I also know as a parent, it’s not always the easiest to get in. Even a 15-minute yoga break or a walk outside can be really helpful.”
Take Screen Breaks
In order to prevent digital eye strain, the American Optometric Association encourages practicing the 20-20-20 rule. What this entails is taking a 20 second break, every 20 minutes, by looking at something 20 feet away. While this helps to prevent eye strain, it can give you a much-needed dose of energy, too.
The 20-second breaks give you time to get an energy-sustaining snack, hydrate, stretch, or step outside to bask in the sun. All of these things can help give you a quick energy boost and get you back on track.
Making these lifestyle changes a habit won’t happen overnight. Between keeping up with kiddos, work, and everything in between, sometimes we’re lucky to even remember to eat something that isn’t what our kiddos left behind for breakfast. It’s going to take time and plenty of reminders, but in the end, it will work out, and you’ll be energized throughout the day, everyday.
Our Planet
Watch the amazing documentary series that will be accompanied by a live orchestra. Feb. 21-23. Colorado Springs, Denver, Beaver Creek. ourplanetinconcert.com
4
Monster Jam
All Monster Truck Fans, prepare to tear up the weekend. There are four times to choose from so jump online today and get a Monster Jam ticket. Feb. 1012. Ball Arena, Denver. monsterjam.com
“It’s a Birds World”
This is a free performance for children and their families to explore the beauty of music (it’s perfect for a child's first concert!). Jump online to reserve a free ticket and watch the Aurora Symphony Orchestra. Feb. 11. Armory Performing Arts Center, Brighton. aurorasymphony.org
Pink Floyd Laser Spectacular
A multimedia laser and light show comes to the Paramount Theatre that’s accompanied by Pink Floyd recordings. There will be 3D and prism glasses to add to the immersive experience. Feb. 25-26. Paramount Theatre, Denver. laserspectacular.com
The Secret Comedy of Women
Enjoy tons of laughs with your girl friends at the girls-only comedy show. Grab a ticket online and choose from a variety of dates and times. Feb. 1-26. Denver Center for the Performing Arts. artscomplex.com
6
Ice Festival
The Cripple Creek Ice Festival returns with an exciting weekend of competitions. Watch the sculpting and vote for your favorite ice sculptures! Feb. 18-26. The city of Cripple Creek. visitcripplecreek.com
A Pandemic Performance 10
Steamboat Winter Carnival
Join the celebration of winter sports at the carnival that has professionals doing amazing tricks, beautiful snow sculptures, family competitions, and so much more! Jump online to see the entire schedule. Feb. 8-12. Howelsen Hill Ski Area, Steamboat Springs. steamboatchamaber.com
Colorado Golf Expo
For all golf lovers, plan to attend the 2023 Colorado Golf Expo. This is a family-friendly event that will have fun activities and deals. Feb. 17-19. Colorado Convention Center, Denver. coloradogolfexpo.com
The original performance, Psyche, is about the true emotions and struggles of the COVID-19 pandemic. This performance is exclusively at the Osborne Studio Theater at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs (UCCS). The dance performance is by Shayla Mellen, a senior dance major, and she captures the raw emotions from the pandemic and performs them live onstage.
“This performance is about COVID times, more specifically when we were isolated and away from each other,” Mellen says. “I felt like this was a piece that everybody would be able to connect to because everyone had a different experience.”
Nine dancers and the UCCS Department of Theatre and Dance have worked hard to bring this performance to life. There are three dance solos that depict isolation. The first solo focuses on feeling lonely and depressed. The second solo breaks into the anger side of the pandemic. The final solo is about realization.
“Towards the end, it’s being able to realize that there was a reason, and it made us sit with ourselves and become different people,” Mellen says. The end of the show will focus on healing and moving forward after the pandemic.
The hour-long show is for all audiences and is a great way to spend a few hours with the family and support local theater. Tickets are $7 each and can be purchased online at the Ent Center for the Arts webpage. There are show times from February 3 through 12 on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. On Friday and Saturday, the show starts at 7:30 p.m., and on Sunday, the show begins at 4 p.m. with a 10-minute intermission.
“It felt like it was a good thing to bring to the stage and talk about,” Mellen says. “I found music that made me feel like I was in that moment again.”
Osborne Studio Theater, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. entcenterforthearts.org