Do you remember our tired puppy from the last post?

Well, this time we're going to give him (and you) five more ideas to explore to put the pep back in his step.

Yep, that's definitely something worth perking up for.

These ideas from Marc David, the founder of The Institute for the Psychology of Eating, are areas to explore. They aren't hard and fast rules. Remember, the ultimate expert on your body is you.

The 5 Strategies

1) Meal Timing

Our bodies have a natural rhythm which roughly syncs with the sun. It's called circadian rhythm. Generally speaking, as we wake up our metabolism begins waking up, too. While we've been sleeping, it's been at work digesting what we ate the day before and resetting our systems, so to speak. The work has been easier to do since the rest of the body is resting and not needing much energy to keep functioning.

Once we open our eyes and begin to move, our metabolism gets the signal that soon it's work load will increase to keep things going while we're moving through our day. To do its job, it'll need fuel (food). Our metabolism is usually highest in the middle of the day then begins to slowly ramp down toward the evening.

If you're in the habit of skipping breakfast, you could very well be short-changing your metabolism which would lead to feeling sluggish. If you don't want a full meal, at least try having a little snack - 1 hard-boiled egg, a small serving of yogurt, a few nuts - just a little something for your body to work with.

In the American culture, we usually have our largest meal at dinner time. You may have heard that it would be better to have your largest meal at lunch and a lighter dinner. This is why: as I mentioned earlier, our metabolism is highest midday. This means it's revved up and better set to process what we eat and provide lasting fuel for the afternoon. Most of us are more active in the day than in the evening, which requires more energy, obviously. Having a larger lunch and a smaller dinner lines up better with our energy needs and our metabolism's natural cycle.

Again, these strategies are areas to explore. Try them out to see how they work for you, your body, and your schedule.

2) Macronutrient Balance

We're just going to touch on the very basics of this one. The macronutrients you want to find the right balance of for you are: carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. (Also, be sure to stay hydrated.)

If you find yourself dragging by mid morning or mid afternoon, you'll definitely want to play around with this. In the simplest terms, carbs provide faster burning energy (and our brains need them in order to function properly), proteins provide slower burning energy (and are especially helpful for our muscles), and healthy fats keep things lubricated and play a big part in how satisfying our food feels.

At any given time, you can find one source or another pontificating about how "good" or "bad" any one of these three types of nutrients are. I invite you to put all that aside and experiment with what balance of the big three nutrients your body needs. You're the expert on your own body, remember.

The first step is to notice what time and how much of each nutrient you're eating. Are you carb heavy with bagels, donuts, cereal and such for breakfast? Try adding a bit of protein and see what that does for your energy level. Do you eat low fat everything? Try bringing some healthy fats into your world to check its affect on your body, your mood, your energy. Play around with all three of these macronutrients and see what happens.

3) Learn to regulate food amount

This DOES NOT mean dieting. What it does mean is listening to your body as you eat. It's super easy to eat more than we need when we're not engaged with our food. When our brain is engaged, and therefore allowed to register the food we're taking in, it will naturally regulate our intake.

What does it mean to be engaged with our food? It simply means to be aware. When we're mid Netflix binge, we're not going to be fully aware of how much popcorn or M&Ms actually made it into our mouths. I'm not saying don't eat while you view, if that's a big thing to you; I'm just saying take time to check-in with your brain and body while you Netflix binge away. Same thing at meal times. If you're so engrossed in a book, or waist deep in your email inbox, you're not going to notice that you blew right past the point of being satisfied and have crossed well into where-did-all-that-food-go land.

Slow down and notice your food when you eat. You will naturally eat the amount you need and not overdo it anywhere near as often.

4) Regulate caffeine

Caffeine is a staple in many people's diets. Don't overlook how powerful it is just because it's so common. It definitely can give you a boost of energy when you need it. But if you're having 3-4 hits of caffeine daily - whatever the source - and you're still feeling fatigued, you may want to try a caffeine fast and focus more on your sleep habits and the other strategies found here to get your energy back into balance.

5) Harness your mind

Your mind is the most powerful tool you have. Take the time to notice your beliefs and thought patterns that may be interfering with your energy level. Worry and stress can suck up tons of energy. Those two things are pretty much best buddies with fatigue.

Do you have beliefs about how hard a person needs to work to be successful/valuable? Maybe it's time to examine those beliefs and evaluate whether they're actually true. Does your mind latch on to negative or worrisome thoughts and keep spinning them over and over again? Maybe a meditation practice or getting personal coaching to give you tools for breaking that cycle would help. Don't be afraid to explore and examine new things that can help you harness your mind.

You can have the energy you need to function. Try these strategies and watch what happens. If you're sleeping okay and working these strategies and still feel fatigued, it may be time to check in with your doctor.

Take good care of yourself. You're the only one of you the world has.

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