Are you feeling stressed and tired? Have you noticed that many, many people around you are feeling stressed and tired? Why do you think that is?

Is it simply a case of energy in vs. energy out? NO! It definitely is not. This is a fallacy we see in place in our society all the time. People buy ‘energy drinks' or drink coffee to get a pick me up, they eat a sugary cereal because it's ‘full of energy' and they don't exercise because they are ‘too tired'. Well have you ever noticed that the people who do these things are the least energetic of the lot?

So what is really causing our decrease in energy? Our lifestyles, of course. We simply aren't doing the things our bodies require in order to function efficiently. We are eating poorly, not exercising enough and living lives and schedules that have a high degree of stress and strain.

So here are my top 10 tips for increasing your energy.

1. Get some rest: This one is a no-brainer really. Of course getting adequate rest is going to provide you with more energy and a healthier body. The trick is to have a good routine and get to bed as early before midnight as possible. Also if you do the other nine things well, you will find resting and sleeping tends to be easier in a less stressed body.

2. No stimulants: We have a society that focuses on short-term fixes. When it comes to energy these short-term energy gains are often associated with long-term energy losses. Things like coffee, alcohol, energy drinks will often give you an increase in energy in the short-term but over time will lead to a net energy decrease.

3. Positive thinking: This one is all about the stress response in your body. Your body is only designed to be in stress response for a short period of time (like fighting off a tiger), not all day every day. When it is continually fired it becomes fatigued and you cannot maintain it (adrenal fatigue). One of the best ways to switch off the stress response is to consciously think positive thoughts. So things like affirmations and gratitude can be a great way to switch off your adrenals. 

4. Quantity of movement: Another great way to switch off the stress response is through movement. ‘But exercise uses up energy!' I hear you say. Well yes that is true, but it also affects your body's biochemistry.  It helps you switch off the stress response and it trains you to be better prepared to efficiently deal with your environment. 

5. Quality of movement: And it's not just about how much you move - how well you move is equally important. When it comes to quality movement there are two factors to consider: global movement and segmental movement. Globally comes down to simple efficiency. The stronger, more stable and more efficient you are the less energy it will take up and the more energy you will have for living. Segmentally can affect the individual joints in your body, in particular your spine. When not aligned or moving properly,

can interfere with your nervous system, which can have a dramatic effect on your energy levels. When the messages aren't getting through properly it just takes that much more effort to get the job done right.  And given that your nervous system controls every cell, tissue and organ in your body this becomes really important and as a Chiropractor this is obviously one that I help people with every day.

6. Eat more quality proteins: For most of us, our modern diets contain far too many sugars and processed carbohydrates and too few proteins. This sugar influx much like the stimulants I spoke about earlier leads to an energy spike followed by a crash. This rollercoaster ride is very inefficient for your body and long-term leads to depleted energy stores. Healthy proteins like meats, eggs, fish, nuts and beans helps give more long lasting energy to your body, reducing the ups and downs and allowing for longer lasting energy.

7. Reduce toxins: Toxins, be they absorbed from your food, your cleaning cupboard or your air, take energy to remove. The more that are present in your lifestyle, the harder your body has to work to remove them.

8. Breathe properly: Oxygen plays such a vital part of your energy system. Put simply, the better you breathe, the more oxygen is available to your body and the more efficient an energy user you will be.

9. Water intake: Water is involved in almost every chemical reaction in your body, which is why it makes up about 75% of your total body weight. The more water you have available, the more efficiently you can carry out these necessary biochemical reactions and the more efficiently your body will run.

10. Have a purpose: Have you ever noticed how much energy you have doing something you LOVE vs. doing something you HATE? Having a purpose in your life and as much as possible aligning everything you do with that purpose will create more energy in your life. People are always asking me where I find the time and energy to run my practice, teach workshops, exercise, read books, study and still spend time with my

gorgeous wife and kids. The answer is that all of these things align with my purpose. I believe that everyone in the world has the right to be healthy and that regardless of age, current health status or life goals I want everyone to perform at their best (including my own family). That is why, this Thursday at 6pm, I will be going over everything you need to know about losing weight: what exercise, what to eat, how to set up your goals so that you can accomplish them, plus easy tips, tricks and more. Bring a friend and start the year off right!