In my practice as an ADAPT Functional Health and Wellness Coach one of things I hear the most is clients wanting to optimize their energy throughout the day. 

Many of them, I’m sure you included, know they shouldn’t be eating sugar and junk food but may be confused about what to eat. There are so many different types of diets out there ranging from the extremes of a carnivore diet of pure meat to a vegan diet with no animal product whatsoever and everything in between. I personally don’t like to label my dietary choices because I find they are always changing, and I don’t like to limit myself. If I want to eat meat, I eat meat. If I want to not eat meat, I don’t. I find it’s important to listen to my body, except when it’s telling me I need to eat potato chips! There are times when it might be necessary to be on a specific diet to heal from a certain condition or to lose or gain weight, but this should be relatively short term. In the long run, the goal should be to eat as wide a range of healthy foods as tolerated to provide maximum amount of nutrients to your body.  

The Optimal Human Diet

If we look back in history, before industrialization and the appearance of processed foods, we were eating a farm diet. That consisted for the most part of meat, eggs, dairy, local fruit and vegetables, grains and lentils. Making bread took effort as you had to grow the grain, mill the grain, and bake it fresh as there were not the preservatives there are today. Traditional methods typically involved the use of a fermented culture to allow the dough to rise which would give added benefits in our bodies ability to process it. As increased processing made it easier to access these foods, the methods of making them changed, as did the quality of ingredients.  

Going back even further, looking at our ancestral diet, we see what our genetic make up was designed to thrive on.  From an evolutionary perspective, it was not that long ago in relative terms that our bodies were adapted to eating a hunter gatherer diet. But without going into too much detail, the bottom line is, eating foods in their whole, natural form is ideal. Following a few simple rules can make a huge difference. If it comes from a box or package, it should probably be avoided. Eat pasture raised or wild meat and fish. Eat organic and in season as much as possible.  

Of course, there is no one diet that is right for everyone. But if you’re looking to maximize your energy throughout the day here are a few things you can consider. 

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are an important macronutrient that provides us with energy. But making sure you’re eating the right kinds and in the right amount is essential. Eating too many of the wrong carbohydrates can deplete your energy fast! Have you ever eaten a doughnut then felt like you needed a nap afterwards? Or seen the classic sugar crash that comes after giving kids a bowl of ice cream?  

At this point I think its common knowledge that sugar is bad for us.  Just cutting out sugar can cause the most drastic and quick improvement in health. But uncovering all the sources of sugar and simple carbohydrates in your diet might surprise you.  For example,  it might come as a surprise to find out how much sugar is in a slice of bread or that sugar is added to most store-bought sauces and canned goods. Reducing or removing sugar from your diet has a stabilizing effect on your energy levels throughout the day.   cutting out sugar doesn’t mean that you must remove all carbohydrates from your diet. And if you lead an active lifestyle, you’ll need to make sure you’re providing your body with enough fuel to support your activity level. 

It’s important to match your carbohydrate intake with your activity level and eat the right kinds. An excess amount of weight is a good indicator that you’re eating too many carbohydrates for your output level and perhaps too many simple and refined options. And symptoms such as insomnia and fatigue can be an indication of eating too little carbohydrates, effectively starving your body of the energy it needs.  Below is a list of whole food sources of carbohydrate that are the ideal choice for optimal energy.  

Fruit	Measure	Carbohydrate (grams)
Banana	1 Medium	27
Pear	1 Medium	27
Pomegranate	1/2 Fruit (4 inch piece)	27
Mango	1 Cup, pieces	25
Apple	1 Fruit (3 inch piece)	25
Pineapple	1 Cup, chunks	22
Orange	1 Fruit (3 inch piece)	18
Grapes	1 Cup	16
Papaya	1 Cup, 1 inch pieces	16
Peach	1 Medium (2 2/3 inch)	14
Cantaloupe	1 Cup, cubes	13
Strawberries	1 Cup, halves	12
Watermelon	1 Cup, diced	12
Blueberries	1/2 Cup	11
Raspberries	1/2 Cup	8
Plum	1 Fruit (2 1/8 inch)	8

Starchy Plant	Measure	Carbohydrate (grams)
White Potato	1 Large	64
Tapioca	1/2 Cup	63
Plantain	1 Cup, Slices	48
Taro	1 Cup, Sliced	46
Yuca	1/2 Cup	39
Sweet Potato	1 Large	37
Yam	1 Cup, Cubes	30
Breadfruit	1/2 Cup,	30
Acorn Squash	1 Cup, Cubes	30
Butternut Squash	1 Cup, Cubes	22

Reference: 1

Nutrient Density

When you’re looking at using food as an energy source, you want to eat foods that give you the most bang for your buck, cause the least amount of drag on the body, are relatively easy to digest, and give the body the most nutrition. Nutrient dense foods include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, eggs, seafood, beans, unsalted nuts and seeds, dairy products and meat and poultry. Not everyone is in exact agreement on the definition of what nutrient dense foods are. More conventional sources site lean proteins and fat free dairy products; excluding foods that are high in saturated and animal fat. While other schools of thought recognize that high calorie foods like full fat dairy and animal fats can healthy additions to our diet. Another factor to consider when discussing nutrient density is bioavailability of nutrients. The nutrients in grains, pseudo-grains (like quinoa and amaranth), legumes, nuts and seeds become more bioavailable depending on their preparation.  Proper preparation such as soaking, sprouting, and fermenting are essential when eating these foods if you want to optimize nutrient density.

