5 Speedy Energy Boosting Tricks to Fight Fatigue and Feel Your Best This Spring
Feeling tired, fatigued, and having a hard time focusing makes it tricky to enjoy the warmer months. Thankfully, it only takes a few lifestyle tweaks to restore your energy for good. Rid your body of winter toxins to feel your best this spring with these speedy energy boosting tricks!
The smell of rain restores vitality.
Can’t stop yawning? Nature has a cure for that! Simply breathe in the distinctive aroma of rain (try relaxing on the porch, opening a few windows or just standing at your door during a spring shower), and your energy level and stamina could soar by 50 percent in 10 minutes. Columbia University researchers say rainstorms prompt the formation of negative air ions. When inhaled, these tiny molecules increase the flow of cleansing, oxygen-rich blood to the brain, flushing out cellular wastes to quickly restore energy and focus.
Admiring a tree heightens happiness.
The feel-good hormone serotonin prods the liver to break down and release trapped toxins, but serotonin production drops in the winter. To correct a shortfall, step outside for 20 minutes a day to savor the first hints of spring, like blooming trees and flowers. University of Hawaii scientists say daily exposure to the sight of growing plants heightens serotonin release, helping you feel 65 percent happier and more energetic all day long.
Chamomile this way banishes bloat.
Toxin buildup doubles the risk of bloat-triggering fluid retention. But taking a steamy 20-minute chamomile bath three times a week speeds toxin release to help you shed four pounds in a month, according to German researchers. That’s because warm water opens pores and improves circulation, while chamomile compounds (salicylic acid and azulene) draw out waste and trapped fluids through the skin. To do: Mix 10 drops of chamomile oil into a dollop of body wash, then add to your bath.
A toxin blocker eliminates indigestion.
Soluble fiber supplements like psyllium, Metamucil and Benefiber bind tightly to toxins in the digestive tract, which forces them to be excreted before they can cause bloat, gas, indigestion and other GI problems. No wonder researchers at King’s College London say adding as little as two tablespoons of soluble fiber to your daily diet can cut your risk of toxin-triggered GI upsets in half in just three days.
Lemony ginger tea ends aches.
Sipping two cups of ginger tea with a splash of lemon juice daily flushes inflammation-triggering toxins to ease joint and muscle pain by up to 45 percent in 72 hours, say University of Miami researchers. Thanks goes to compounds in ginger (gingerols) that activate detoxification enzymes in the kidneys, says Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, author of Radical Longevity (Buy from Amazon, $24.99). “And combining hot water with lemon promotes intestinal muscle contractions to speed toxin elimination.”
A bedtime mini massage speed fat burn.
The body breaks down metabolism-slowing toxins during sleep, which means getting eight hours nightly can help you shed 24 pounds in a year — better results than exercise! To drift off faster and sleep 50 percent more soundly, take a few minutes to massage your scalp, hands, or feet before bed. Research in the Journal of Caring Sciences finds that doing so relaxes tense muscles and encourages the release of sleep-inducing melatonin.
A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, First for Women.
