Six Functional Medicine Hacks to Boost Your Mood and Energy

Six Functional Medicine Hacks to Boost Your Mood and Energy 6452a95665c64.jpeg

When it feels like it’s only you against the world, and your energy plummets while your mood deteriorates, what do you do? Do you succumb to anxiety, depression, or find ways of coping that are less than “functional”? Functional medicine can help provide the energy boost and mood-lifting jolt to get on with life stronger than ever.  

Earlier this spring, we gave you six tips on boosting your energy. In this blog, we give you six more. Functional medicine aims to help you achieve better health and quality of living through natural methods.

Here are six functional medicine hacks to help boost your mood and energy for a happier you.  The great thing is that while they seem easy, they are very, very effective because they address lifestyle and root-cause.

Functional Medicine Hack #1 – Change Your Behavior

Your behavior has a huge impact on your mood and energy levels. Bad habits come in various forms; overeating, oversleeping, addiction to social media, and others. Bad habits that leave you comparing your life to that of others is toxic to your health. This will not only lead to poor mood and unhappiness, but can also cause anxiety, depression, and sap your energy to even continue with living. The goal is always to release any harmful behaviors that are standing in the way of your happiness. The good thing about habits is that they can be unlearned, although different habits will take different amounts of effort and time to change. However, you can do it with conscious effort and dedication.

Functional Medicine Hack #2 – Eat Nutritious Food

Your food is intricately tied to your mood and energy levels. If you are fond of eating highly processed foods, your mood and energy levels will never be stable. This is because processed foods are high in simple sugars that quickly digest to create sudden spikes and lows in blood sugar levels. This causes sudden mood swings that can leave you feeling high now and low in the next couple of hours.

Functional medicine encourages eating a well-balanced diet. If you are going to eat carbs, eat more of complex carbs with low glycemic index. These type of food digest slowly and release energy to the body steadily and for longer periods. Foods such as white bread, cakes, cookies, candies, baked goods, soda, and sweetened fruit juice shouldn’t be on your menu. They may be delicious, but they also mess up your mood and vitality, and over time can cause inflammation, anxiety, and depression.

Functional Medicine Hack #3 – Find Your Tribe

You might be eating the right food, have no bad habits and still be in a poor state of mind. The truth is that the challenges of the world can be too much for you to handle all by yourself. Sometimes, all you need is a little talk with a friend or family member, and all your worries will be lifted off your shoulders. You need to surround yourself with social networks that add positivity into your life. They should be a source of strength and happiness to you, encouraging and supporting you in times of trouble, and sharing in your joy during the good times.

Functional Medicine Hack #4 – Exercise and Movement

Exercise is one of the best ways of boosting your mood when you are feeling down. The physical act of exercising stimulates the release of endorphins; the body’s feel-good chemicals that help promote your mood and increase the surge of energy through your body. When you feel like your world is crashing down, had a terrible day at work, or fell out with your longtime friend, don’t brood over it. Head to the gym or tracks and get in a great workout!  A simple exercise like jumping rope or running can help blast off any negative thoughts and lift your spirits in just 5 minutes.

Functional Medicine Hack #5 – Change Your Environment

Epigenetics, the study of the environment and its impact on our genetics, shows us that who we become is the result of what we are surrounded by.  In effect, you can’t separate the organism from its environment.  They are one in the same. Your environment plays a vital role in the decisions that you make and your health. While you might not know it, your surroundings influence you subconsciously. If you live in an uninspiring environment, this might affect your outlook on life and dent your happiness. Change your environment if it’s sapping your energy or spoiling your mood.

Functional Medicine Hack #6 – Don’t Cheat Sleep

Sleep is as essential as food and exercise for keeping us mentally and physically active. After working yourself to exhaustion during the day, your body and mind need between 7-9 hours of quality sleep to rejuvenate, reset, and revitalize your body and mind. During the day, you can take short naps to refresh your brain for optimal function.

These hacks and more can help rejig your energy levels, lift your mood, and protect you from anxiety and depression. When next you feel down, try one of these for a change.

Lastly, for those of you who struggle with low energy, especially if you have been diagnosed, or think you might have thyroid issues, you may want to check out our last blog on Hashimoto’s and how functional medicine can help

For more help with mood and energy, check out the following blogs:

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