It might come as a surprise to find out that one of the most nutrient dense foods out there is organ meats! In particular, liver is one of the most comprehensive foods when it comes to nutrient content and bioavailability which is why it’s becoming a trend in health circles to add organ meats back into our diets. Admittedly, this can take some getting used to!  

Start your day with protein

One of the most effective ways to optimize your daily energy is to start your day off with a good protein source. A high protein diet with 25-30% of your daily food intake has a stabilizing effect on blood sugar. And eating protein for breakfast seems to have the biggest impact on optimizing energy levels for the day by stabilizing blood sugar levels.  

Caffeine In Moderation

Caffeine can be a great way to perk us up temporarily, but too much caffeine can make us more tired in the long run. Caffeine can also disrupt our sleep patterns even when taken in the morning, making it harder to fall asleep at night. Most people can tolerate caffeine but if you’re having trouble with energy levels and are fighting fatigue, you might want to reconsider your relationship with it. Even just taking a break might be helpful. Try to limit to one or two cups of coffee a day and only in the morning.  

Physical Activity

Being physically active is an important part of optimizing your energy throughout the day. We’ve gone from being hunter gathers with movement as an integral part of our daily lives to being mostly sedentary as a society; commuting around in cars and sitting at a desk all day for work. Even if we go to the gym and vigorously workout, this doesn’t counteract the effects of being sedentary all day. The good news is, you don’t have to join a gym to get the physical activity your body needs to thrive. Movement can be incorporated into our daily lives in a way that makes it less of a “job”. Ideally, include both low intensity actives like walking (a good goal is 10,000 steps a day) daily and high intensity activities like running or weights a few times a week for maximum benefit.  

Is there a way you can add physical activity into your everyday routine? Try doing squats while you’re brushing your teeth or walking while on your break. Standing desks are becoming more popular and you can even get a treadmill to put under your desk to get your steps while working! The goal isn’t to kill yourself at the gym with strenuous workouts that make you feel superhuman. Consistent and purposeful movement throughout the day sprinkled with a few high intensity activities weekly is a healthy base of physical activity that your body can thrive on. 

Nature

What we eat and our exercise level may be obvious factors in how good we feel but there are many other things to  consider. Being in nature provides us with a multitude of benefits and is an integral part of our well-being as humans. It’s undeniable the boost we get when we step outside on a beautiful day; breathing in the fresh air, the sun on our face. The sun is the ultimate symbol of vitality and the source of all life.  If you are looking to increase your vitality and optimize your bodies energy, spending time in nature is a great way to do it. This is especially important if you spend a good portion of your day under artificial lights or looking at screens. Exposure to natural light during the day helps counteract the negative impact of artificial lights and screens due to its regulating effect on our circadian rhythms which controls our ability to fall asleep and wake up.  

Spending time outdoors is great for our health and combining exercise with nature gives added benefits to our workouts and increases the enjoyment of the activity. The pleasure we get from being outdoors can make adding physical exercise to our lives that much easier. Being in nature is restorative and energizing and making nature a part of our everyday health regime can be a gentle and nurturing way to balance and revitalize the body. 

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“The sun is the ultimate symbol of vitality and the source of all life.  If you are looking to increase your vitality and optimize your bodies energy, spending time in nature is a great way to do it.”

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Sleep

I admit it, I’ve been guilty of using the phrase, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead”. Everyone knows that sleep is essential to our health and wellbeing but how often do we push the importance of sleep aside for other things going on in our lives. More and more we’re realizing how important it is to our everyday health to get a solid 7 – 9 hours each night. We know now that you can’t make up for the damage done by missing out on sleep by trying to catch up later. Not surprisingly, getting a restful 7-9 hour sleep is a vital part of having optimal energy for your day.  

The Mind

One of the most crucial aspects of optimizing our energy lies within our minds. We can expend a huge amount of energy in the rat race of our minds. We may not have a lot of control over the events that happen to us throughout our day, but we do have control over how we perceive and process these events in our minds. Managing our thoughts can free up a lot of time, reduce our stress levels and create more space for pleasure and connection in our lives. Mindfulness and meditation are becoming more and more a part of our collective conversation, however not everyone is drawn to these hippy sounding concepts.  Regardless of what you call it, silencing the monkey mind creates more balance and peace in our lives. How to do this is more of an in-depth conversation which we’ll talk about later. In the meantime, create awareness around how much time you spend each day in your mind brooding. How much energy are you expending on something that is draining you unnecessarily?   

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As you can see, optimizing our daily energy involves a holistic approach to balancing our physical and mental input with our physical and mental output. The food choices we make, the amount and quality of sleep we get, our activity level, exposure to nature, and perspective on life all play a role in how balanced we feel throughout our day. 

What have you noticed about your daily energy levels? What makes you feel energized?  

1: Reference  Kresser, C. (2013). The Paleo Cure. New York: Little, Brown and Company; Pg 126 and 129