Maintain a Balanced Diet

You know it’s important to eat healthfully. Making poor food choices or eating poor combinations of foods can result in your body producing too much or too little insulin, which can cause fatigue, irritability weight again, low blood sugar, and eventually, even Type 2 diabetes. There are three sources we derive energy from: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.

Most North Americans get close to 60 percent of their calories from carbohydrates, most of which are simple carbohydrates that break down too rapidly and cause the pancreas to overload the blood with insulin. This leads to the body storing excess fat. Instead, dine on high-fiber complex carbohydrates that require the body to work harder to break down and don’t overload your system with sugar.

Protein is essentially the anti-carbohydrate. The digestion of protein stimulates the release of glucagon, which causes the body to release stored carbohydrates in the liver and give the brain blood sugar, which decreases fogginess and irritability.

The final key components to a healthy diet are essential fats. They slow down the entry of carbohydrates into the bloodstream and help you to feel full.

You should aim to receive 45 to 65 percent of your calories from healthy carbohydrates, 10 to 35 percent from lean protein, and 25 to 35 percent from essential fats. To achieve this type of hormonally balanced meal, include selections from the following three sections:

Energy-dense carbohydrates: whole grains, beans, vegetables, and fruits that contain fiber

High-quality protein: fish, poultry, lean meats, soy, tofu and low-fat dairy products

Essential fats in small quantities: olive oil, avocados, and nuts

Take supplements - like USANA Vitamins

Keep Your Blood Sugar Stable

In addition to the types of fuel you put into your body, your energy can be directly linked to the amount of energy you put (or don’t put) into your body and the timing of it. Nutrition, as you know, is all about fueling the body for optimum function. Many Americans have become so preoccupied with weight loss that they have lost sight of the main event: You need food and glucose – the energy source found in food – to live. If you don’t give your body glucose through balanced meals, your metabolism will slow down and your sugar cravings will increase. When blood sugar dips too low, your brain thinks it’s starving. This is why you end up craving high-sugar foods; since most high-sugar foods are also high-fat foods, desperation eating packs a double caloric whammy. Well-timed and well-balanced meals will boost your metabolism because you won’t be hungry as often, making you less likely to reach for non-nutritious foods.

Know Why Soluble Fiber Is Great for Your Metabolism

Soluble fiber plays two important roles: (1) It binds to bile as it travels through your small intestine, and (2) it helps keep blood sugar levels manageable. Since bile acids assist fat digestion and allow cholesterol to stick around, the faster soluble fiber ushers fat through your system, the less fat and cholesterol you retain. And the steadier your blood sugar levels are, the more efficient your metabolic process remains.

Foods containing soluble fiber include:

Oat / oat bran
Dried beans and peas
Nuts
Barley
Flaxseed
Fruits such as oranges and apples
Vegetables such as carrots
Psyllium husk

Try Schizandra

Schizandra berries, also known as the “five flavor fruit” because they stimulate all five of the taste buds, have been used in Chinese medicine for centuries. The herb reduces the body’s response to stressful situations, but herbalists believe that it can also improve endurance, mental alertness, and aid metabolism by regulating blood sugar levels. In addition, it is said to help detoxify the liver and improve the workings of many of the body’s organ systems.

Try Vanadium

Mushrooms, black peppers, parsley, dill weed, and whole grains contain vanadium, a compound that boosts your body’s sensitivity to insulin, which you need to properly process calories and thereby stabilize your blood sugar. You can also take supplements containing vanadium, but it can be toxic. DO NOT EXCEED 1.8 milligrams daily. People with kidney disease should not takevanadium and the recommended doses should be adhered to as high doses of vanadium (more than 1.8 mg per day) may cause liver or kidney damage.