About a decade ago, Dr. Amy Shah was in a near-constant state of exhaustion, and that sent her on a quest to regain her vitality. She discovered that the food you eat and the gut bacteria that process that food influence your energy levels. To support the production of energy-producing hormones like serotonin, eat more high-fiber foods like blueberries, avocados, seeds and nuts, leafy greens, and cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, radishes, turnips and Brussels sprouts). Skip the sugary, caffeinated drinks, since they’re the worst offenders when it comes to energy levels. Red wine, yogurt and olive oil also feed healthy gut bacteria. There’s a bonus — dark chocolate! Cocoa's compounds are fermented into anti-inflammatory chemicals. In addition to paying attention to what you eat, Dr. Shah recommends exposing yourself to sunlight early in the morning, as that signals the brain to stop producing sleep-inducing melatonin and tells the body to wake up. Finally, de-stress. If you’re always waiting until the weekend to take a load off, it’s time to rethink your strategy. Build in daily mental and emotional battery-boosters for yourself. That might be a morning workout, afternoon yoga, journaling, or even something as simple as reading a book.
