Create Energy & Stamina- Week 3 of Dr. Mao's 8-Week Longevity Program
To determine whether you are likely experiencing or will experience an energy deficit that affects your health, add up the number of Yes answers.
If you answered Yes to:
• 5 questions, your risk is mild.
• 6 to 10 questions, your risk is moderate.
• more than 10 questions, your risk is severe. You should see your doctor for further evaluation.
What are your reactions to this quiz? Do you have a feeling about where you would like to make some changes in your health plan? Whatever your assessment score, the practices you will engage in during your Energy and Stamina Week can help balance your metabolism to respond to your energy needs.
WEEK 3 - Create Energy & Stamina
If life is a result of your perception, then having low energy puts a drag on your life, day in and day out. Everything is viewed through the lens of “I am too tired to…” so naturally, you may become withdrawn emotionally, not wanting to commit to anything. Every activity seems Herculean! Sound familiar?
Many people suffer from chronic low energy. These people start the day tired and end the day tired. For most, energy decline doesn’t happen overnight but sneaks up on them over time. Let’s examine some of the causes of low energy:
Stress Burnout
The foremost cause of low energy is the stress of living in our fast-paced modern world. Coping with stress requires a lot of energy which may leave you drained. When you face danger—your brain doesn’t know the difference between a life-threatening danger or a stressful day at work. Your body pumps adrenalin and cortisol to get you to fight or run away. Your adrenal gland is responsible for producing and releasing stress hormones. Over time, repeated triggers deplete the adrenals, leading to exhaustion and fatigue.
Poor Diet
Diet is another contributing factor to low energy. Instead of eating foods with a more sustainable energy content, most people eat far too many foods that supply a rapid burst of energy in the form of simple sugars or carbohydrates—which quickly burn out, leaving the body depleted. In Chinese medicine, we categorize foods according to their energetic property and how to eat them strategically to provide balance and optimum function. More on this later.
Lack of Exercise
Exercise is essential to increase oxygen and nutrients in your body. It also helps us deal with daily stresses; without it, the body is rapidly depleted of vital energy. Exercise that integrates the mind with the body, also called mind-body exercises, can help reset your adrenals, doubling the benefits of physical activities alone. Examples of mind-body practice include tai chi, qi gong, and Dao-In yoga.
In Chinese medicine, energy or qi (pronounced chi) life force equals the quality of life. The level and quality of a person’s qi define the lens of how they experience their life. Over thousands of years, Chinese medicine has produced effective ways to bolster energy using acupressure, exercise, superfoods, herbs, and dietary supplements, which tap into the energy within your being.
Here are three tips to help you increase your energy or qi life force and improve your quality and quantity of life.
Tip #1:
B Vitamins
Take B vitamins and eat lots of leafy green vegetables to combat your stress because stress consumes these critical vitamins. B complex vitamins, which include B1-12, are vital to the proper function of adrenal glands. For vegans, who get few natural sources of B12, it’s even more critical to supplement. Not all B12 are easily absorbed, so look for one in liquid, sublingual form. Besides B12, other B vitamins are essential for adrenal health, such as B1 thiamine, B3 niacin, and B5 pantothenic acid, which all directly affect cortisol production. We recommend Super B to our patients with stress burnout and low energy. As a bonus, these vitamins can help to regulate your sleep and wake cycles. I take this daily.
Tip #2:
Eat breakfast.
The popularity of intermittent fasting has many people skipping breakfast, with some unintended adverse reactions. It turns out intermittent fasting isn’t for everyone. For some people, fasting actually increases cortisol production. This stress hormone simulates prednisone or cortisone, leading to increased blood sugar and difficulty losing weight. You may be one of them. If this is the case, eat a nutritious breakfast of quality protein and fats and avoid simple carbohydrates and sugars such as cereal, bread, and pastries.
Tip #3:
Practice Dao-In yoga.
This unique mind-body practice from the Taoist tradition is similar to popular Indian yoga in that it is done sitting or lying down. It differs from yoga in that Dao-In specifically works with acupuncture meridians and acupoints to stimulate and activate energy or qi flow to impact your health and healing. It is gentle, gradual, and meditative, yet physically strengthening, that most people will break a sweat by the end of it. Download my instructional program here and start experiencing more energy and stamina today.
Try the tips outlined here or pick more tips from my 8-Week e-book and practice the routine daily for the next seven days.
Listen to my podcast here and watch my video here.
Here’s a sneak preview of Week #4 — Reduce Your Stress & Lift Your Mood
Week #3 was all about how to boost your energy level. A significant factor in sustaining your vital energy is reducing the stress in your life. This week’s practices will give you a reprieve from stress and a healthy outlook that will lengthen your life and improve the quality of your years.