A few times throughout the year you might find yourself worn down, out of energy, physically & mentally drained; January is most often one of those times due to the hustle/bustle of the holidays. When you find yourself in need of a recharge the following tips can help boost your energy and alertness.

• Get enough sleep. Go to bed just one half hour earlier than usual, it can make a big difference after a week or two.
• Drink enough water. Often in the colder/cooler weather we forget to drink plain, clean and delicious water. Your body is about 75% water – drinking more water helps flush toxins out that can make you feel sluggish.
• Eat enough veggies and fruit. An ultimate amount of fruit and veggies is 8-13 servings a day but a large majority of us don’t even get 3-5 servings a day so shoot for at least 3/day. A serving can be estimated by using your hand, a half cup is a cupped palm-full, aim for one half to one full cup per serving.
• Choose beans, nuts and fish for your protein instead of meat a few times a week. They have low to no fat, lots of fiber and iron.
• Supplement your daily intake with a good quality fish oil, learn how to choose the right fish oil HERE and Supplement with 1000-5000mg of vitamin D daily. If you have not been tested recently and are not sure how much to start with, my suggestion is 2000mg/day – but knowing your blood panels for certain can help your health in many ways, so if you have not had a physical and blood work lately, don’t forget to make an appointment with your PCP.

It’s important and necessary to take time for yourself every so often so that you can catch your breath, recharge your energy and mind and to just exhale stress. Make scheduled appointments with yourself throught the year to do what you need/want to do – it helps you keep a healthy mindset and it can put you back on track with your personal goals.

In order to take care of others you must first take careof yourself.