Natural Healing Home Remedy for Low Energy

Low energy in individuals can have a number of causes, and is often accompanied by poor moods. Causes include anxiety; overexertion; lack of exercise; poor sleep habits; low blood sugar; pregnancy and breastfeeding; seasonal depression; and seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, a more severe version of seasonal depression. There are two main strategies for naturally healing low energy at home: seeking out foods and liquids that increase energy, and avoiding those substances that lower it. Lifestyle changes also can be beneficial.

What Helps

While supplements containing vitamin B, ginseng and other vitamins and minerals can help raise energy levels, they can be expensive. One of the best natural home remedies or strategies for low energy is proper dietary management. A diet consisting of the right foods can greatly increase energy and reduce feelings of fatigue, sluggishness and bloating. These include legumes (kidney beans, soy and lentils), vegetables (lettuce, spinach, broccoli, peppers, radishes, raw carrots, celery and tomatoes), fruits (apples, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, grapes and avocados), oily fish (herring, sardines, mackerel and salmon), nuts (particularly walnuts), seeds, whole grains, and walnut and olive oils. Food should be consumed in small amounts, with little time between meals. Grazing, as opposed to gorging, helps speed up metabolism. Drinking large amounts of fluids, particularly herbal teas and mineral water, also helps increase energy.

What Hurts

While seeking out and consuming the proper foods and liquids is important for increasing energy, avoiding substances that lower energy is equally as important. Individuals with low energy should avoid sugary, fatty foods (pastries, cookies and doughnuts); salty, fatty foods (potato chips and the like); and foods high in carbohydrates (breads, biscuits and cakes). They should also avoid alcohol (with the exception of one glass of red wine per day) as well as caffeinated beverages. Small amounts of caffeine can increase energy, but large amounts can drain it, causing headache, fatigue, restlessness and insomnia. Individuals with low energy--if they must drink caffeine--should drink a maximum of two to three cups of coffee (or an equivalent caffeinated beverage) per day.

Lifestyle

To obtain an optimal level of energy, individuals need to balance their proper diet with a proper lifestyle. Some activities that can help increase energy include taking regular work breaks to stretch and walk around, taking short "power" naps during the day, enjoying as much natural daylight and fresh air as possible, and getting a proper amount of sleep in a well-circulated room.