10 fresh ways to boost your energy now

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10 fresh ways to boost your energy now

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/04/09/healthmag.energy/index

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By Potter

Must. Stay. Awake. Yes, it's the 3 o'clock mantra. And who hasn't

mumbled it while fighting off midday yawns and drooping eyes?

Meditating or working out in three-minute breaks can replenish you

and give a much needed energy boost.

Fatigue and flagging energy seem to be epidemics, especially among

women who burn the candle at both ends (and who doesn't?). Instead of

moping, pump up your mojo with these 10 strategies from experts in

sleep, fitness, nutrition, psychology, and alternative medicine.

1. See the light

Get the right light, and you'll have lots more energy. But that can

be a challenge, given the poorly lit offices we sit in and the scant

doses of daily sunlight (which contains brain-activating short-

wavelength blue light) we get. " Our circadian rhythms are more

sensitive to blue light than any other kind, " says na Figueiro,

assistant professor at the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer

Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York.

To take advantage of that energizing blue boost, lift your shades the

minute you get up or take a 30-minute walk first thing in the

morning. And go outside as often as you can during the day

(especially right before you need to be extra-alert), says

, Ph.D., director of the Human Chronobiology Laboratory at

New York--Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center in

Westchester, New York. To up your blue light at work, use lamps

with " natural " lightbulbs -- try Sylvania's Daylight Extra bulbs, an

Ott-Lite, or a light box that uses blue-light technology.

2. Get pumped with protein

Unless you plan to run a marathon, carbo-loading for energy is out.

Instead, eat protein to increase mental alertness and energy, says

Debra Hollon, M.S., R.D., a clinical nutritionist at Massachusetts

General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts. Protein contains tyrosine,

an amino acid that elevates the brain chemicals dopamine and

norepinephrine. It increases satiety, too. And when you feel fuller,

you're not apt to overdo the breads and sweets that induce

rollercoaster highs and lows.

Eat plant- and animal-based protein throughout the day -- an egg or

high-protein cereal for breakfast, 10 almonds midmorning, a cup of

low-sugar yogurt in the afternoon -- and your stamina should

stabilize.

3. Lend a hand

Research shows that you get a " helper's high, " a rush of endorphins

that lasts for hours, when you volunteer, says Kingsley,

author of " The Energy Cure: How to Recharge Your Life 30 Seconds at a

Time. " You don't have to look far to help out, she says. " There may

be a single mom in your family who needs a babysitter or a lonely

neighbor who'd love to chat. "

Judith Orloff, M.D., a Los Angeles-based psychiatrist and author

of " Positive Energy: 10 Extraordinary Prescriptions for Transforming

Fatigue, Stress, and Fear, " agrees, and she often folds anonymous

good deeds into her day. During her morning coffee run, she sometimes

buys an extra cup of joe for a homeless person. " When you make

someone happy, you feel filled up again, " Orloff says. You can find

volunteer opportunities that suit you at www.idealist.org.

4. Breathe hard -- more often

That post-workout rush of energy you feel is well-documented:

Movement sends oxygen through the bloodstream to invigorate cells.

That's why Gerald K. Endress, fitness director at the Duke University

Diet and Fitness Center at Duke University Medical Center in Durham,

North Carolina, suggests that you break up your workouts to maximize

your oxygen intake. Health.com: Best new ways to boost your metabolism

Lift weights, roll out the exercise ball, or do five minutes of yoga

in the morning. Climb a few flights of stairs at lunch and jog after

dinner. To add an extra kick to your workout, breathe deeply for your

first one or two minutes of cardio, Endress says: Inhale from your

belly; then breathe out slowly, imagining you're pulling your navel

toward your spine.

5. Bag a new brew

Boost your energy with white tea, which has a delicate flavor that

requires little sweetening. " Of all the teas, white tea goes through

the least processing, " says Iman Hakim, M.D., Ph.D., a professor at

the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University

of Arizona in Tucson and a leading researcher on the benefits of tea.

As a result, white tea has the highest concentration of L-theanine,

an amino acid that, according to recent research, stimulates alpha

brain waves to boost alertness while producing a calming effect. And

because a cup of white tea contains less caffeine (15 milligrams)

than other teas (up to 50 mg) and coffee (120 mg), it's more

hydrating, another key for sustaining energy.

6. Tackle the blahs in bursts

Shake up your routine for 15 minutes at a time to get an energy

boost. Change your walking route, sample a new food, garden for a few

minutes, or pick up a pencil and draw. " It's all about taking baby

steps to replenish yourself, " Orloff says.

Start small; tackling a really big new project may just pile on more

stress. And think of your mini-task as a chance to renew, not another

thing on your to-do list.

7. Get hands-on help

Could your energy be blocked? Hands-on therapies such as acupuncture

and Reiki (pronounced ray-key), a Japanese massage technique, may

help, says Eva Selhub, M.D., senior staff physician at the Benson-

Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General

Hospital in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts. " These therapies may remove

the blocks that create emotional and physical problems in our

bodies, " she says. " When the resistance is gone, energy flows. " In

fact, a recent British study published in New Scientist says

acupuncture can relieve fatigue in cancer patients.

Don't have time for a 30-plus-minute session? Try self-acupressure.

According to a recent finding by E. , Ph.D., research

assistant professor at the University of Michigan Medical Center's

Department of Internal Medicine in Ann Arbor, Michigan, there's a

positive correlation between acupressure and increased alertness. His

trick: Rub the muscle between your thumb and your forefinger for

three to five minutes; you should feel a little ache there and then

an overall sense of ahh.

8. Take a tech-free break

Being at the mercy of electronic devices keeps us in " fight-or-flight

mode, " Kingsley says. You get an adrenaline zap every time the cell

phone rings or an e-mail comes in. Over time, living off adrenaline

exhausts you. Cell phones, in particular, put increased stress on

women, research shows.

Even though both men and women say that their cell phones allow job

worries to affect their home lives, only women experience the

opposite effect -- the spillover of home concerns into work. The

solution: " Set boundaries at work and home, " Kingsley suggests, " so

your attention isn't always divided. " Give yourself at least an hour

a day when you completely unplug from electronic devices. That chance

to check in and connect with yourself will re-energize you, she says.

9. Meditate for a minute

Time-crunched? Great news: You can reap the benefits of meditation --

a hike in alertness and attention -- in three-minute

minibreaks. " They're like little tune-ups, " Orloff says.

She recommends an a.m. session before you start your day and a noon

meditation before that typical 3 o'clock crash hits. Find a quiet

place (even if it's the bathroom) and mentally focus on an image that

brings you pleasure: the ocean, a flower, the sun, your cat; continue

to keep the image in your mind's eye as you breathe deeply (roughly

10 seconds for each inhale and exhale). With a little practice,

Orloff says, you'll become more skilled at maintaining focus and can

add more short meditations to your day, whenever you need

revitalizing.

10. Clean up your sleep

The buzzword in sleep science these days is " sleep hygiene, " and it's

about more than clean sheets -- it helps you create an atmosphere

that's restful, so you'll sleep well and wake up energized without

the need for sleeping pills, says. Health.com: 3 secrets to

a good night's sleep

Sleep hygiene usually includes three areas: fully darkening your

bedroom (turn your alarm clock away from you if the display gives off

too much light), regulating room temperature to a moderate coolness

(too hot or too cold, and you'll wake up), and using white noise (a

fan or quiet music) to help induce sleepiness.