Posted on January 15th, 2024
The best tips for staying energetic during the winter season
Winter’s cold temperatures and shorter daylight hours can make it a challenging time for maintaining energy levels. What can you do to stay energetic and motivated?
Get enough rest
Most people need around 8 hours of sleep per night. Even if you can’t sleep that long, lying down with your eyes closed is far more regenerating than walking around or staring at a screen.
Consider the role of nutrients in your day-time energy levels and your night-time sleep quality
If your dietary magnesium intake is too low, this could have a negative impact on your sleep, having an effect on how you feel the next day.
Pure Lab’s Magnesium Glycinate has been the foundational magnesium product for better absorption and bowel tolerance since 2002. It’s now also available as a delicious Raspberry-Lemon Powder Mix. Simply mix it into water, a smoothie or other beverage for 200 milligrams of elemental magnesium per serving. No hot water is required.
For additional sleep support, any of Pure Lab’s Magnesium Glycinate products can be combined with Pure Lab’s Magnesium+Melatonin or Slow Release Melatonin 10 mg.
Eat healthy foods
Remember that whole foods don’t have an ingredient list. Most of us could benefit from increasing our intake of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
They’re nutrient-dense and full of fiber, too. Balancing these with quality proteins and fats at each meal and snack can provide sustained energy levels throughout the day.
Take vitamin D
Low blood levels of vitamin D have been associated with fatigue, while supplementation has shown to be associated with fatigue resolution in study subjects.
After all, our exposure to sunlight is reduce dramatically during winter, so you aren’t already doing so, consider using a Vitamin D3 supplement as part of your immune and mood support regimen.
Stay hydrated
Furnace air tends to be very drying during colder months. Don’t underestimate its ability to dehydrate. Drink plenty of fluids: water, herbal tea and low-sodium soup broth are all good choices. Flavour your water with cucumbers, lemon, lime, some festive frozen cranberries or make yourself a herbal non-caffeinated tea if that tastes more fun to you.
Get moving!
Avoid sitting for long periods of time- take breaks to move around every hour or so. Movement increases blood flow to the brain and muscles, supporting mental and physical energy levels.
Get fresh air
Indoor air can become stagnant, with hundreds of airborne pollutants found in the air of the average home. Crack a window open each day for a few minutes to improve the air quality in your home. In addition, a daily 15-minute walk outside during daylight hours day can help you achieve your fresh air and exercise goals at the same time.
Support your ATP production.
ATP is the energy created by every cell to fuel a myriad of functions that keep living cells working for us. Where does it come from? ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is a nucleotide derived from an activated form of niacin (vitamin B3).
Niacin is converted into NMN, then into NADH—the ‘spark plug’ for energy production in every cell. This is the nearest precursor to ATP. Since the brain uses more ATP than any other organ in the body, it makes sense to supplement a stabilized form of NADH to support improve mental energy levels—especially starting in mid-life when the body’s production of NADH is winding down.
An NADH supplement like Pure Lab’s Slow Release NADH 20 mg can be taken upon wake up to support the brain’s energy levels, supporting productivity throughout the day in just one dose.
Support your thyroid gland
The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in the neck that produces hormones that control the speed of all chemical reactions in the body. When levels of thyroid hormones are too low, these activities slow down. This can cause us to feel tired, sluggish, and cold; we may feel depressed, experience dry skin and hair, and we may gain weight or have trouble losing it.
In order for the body to sustain healthy levels of thyroid hormones, we need to supply enough of the key nutrients that serve as the building blocks for these hormones.
Pure Lab’s ThyroPure is a vegan and herb-free formula providing the 5 essential thyroid nutrients in their most bioavailable forms: zinc glycinate, copper glycinate, selenomethionine. It also contains thyroid-essential iodine in the form of potassium iodide as well as the amino acid l-tyrosine. Individuals can take 1 to 2 capsules daily at meal time.
You may already be doing some of these things, but if your energy is lagging, ask yourself, can I do them more consistently? Which ones can I incorporate into my daily routine? Sometimes, all it takes is one or two lifestyle adjustments to see a noticeable improvement in mental and physical energy levels.