Health and Fitness

Spring Clean Your Plate

By Sherri Mraz the Cookin’ Yogi

Do you sometimes feel a lack of energy mid-afternoon, or at the end of the day? Do you regularly have low energy days?

Many things can contribute to lack of energy such as stress, lack of sleep; even clutter can be a contributing factor.

Stress and lack of sleep send a rush of adrenaline through your body, using up energy that is needed to keep the rest of the body going. Stress and poor sleep also make the body produce the hormone cortisol, which contributes to belly fat.

A clean diet is super important for energy levels to remain constant. The very foods that you crave when your energy plummets are usually the culprits that cause the condition in the first place.

Eliminate white – Foods that contain white sugar and white flour will spike the blood sugar leading to a crash later on. Aim for whole grains, which are complex carbohydrates and have a slow release of energy, instead of the instant jolt of a simple carb.

Reduce caffeine – We live in a culture that does not encourage listening to your body. In Europe people take siestas. They are encouraged to take naps everyday. In our culture we reach for caffeine to power through the afternoon. We have the misconception that if we are tired we need more fuel. What we probably need is rest. Caffeine will give another false boost with an even bigger crash later on, also making it harder to fall asleep when it’s finally bedtime.

Eat more plants – In our culture, we also talk about our meals with animal protein as the base. “What are you making for dinner tonight, chicken, pork, steak, fish?” Switch your focus to what vegetables you can have as your base and add the meat as a condiment. Think Chinese food, small pieces added to an array of vegetables.

One simple trick to add more vegetables is to start your day with a veggie smoothie.

These three simple tips are a great reminder and way to start to spring clean your meals.

With proper nourishment you will level out your energy and your moods. Find what supports you and bring more of it into your days, eat foods for your body type and most important learn how to breathe.

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Sherri Mraz, owner of Cookin’ Yogi Wellness Co. is currently offering a series of healthy eating cooking classes designed to get your family eating more plant based foods. Classes are simple enough for even the busiest families and delicious enough for the pickiest eaters.  Find out more here.