Eating for Energy: Boost Your Mood and Productivity
Welcome back everyone! I am so excited to share this week’s post with you all because it has been something so impactful. But before I
talk about eating for energy, I want to know how you all have been doing. Let me know in the comments if you have tried any of my
recipes posted on my Instagram or would like to know more about certain topics. I am always looking to provide you all with content that
is valuable and that I feel I can truly speak my heart about. With that being said, lets talk about eating for energy and how it has
completely transformed my life.
My Struggles with Caffeine
In my experience, I have noticed that many people often associate proper nutrition with weight loss, clear skin, and creating a healthier
body. Proper nutrition is all of these things but also so much more. And one of the things I am going to discuss is energy.
If you have already read my blog post on How I Healed my Gluten Sensitivity then you would know that in my journey to
creating my healthier self, I cut out caffeine. And the reason for doing so was because I had a realization that I was so dependent on
coffee to be able to function on a day to day basis and it always upset my stomach afterwards. I no longer wanted to feel the level of
dependence and uneasiness that I had while drinking coffee, so I made changes.
Cutting out caffeine was an extremely hard process but once I was through to the other side, it had opened my eyes to something new. I
was no longer dependent on caffeine and my energy levels sustained themselves fairly well. I would still hit a mid-day slump, but it was
not comparable to the exhaustion and sluggishness that I had experienced before my daily cup of coffee.
But as time went on and I kept on making positive changes in my life to better my health, there was always one thing that kept nagging at
me. It was the fact that I would always hit that mid-day slump around an hour or two after eating lunch. In reality, this was not a huge
obstacle that I had been facing, but all the positive changes I was making compounded and gave me the confidence to tackle it.
Taking an Energy Inventory
I decided to take a complete inventory of my lifestyle; everything from my workout schedule to my stress levels. So, for a couple of days I
was writing down as much about my day as I could, and I had noticed that nothing prominent was sticking out to me.
Everything I was doing was pretty normal. I was eating clean, exercising 4-5 days per week, actively reducing my stress levels, and also
made time for things I enjoyed. I had checked off all the possible boxes that I knew of, so I ended up taking a break from this task.
About a few weeks later, I found the answer to the problem I could not solve. I guess you could say it was dumb luck but every morning I
take my dog for a walk and listen to a podcast. And on this morning, I had decided to watch an episode from one of my favorite podcasts,
The Blonde Files.
This episode in particular was featuring a man named Dr. Bulsiewicz, who is a gastroenterologist that was speaking on his philosophy to
gut health. As you all know, gut health is right up my alley, so I was intrigued to listen to what he had to say. Little did I know, listening to
this podcast would completely change my life.
The Plant-Based Connection
He spoke about how eating a plant-based diet completely transformed his life. He was able to get back to a healthy weight, feel better
about himself, AND experienced energy levels higher than he could have ever imagined. This had completely caught my eye. I had never
made the connection that my mid-day slump could be possibly due to the types of food I was eating.
So, I pulled out that list of notes I had taken a few weeks earlier and looked it over again, this time focusing on what I was eating before
and after my mid-day slump. And the connection was right in front of my eyes. Written down on that piece of paper was the answer to
my question. There was a pattern between what I was eating in the morning versus what I was eating in the afternoon right before my
mid-day slump. I saw that my breakfasts and snacks before lunch were coincidentally plant based.
And when I say it was a coincidence it really was. At the time I was just eating what sounded good to me, which happened to be oatmeal,
banana pancakes, avocado toast, smoothies, protein bites/bars, and lots of fruit. All of which just so happened to be plant based. And
even more to my point, my lunches all contained some type of animal meat. I was eating primarily lean ground meat, but nonetheless, it
was not plant based.
How I Ate to Increase My Energy
And so, I decided to try out a plant-based diet for my breakfasts, snacks, and lunches. The reason that dinners are not included is
because I am a strong believer in balance, and I think that cutting out animal meat completely would put me in a bad position with food.
And lean ground meat and chicken still contain important vitamins and minerals that I should keep in my diet.
I think this is a very crucial part of my journey. Intentionally adjusting in areas that will help you to succeed. Health does not have to be an
all or nothing situation. There are places where compromises can be made in the name of sustainability and enjoyment.
For the past 3 weeks I have made the proper adjustments to eat a primarily plant-based diet and it made a huge difference. I finally felt
as if I were maxing out at the highest energy levels that my body could produce. I felt energized waking up each morning and it continued
throughout my entire day until it was time to go to sleep.
Another thing that I had noticed was that I no longer was exhausted once it was time to sleep. Of course, I was tired, but not exhausted to
the point where I would knock out once my head hit the pillow. And this allowed me to be in control of the relaxation process instead of
my body forcing me into it. I was able to take the time to relax my muscles and slow down my breathing to prepare me for a good night’s
rest.
I think this just goes to show how important nutrition is to so many aspects of our lives. The plant-based diet is scientifically proven to
have restorative powers, especially with gut health. And then again, is not everything connected? The answer is always yes. Everything
from how you start your day to what you eat to your energy levels are connected. I am living proof! And that is why it is so important to
take proper care of yourself in all aspects.
My Big Takeaways
But to end off this rant about how I have gained control of my energy levels, I want to leave you all with some truly important things to
remember that can be applied to more than just eating for energy. Health is not going to be linear; its going to be filled with ups, downs,
plateaus, you name it. Health is about finding what works best for you. And you cannot do so without experimenting.
Eating plant based helped my energy levels, but that does not mean it is the only way to solve that problem. Everyone has a unique body
that has its own particular needs. If you think trying out a plant-based diet is for you, then by all means go for it. But it is also important to
note that what works for me might not work for you, but that is not the point. The point is that you must be open to figuring out what
makes you feel your best. I am just here to share my experiences and give you guys a place to start or some inspiration for your own
journeys.
Secondly, max out your life in all aspects. I know this can feel very overwhelming, but in the end is so worth the time and effort put in. No
matter how big or little the problem, there is still something that is not quite the way you want it to be. I had this small issue of hitting a
mid-day slump and I chose not to accept it.
You are 100% responsible for your life and have the ability to make the changes you desire. You are worthy of having the life you want, so
do not settle for anything less than that. I did not settle for that mid-day slump, but instead did the work and research necessary to
change it. And if I can do it, so can you!
I really hope you all enjoyed learning about how I was able to eat for energy. I am grateful to be able to share my story with you all and if
you have any questions about this topics or any other one I have talked about, feel free to leave me a message below or you can dm me
on Instagram, @the.dairyfree.diaries. I am always willing to share my knowledge and experience with you all so feel free to reach out.
And if you are interested in adjusting to a plant-based diet you can check out my Instagram, which has plenty of plant-based recipes for
inspiration and more to come. I also highly recommend reading Dr. Bulsiewicz’ book, Fiber Fueled, to learn more about the benefits of a
plant-based diet and even includes recipe ideas and meal plans to ease the process.
With that being said, leave a comment below with a healthy meal or food item that never fails to boost your energy levels. Mine would
definitely be my morning bowl of blueberry almond butter oatmeal (recipe posted on my insta).
