Just a quick disclaimer: Without regular exercise and a healthy diet, the below isn't nearly as effective.
This list can be used for males or females, anything gender specific will be marked as such.
Energy comes from a few things over and above the results of regular exercise and eating healthy, and that is having
Healthy Blood & a Healthy Digestive System
What I highly, highly recommend is getting into the habit of having a shake first thing in the morning, specifically, within 30 minutes of waking up (this stimulates the metabolism and gets your body going)
The shake should have approximately 30g of protein if you are (as above)
exercising regularly and having a healthy diet.
For a basic "Morning Shake" I recommend taking baby steps. This means, start with one item on the list, and make it a habit you enjoy. Then, gradually add more of the items into the list as you "build up a tolerance" for having a yummy morning shake.
The most important aspect of this morning habit is that it BECOMES A HABIT. That means... as contrary as it seems to being healthy... you should do what you want to make it a habit, even if that means adding something less healthy (eg milk) to the concoction so that you enjoy it. Just remember to take baby steps towards weening yourself off all junk, and having all health.
Baby steps. I once told a student who ate McDonalds every day for breakfast to try to eat his burger within 30 minutes of waking up, as at least the protein would jumpstart his metabolism. It wasn't "good", but it was "better" -- focus on making habitual changes you can stick to, gradually increase the health. Just like smoking or drinking, pushups start with "just one" :-)
Step 1: Stuff that tastes good but is good for you
My Vega Chocolate Protein Powder
If you've had some protein shakes in the past, you know that some of them can be a disaster on your taste buds. I've found this one to be as delicious as it is good for you. I haven't tried their other flavors (I'm always wary of "strawberry"... must have had too many bad experiences haha).
If you are having trouble drinking "the whole thing" (eg the whole scoop) there's no rule that says you have to start with that, although you should build up to something that has 30g of protein eventually, you can always start with a half scoop.
Also, keep in mind that you can add as much water as you want to your morning shake, as long as you drink it all. If you don't want a thick milkshake feeling, you can water it down easily enough.
Again, if this is your first experimentation with healthy shakes, I recommend trying this out with a
blender and some ice, as it really, really changes the flavor and texture. (The
blender I've linked to is tiny and detaches as a travel cup if you're feeling rushed in the morning)
Other tips: If you want it even thicker, make some oatmeal (bulk foods oatmeal-oatmeal, not that flavored stuff) and put it in the fridge. Scoop out a little bit of it into the shake - you won't be able to taste it, but it will thicken it up. Also, oatmeal is an excellent breakfast / digestive aid. If you find yourself still hungry after your morning shake, oatmeal with some almonds is an excellent breakfast.
Chlorophyll
If you find yourself still with low energy, try taking some
chlorophyll on top of this.
Chlorophyll is basically "plant blood" and to a certain degree mimics human blood as a result.
This means if you're low in iron, or have sticky hemoglobin, the chlorophyll can help get things moving.
It is also an excellent digestive aid and an internal deodorant, making your farts/sweat smell nicer.
Sometimes, when we cleanse, our bodies are shedding more toxins than they're used to, and that results in some stink.
Chlorophyll to the rescue!
Unlike
chlorella,
Chlorophyll tastes yummy. (The link I've posted is for the mint flavored kind, much better than 'regular') I add it to my drinking water if I'm carrying around a water bottle to give it a nice minty taste. To start off, the water should have a light green look, and still be clear.
Side note: If you are regularly exposed to radiation (eg flight attendants, nurses) then up the amount of
chlorophyll you are taking substantially; the color of the water should be built up to a dark green.
Step 2: Stuff that tastes bad, but is overpowered by how good the above tastes
(ONLY TAKE THESE ON THEIR OWN IF YOU ARE "HARDCORE")
Chlorella Powder
You don't need much, thankfully, as it is very bitter. Put a small amount into the shake BEFORE ANY OTHER INGREDIENTS and put a little bit of water on it, and swirl the shake around to liquefy the powder as much as possible, before continuing with your shake prep. Hardcore people, take this as a shot.
(The reasons for this is that the powder is very fine and light and will not mix very well if placed on top, even in a blender I've had a chalky result without using this method)
Step 3: Breathing
Find a well ventilated spot to do a
3 minute meditation. It will cleanse out your lymphatic system which will facilitate the removal of toxins in your body.
Do this a lot. Make it a daily habit.
Step 4: Pills
Keep in mind that much of what you need will be in the above shake. If you are still feeling run down and low energy, its possible you need a few extra boosts of:
B Vitamins
Start with
B12 sub-lingual lozenges. Put them under your tongue and let them dissolve over approximately 20 minutes. After they're gone, freshen your breath with some of that chlorophyll ;-)
Great for energy, metabolism, brain function and some other wonderful things. Sometimes when we feel low energy, it is less to do with physical at this stage, and more to do with mental. This will help with both. If you don't notice a difference in your energy within a day or so, you can also try a
B Complex - this is more of a "shotgun" approach, as it has multiple forms of B vitamin. While 12 is the most common culprit, sometimes we lack other variants if we have scar tissue etc.
Digestive Enzymes
We only have so many of these, and, if you're still eating meats, white flour, or other things that are difficult to digest,
digestive enzymes are for you. Note that the link I've provided is for "general enzymes" -- do a little bit of browsing and find what's right for you. Beans make you fart a lot? Get
bean specific digestive enzymes etc.
Make sure you follow the directions on these ones. Eat them at the wrong phase of a meal and they either digest YOU, or don't work at all.
Step 5: What? Still not energetic? Are you SURE you're exercising regularly and eating healthy? Are you SURE you're doing everything above? I mean, eat salad... like, a lot! Sweat for an hour every day! Stuff like that?
Haha, okay then: Let's get serious:
Some of us are run down from allergies or the medications we take for those allergies. Try...
Oil of oregano
It is a blood purifier and many allergies are simply blood impurities. It will also cleanse the system of virtually everything else. It's anti-everything-that's-bad.
Downside? You really have to take the liquid drops. Put them under your tongue, and keep it there for about AN HOUR. Why an hour? Because, like the B vitamins, they absorb through the sub lingual system. However, they take much longer to do so. This is an extremely effective way to take the oil.
If you're a wuss, you CAN take the pills, but know that too much of it can actually be harmful to your digestive system, so if you're swallowing huge amounts of it...
On top of that, your stomach acids burn away up to 95% of the oil, making it very expensive and time consuming to take so many of the oil capsules.
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