Are you feeling tired? Cranky? Just plain blah? Let me give you three tips on feeling refreshed and energized.
1. When waking, did you know you can jump-start your metabolism simply by eating ½ hour to an hour after waking? If you’re not into eating that soon, fear not! You do not have to have a full-course breakfast. A banana or a piece of whole grain toast with peanut butter will suffice.
2. We all know that exercise has many advantages, but did you know that to get the full benefit of keeping your heart healthy you need to keep your heart rate up for a minimum of 30 minutes, three times a week to include at least 10 minutes warm-up and 10 minutes of cool down? If weight loss is your goal, four to six times a week is optimal. To figure out your target heart rate subtract your age from 220. Then multiply that number by 80%. For a 40 year old the formula is as follows: 220 – 40 = 180 x .8=144.
3.Water, water, water. Forget about the “8 glasses a day” (64 ounces) you’ve always been told. Your goal should be 96 ounces per day. Other guidelines suggest that you should drink half your body weight (in ounces) each day. For example, if you are 160 pounds, you should shoot for at least 80 ounces. Almost every cell in your body needs water to function properly, and adequate water consumption can help lessen the chance of kidney stones, keep joints lubricated, prevent and lessen the severity of colds and flu and help prevent constipation. Sorry, coffee and soda drinkers, but those do not count toward your daily total. Stick with decaf drinks (mostly water) and keep a container on your desk to remind you to sip throughout the day.
Bonus tip: GO BANANAS! The benefits of eating a banana include: protection from stroke, reduction of water retention, improvement of blood pressure and boosting of energy!
