If you blow a fuse in your house, you can’t get the power back by lighting some candles and using flashlights. You’ve got to find the bad fuse, replace it with a good one, reset the system and power up. The same goes for your body.To restore energy, (at the “feeling great” and chemical level), it takes some awareness and action to get your body in the right direction. Start now… 

Ribose: This special sugar doesn’t come from food. It’s made in your body and helps to build the energy blocks of your body.

Scoop Up, Power Up: The real nutrition heroes are DHA and ribose

DHA: The active form of omega-3 helps constitute nerve membranes. It keeps the nerves to your muscles firing and encases them.

Try 600 mg of DHA each day. This is the equivalent of two grams of fish oil, if you really like the taste better. Taking a daily ribose supplement really turbo-charges some people who have low energy from disease. One side effect is that some feel too much energy after! The data aren’t strong enough to recommend ribose for everyone.

New Energy Technique:
Biomechanical stimulation is getting more attention for giving muscles more energy. How does this technique work? You stand on the machine or plate, and the machine vibrates to stimulate muscle energy and strength. Some research shows that this provides flexibility, energy and better balance and coordination. Gyms and professional sports teams use these machines. Patients suffering from fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue also benefit from this technique.

If you want to try it, start with 500 mg three times a day for one week, or until you get used to the taste. You can put it into coffee, tea or even a smoothie. Then, build up to five grams three times a day for three weeks to feel a greater effect. You can then cut back to five grams twice a day.

If you’re wondering, every five-gram scoop has just 20 calories, since ribose isn’t metabolized as sugar. Side bonus: Since it’s a bit sweet, you might see it as a sugar substitute. Ribose has been shown to relieve soreness, fatigue and stiffness after exercise. Some professional athletes report muscular benefits after taking ribose. Since studies haven’t been done, the data are too weak to say it does or doesn’t work well.

Move More to Move More:
You can jump-start your energy with an activity like walking. This brings in more nutrients—nitric oxide’s released from the artery linings to allow blood to move freely through your vessels. Your body is remarkable in responding to mechanisms called feedback loops.

If you tell you’re body you’re watching re-runs all night, it will downshift energy production. If you tell your body that you need to have a brisk morning walk, it responds by giving you the energy you need.

It’s tough if you have pain or sore muscles, but the best way to get rid of this pain is to strengthen those muscles. You can bring nutrients to them and take away waste products. Use these feedback loops to your advantage, integrating more exercise into your day.

Go B:
You need B vitamins for your mitochondria to turn glucose into energy. We can absorb B vitamins well in liquid or pill form, but 99 percent of us don’t get enough from our diets. Take a vitamin in the morning and evening. This will keep levels stable and get you energized, and there’s no harm in it since you’ll pee any excess water-soluble vitamins out.

If you’re having symptoms, check your vitamin B12 and D levels, and, in any case, have them checked annually. If you find you have the rare case of not absorbing them well into your intestine and stomach, you can get a B12 injection yearly.Many people don’t get enough vitamin D. This vitamin assists in boosting brain function, fighting cancer and keeping your arteries young. We can’t help but think that getting your dose of B and D will help you feel and look younger too! Be sure to keep getting tested and take what is needed to maintain normal levels.

READ MORE: Meditate for Energy

Get Rid of Infections:
While most of us want to treat infections for their acute symptoms, we can’t ignore their chronic effects as well. Infection and inflammation can be two dominos in the low-energy cascade of symptoms. One of your goals could be to monitor your body so infections don’t linger.So what can you do? Floss regularly to lower your gum inflammation risk. Reduce sinusitis with a neti pot. Use probiotics to treat prostatitis, vaginitis and bowel infections. With viral infections, frequent hand washing, sleeping and avoiding saturated fats and simple sugars can help.

Check Your Plate: Food is nature’s best medicine. These dietary tactics also seem to boost energy:

  • Drink as much H20 as it takes to keep your mouth moist throughout the day. Your urine should be completely clear! If you have low blood pressure due to chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia, you can increase your salt intake as your body craves it. Use sea salt for its added minerals, when possible. Many people can’t identify when their fatigue is due to dehydration. A glass of water may be the jolt you need, rather than sugar.
  • Speaking of sugar… Avoid simple sugar! Those that end in -ose, like glucose, dextrose, maltose, sucrose, etc. (except ribose)! Syrups are another word for sugars. Avoid saturated and trans fats. Also, lay off grains that aren’t “100 percent whole grains.” Otherwise, your body will just covert them into simple sugars.

Sleep Eight:
Sleep has the ultimate restorative powers. You need it for the rejuvenating human growth hormone and hormonal balance in general. Growth hormone is secreted primarily when we sleep, and is dependent on sleep. We just don’t do enough of it. Eight high-quality hours a day will help decrease your weight and pain, and restore your energy.

Try practicing good sleep hygiene. Plan your eight-hour sleep period. First give yourself 10 minutes to do any chores you need for the next day (making lunch). Then, take another 10 for hygiene and meditation, respectively. You may even want to dim your bedroom lights an hour before sleep, to transition from artificial light to darkness.