Therapeutic Foods to Energize You!

Let your diet fuel you up to stay energized all day long!

Life can be hectic with kids back in school, or at least back to on-line school in 2020. All the activities that come with school or getting back into a regular routine can feel overwhelming and fatigue and tiredness too often set in. It is important to check-in with your diet to make sure it is supplying you with sufficient energy and nutrients instead of contributing to fatigue or making you feel drained and exhausted.

Do you need support managing your fatigue or stress? If you are unsure how to get started, MaxWell Clinic™ can offer the guidance you need for optimizing your energy and health!

Through Fatigue Fighting Nutrition Support and testing, such as Firstbeat’s Heart Rate Variability Analysis, we can help you manage stress and enhance recovery.

FIRSTBEAT Anaylsis Available at MaxWell Clinic

Knowledge gained from Firstbeat’s unique assessment can help you recognize signs of burnout and avoid periods of exhaustion. Become more energized through discovering your sleep patterns, avoiding prolonged stress, and exploring the effects of physical activity.

There’s no shortage of stress in the world, especially right now. This year’s events have everyone feeling uncertain about the future.

But you know what won’t help anyone? Being stressed. Remember, you have a duty to take care of yourself, and that means managing your own stress.

AdreCalm™ is designed to help you remain at peace in the face of whatever opportunities the day holds.

And if you lose your cool anyway? We’ve got you covered. AdreCalm™ is packed to the brim with compounds that help you return to a state of balanced calm AFTER a stressful experience.

Now is the perfect time to try it out for yourself!

Along with a healthy balanced diet, consider the additional help of AdreCalm™ to help alleviate occasional fatigue, recover from effects of everyday stress, and support relaxation from a combination of clinically tested herbal ingredients.

Mitochondrial Health

Diet provides nutrients to support mitochondrial health. Inside our cells, mitochondria produce ATP, energy to keep us going. To produce this energy, our body uses many nutrients we receive from food. If our diet is lacking, we may not be producing adequate energy. Take a look at the magnesium, zinc, CoQ10, and B vitamins in your diet. Carbohydrate, fat, and protein are also important for appropriate mitochondrial function. A balanced diet is key to provide sufficient energy stores and keep our body functioning correctly.

Mitochondria run properly on nutrients provided through food. Properly working mitochondria can help reduce fatigue.

Support mitochondrial health through diet:

• Magnesium: almonds, spinach, cashews, black beans, edamame, peanut butter, potatoes, rice, oats, kidney beans, and bananas
• Zinc: oysters, beef, lobster, beans, pumpkin seeds, cashews, chickpeas, oats, and almonds
• CoQ10: beef, chicken, fish, and nuts

Hydration

Even mild dehydration can contribute to fatigue and tiredness. Providing adequate hydration has been shown to decrease fatigue. Set a goal for water intake each day and sip on water consistently all day long.

Gut Health

Removing foods that you may be sensitive to while consuming nutrient-dense, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant-rich foods may improve gut health and alleviate fatigue. Food intolerances are often seen along with chronic fatigue. An elimination diet trial may be useful to reduce fatigue. Work with a dietitian or medical provider to properly perform an elimination diet.

A poor microbiome may also advance fatigue. Dysbiosis, an imbalance of bacteria in the microbiome, this case in the gut, has been observed in chronic fatigue patients. Lower diversity of the microbiome has also been detected in fatigue patients compared to nonfatigued patients.

Sleep & Weight

Sleep can be altered from a diet high in fat, poor diet quality, and from excessive carbohydrate and sugar intake, which can result in fatigue.

Maintaining a healthy weight is important as obesity has been related to worsened fatigue. Inflammation and sleep disorders that can come with excessive weight are two factors that contribute to fatigue. Both inflammation and sleep are heavily influenced by diet.

Balance your Diet

Better overall diet quality can lower fatigue occurrence. Eat a variety of different colored vegetables and fruits throughout the week to provide adequate nutrients to help prevent fatigue and provide proper nutrients for mitochondrial health.

Studies have shown that a balanced diet may be able to improve symptoms of fatigue, while a poor diet and nutritional deficiencies may both contribute to fatigue. Fatigue is often seen with immune deficient and inflammatory conditions. A pro-inflammatory state is thought to worsen symptoms of fatigue. A well balanced diet plan that also improves inflammation and supports a healthy immune system may help reduce fatigue symptoms.

A high quality diet consisting of fiber, fruits, vegetables, and omega-3 fatty acids has been associated with lower incidence of fatigue.

A balanced diet can look different for everyone. For a general balanced diet to improve tiredness and fatigue:

• Increase fiber
• Include whole grains
• Eat a variety of vegetables and fruits
• Consume adequate omega-3s
• Add adequate protein

To do this, begin by making 1/2 your plate non-starchy veggies, 1/4 of your plate whole grains, and 1/4 of your plate protein. Then, add fruit, nuts, and seeds for the addition of extra fiber and healthy fats.

• Think cruciferous veggies and leafy greens for non-starchy vegetables.
• Try quinoa, wild rice, and oats for whole grains.
• Use beans, fish, and unprocessed lean meats for protein.

Add a little dark chocolate to your balanced diet! One small study showed a significant decrease in fatigue with the consumption of polyphenol rich cocoa liquor.

Consider adding other polyphenol rich foods to your diet:

• Spice it up with cloves
• Ground up some flaxseed
• Sprinkle on hazelnuts and pecans
• Snack on berries
• Toss in black and green olives

Design your own Granola

Snacks should be like mini meals. They should be balanced just like breakfast, lunch, and supper. Look to add protein, carbohydrate, fat, and fiber each time you grab a snack. Create a balanced option by designing your own granola. Sprinkle it on top of probiotic rich yogurt, on a smoothie bowl, or just eat it with a spoon to help keep your energy level steady all day.

Design your own granola or try one of my Citrus Series Granolas for quick and easy granola recipes that bake in just 10 minutes! These are super easy to make, which can be important if you are feeling tired or run down. Just pour all ingredients into one bowl, stir, bake, and done!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup nuts
1/2 cup grains
1/2 cup seeds
2 T extra fiber such as chia seeds, ground flax seed, or psyllium husks
1 T healthy fat
1 T sweetener of choice
1 tsp spice
1/2 cup freeze-dried or dried fruit

Directions:

Stir all ingredients, except fruit, together in a large bowl. Pour and spread out granola mixture on lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Remove from oven, allow to cool, and stir in fruit.

For my Citrus Series Granola, I have followed the above basic recipe with a few additions for an extra punch of citrusy flavor and spice!

Lime Cardamom

1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1 T chia seeds
1 T ground flax seed
1 T coconut oil, melted
1 T maple syrup
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes
Zest from 1 lime
1 tsp cardamom

Directions:
Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour and spread out granola mixture on lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through.

Cinnamon Orange

Directions:
Stir all ingredients together in a large bowl. Pour and spread out granola mixture on lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through.

Strawberry Lemon

1/2 cup hazelnuts
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup hemp hearts
2 T chia seeds
1 T coconut oil
1 T honey
Zest from 1 lemon
1 cup freeze-dried strawberries

Directions:
Stir all ingredients, except strawberries, together in a large bowl. Pour and spread out granola mixture on lined baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes, stirring once halfway through. Remove from oven, allow to cool, and stir in freeze-dried strawberries.