Health
The Energy Bank.
Friday, 12 February 2010 13:24 Last Updated on Thursday, 01 April 2010 11:28
Energy is our fuel; it is our get up and go. Have you noticed how energy is linked to your motivation? When we are full of energy we are bright and ready for action. When we lack energy we feel tired, become flat and listless and want to do less. Where does our energy go and how can we make more of it?
This is one of the areas I am often asked to talk about. So many people are suffering from lack of energy or what is now diagnosed as ‘tired all the time’ and there is no point looking for a pill to fix it, there isn’t one.
In order to look at how to create more vitality we need to understand what takes our energy in the first place. Imagine you have an energy bank account, you assess it on a daily basis. Your balance for the day is a certain amount and you manage to get through the day accordingly but over the years it has steadily been decreasing and you are finding it harder to get through things you once thought were easy. In fact you are now in the red and have used up all your energy currency and begin to experience health problems. You don’t have any time to allocate putting credits in, i.e. to getting healthy and well because your workload has increased or there are other things taking precedence. So you keep on borrowing until your energy bank gives up on you and finally something happens that makes you listen.
Most of us really do know what the major energy drainers are. These include a combination of factors such as an unhealthy diet, smoking, alcohol, stress, emotional upset with a work colleague or family member, lack of love, support, purpose or meaning in our life.
Trying to use quick fixes such as stimulants - tea, coffee, alcohol or sugar will give an initial surge of energy but you will have to contend with the after effects of the low that is often experienced with taking stimulants. Energy drinks are also included here, some of which promote their use of herbal extracts such as guarana, ginseng and ginkgo, but are packed with sugar, artificial sweeteners and caffeine.
You need to be generating an abundance of energy to keep yourself well and energised to live the lifestyle you want, be it a sporting one, working in a demanding job, leading a busy team or travelling extensively. Don’t use your age as an excuse of having less energy than you used to. I have worked with many people who have created more energy now in their later years than they did when they were younger!
To build energy requires you to put the credits back into your energy account and that includes a healthy diet, eliminating toxins and allergies, drinking less alcohol, not smoking, managing your emotions and living a purposeful life.
Rumana Zahn is a Naturopath and Medical Herbalist and runs clinics in
