Great Tasting Foods To Amp Energy & Productivity

Photo by Lawrence Lew

Take it from a recovering workaholic: when passion strikes, my butt gets really good at staying firmly planted in my seat. {READ: I don’t remember to cook, exercise, sometimes even eat}

So here’s some easy and great tasting foods and recipes (as well as some great organic whole food supplements) I keep in my kitchen to maintain my health, amp my energy and boost productivity for the long haul – and without any nasty side effects!

If you believe it isn’t possible, consider this: I used to need coffee and caffeine supplements to survive launch time when I had to pull all-nighters and 72-hour writing stints at the computer. Now I can endure those grueling launch-time hours without caffeine and its jittery side-effects.

Anything that can survive THAT test wins my vote.

Organic, Whole-Food Vitality Supplements

Here’s what I personally take on a daily basis to maintain overall energy and mental focus. {Conduct your own research to make your own educated decision about what is right for you.}

• Rhodiola: Said to enhance physical and mental performance, reduces stress on mind and body, also said to prevent fatigue.
  
• New Chapter Organics Unbounded Energy: I am a huge fan of New Chapter Organics’ line of products as I can feel the results and they use organic ingredients sourced from whole foods and vegetarian capsules.
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  Specifically, I love Unbounded Energy. When I first started taking it I was wondering where the immediate bout of energy was. On around day 2 or 3 I started realizing I was pretty much bouncing off the walls without the jittery bouncing. In other words, I had all this mental and physical energy, endurance and excitement without any of the typical side-effects I associate with ‘manufactured’ energy: no jitters, no heart palpitations, no wired brain-on-acid feeling where I can’t sit still or think straight.
  
• Marine Phytoplankton: It’s the only 100% bioavailable food on the planet and is the sole food source for the largest mammal on earth: the Blue Whale. (Yeah I know, they eat krill as well – krill eat phytoplankton, i.e. they’re another source of phytoplankton )
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  The key here is that this ultra-nutritious food is so jam-packed with nutrition, minerals and stuff that we haven’t been able to even identify everything it is and has! It’s expensive but you only need one to a couple drops a day. And it’s worth it. First time I took phytoplankton I only took a single drop and I literally had to break out of the house and run around. I felt like a little kid again! Ah that boundless energy…You’ll find the phytoplankton I buy either at Ultimate Superfoods or on my Gear Page under the Health category.

Instant Energy Recipes

Here’s two fantastic recipes for that instant dose of energy you need to get through a long day (again, without any nasty side effects or caffeine!)

“Million Dollar Rockstar” Yerba Mate Tea

Easy to make, with few ingredients, this is the best instant jolt I’ve discovered that is entirely organic, infused with superfoods that nourish the body, and tastes great (as long as you like herbal teas with a bitter flavor). Plus you get the added anti-aging and de-calcification benefits of its ingredients!

Brew loose leaf yerba mate tea in your coffee maker (like regular coffee) or with a french press

Pour the tea base into a mug that has 1/2 tbsp shilajith powder and 1/2 tbsp MSM powder

Sweeten to taste with Stevia, Zero Wholesome Sweetener or Truvia (or any organic, natural sweetener with zero sugar – stay away from Agave)

For some, the bitter taste may take getting used to. If this is the case, start out with half the shilajith and MSM powder and build up over time. Also feel free to increase them over time.

Where to Get Ingredients:

Yerba Mate Tea Leaves: at your local health food store or online at Ultimate Superfoods

Shilajith and MSM powder: you can learn more about, and purchase them, also at Ultimate Superfoods

Sweeteners: at your local health food store in the natural sweetener and/or supplement sections (it’s VERY important that you use sugar-free sweeteners that have NO ARTIFICIAL ingredients. Otherwise your blood sugar will crash and you’ll defeat the entire purpose of this recipe)

For another great recipe (with way more ingredients but WOW do they amp your energy!), check out this other superfood recipe post.

Revitalizing Foods to Maintain Energy

The number one thing that saps your energy is digestion. And indigestion. When your body can’t optimally assimilate, break down and eliminate the foods you take in, guess what – it gets overtaxed and you get tired. So when you need that maximum energy for a big project try not to run for those fast food joints. I know it’s tempting but saving time that way will cripple your actual energy to use that time wisely.

Instead, here’s some quick and easy fixings to keep around the kitchen that will minimize the stress on your body and nourish you with everything you need to keep chugging along during those long hours:

• Sprouted nuts, grains, breads and cereals: When grains and nuts are sprouted (when purchasing rice, it’s often referred to as “germinated”), their enzymes are activated and available to your body, along with the nutrition packed into their little bodies.
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  Enzymes are what your body needs to break down food, yet any cooked or processed food has been stripped of all its enzymes. This forces our bodies to use our stored enzymes (metabolic enzymes). Over time we become enzyme deficient which leads to weight gain, metabolic freeze, fatigue and what you may have heard of as “Syndrome X.”So it’s vital that you’re eating foods that have their enzymes available to your body so you can digest them properly.
  
• Smoothie Ingredients: A great way to save time and literally jam a full day’s nutrition into a 10-second shake is to keep superfood powders, frozen fruits and a good raw vegan protein powder on hand. I go into each of these ingredients in detail in the above-mentioned superfood recipe post, however it’s worth mentioning here. These smoothies save my life!!
  
• Juice Your Veggies: If you’re like me salads are akin to little green gremlins. I’m not too keen on the whole deal. So how to get your veggies that will saturate your body with much-needed minerals? Just Juice It! Mix in a bit of fruit and you’ve got a great tasting beverage. You can’t even taste the veggies. (you can also add veggies to your smoothies!)
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  Get yourself an Omega or Greenstar Juicer (you can grab them here) and keep your kitchen stocked with juiceable veggies and fruit like cucumber, spinach, celery, parsley, beets, melons, apples, bell peppers and anything else you can think of. I’ve also got some great juicing books I look to for yummy recipes (just check out the Health section of my Gear Page).
  
• Nothing is more important than the water you drink! This one’s a doosy, and the one thing no one ever thinks about. Your body is 80% water and that water is responsible for hydrating your cells so they reproduce properly. Proper water has been shown to slow down aging, keep you healthy, keep you full so you eat less of the bad stuff, and plenty more.
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  So what kind of water should you drink? Well there are plenty of opinions out there and tons of options – most are very expensive. What I found to be the most affordable option for someone like me who doesn’t want to commit to an in-home water filtration system that I can’t take with me on the road, is to find a local place that sells Reverse Osmosis or similar filtered water (no flouride, particles, chlorine, etc. including all the nasties no one likes to talk about… did you know that antibiotics and toilet paper are the top particulates found in tap water? Gross.)
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  Just call around local raw food, vegan, vegetarian, organic restaurants or juice bars and ask if they know where you can purchase bulk reverse osmosis, alkaline, or otherwise filtered water. Then purchase a couple 3 or 5-gallon jugs from the water retailer or at your local Target, along with a water dispenser of your choice.
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  But don’t stop there. Reverse Osmosis is a great step, but it’s still acidic water. We want our bodies to be alkaline because an acid environment is a breeding ground for disease, speeds up aging (kills energy), and a whole mess of other problems.There are expensive ionic re-mineralization systems you can buy to alkalize your water, however the affordable way to go is to visit your local Whole Foods or health food store (or somewhere online) and ask for a trace minerals supplement like “ConcenTrace Trace Mineral Drops.” A single 8oz bottle will last you 192 gallons of water. Add it to your water jug before placing it on the dispenser (it won’t go bad in the water or anything) and you’re set!

All that said, remember when you’re bursting at the seems with energy and vitality… take a break and smell the roses every once in a while!

Ahhh it’s a good life, ain’t it?