Energy Boosting Foods: Top Nutrition Tips for Sustained Vitality

It’s quite normal for the human body to have different energy levels at different times. But if you often feel drained or like you have no energy left after doing just a small task, maybe you need to relook at your nutritional intake. Your energy levels are a reflection of what you eat, how much you eat, and how you plan your meals. In order to maintain proper energy levels throughout the day, you should have a consistent eating routine with a balanced, nutrient-rich diet. 

Energy-Boosting Foods to Include in Your Regular Diet

Here is a list of some foods and ingredients that you must incorporate into your everyday diet for a healthier lifestyle, longer energy retention, and sustained vitality:

1. Fresh Fruits & Vegetables

The health and wellness benefits of consuming fresh fruits and vegetables are not hidden from anyone. Including leafy green vegetables, fresh fruits, and other plant-based foods in your everyday diet can have a major impact on your overall health. Leafy greens like spinach and kale are rich in iron, magnesium, and potassium. All three nutrients are essential for maintaining proper energy levels in your body, making these vegetables a must-have part of your regular diet.

Additionally, fruits are rich in vitamins, fiber, and other nutrients. Apples, bananas, and oranges can give you instant energy. Bananas have a high fiber content, which can slow down the digestion of sugar and keep you energized for longer. Similarly, organs are rich in Vitamin C, an antioxidant that can help reduce stress and anxiety, making you feel better. Other fruits that you must consider having regularly include apples, avocados, strawberries, dark berries, etc.

2. Unprocessed Foods

The more processed a food item is, the fewer nutrients it has. Therefore, it is important that you minimize the consumption of processed foods and replace them with unprocessed ones. Processed foods have a high content of refined sugar and unhealthy fats. These are also low in essential nutrients, leading to low energy retention. Moreover, these foods are digested rapidly, which can result in sudden blood sugar spikes and drops, causing fatigue and other health problems. Even breads and cereals with added sugar are not recommended for daily consumption.

If you are looking to develop healthy eating habits, you should opt for more unprocessed foods. Try to consume foods in their original form rather than their refined versions. This is what the concept of clean eating is all about – eating food in its original form, unrefined and unprocessed. 

Recognizing the importance of clean eating, we at The Farm  follow the ‘farm-to-table’ approach, ensuring that visitors get to consume healthy foods with their original nutrient value. Unprocessed foods not only help retain your energy levels for longer periods but are also helpful in weight management, sleep recovery, and boosting mood. 

3. Seeds and Nuts

Nuts and seeds should be a part of your everyday meals. Nuts contain multiple nutrients, such as healthy fats, carbohydrates, and protein. Having a handful of mixed nuts in the morning can keep you energetic throughout the day. The high magnesium content of these nuts supports energy production at the cellular level. Moreover, adding chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, etc, to your everyday diet can be effective for energy retention and your overall wellness. 

4. Legumes

Legumes like beans, lentils, chickpeas, peanuts, etc, are good sources of protein and fiber. Proteins are essential for producing enzymes that keep your metabolic processes running, which include energy production as well. So, consuming enough protein on a daily basis is important to maintain the right energy levels in your body. Along with energy retention, legumes can also help with heart health, weight management, and blood sugar levels. 

5. Whole Grains and Carbs

Whatever your diet plan or goal is, you cannot completely overlook whole grains and carbs. Whole grains like rice, wheat, quinoa, oats, etc, are rich sources of carbohydrates and fiber. These foods are metabolized slowly, i.e., the natural sugar breaks down slowly, keeping you energized for longer periods. Consuming whole grains and carbs will also help you avoid refined sugars, which can impact your health negatively. 

Nutrition Tips For Energy Retention

Now that you know some essential energy boosting foods to include in your diet, below are some additional nutrition tips to consider for your overall wellness:

• Have a Consistent Routine: You should time your meals in order to maintain consistent energy levels throughout the day. Instead of a few heavy meals, try to have more frequent but smaller meals so that your body gets proper nutrition from time to time. It’s also effective for weight management.

• Keep Yourself Hydrated: Hydration plays a very important role in maintaining energy levels in your body. No matter how healthy the foods you are consuming, if you are not hydrated enough, your body will not be able to function at its best. So, consume sufficient water daily, preferably above 2.5 litres a day. 

• Foods to Avoid: Now that you know what to eat, let us also list some food items that you should try to avoid. These foods include fast foods, packaged snacks, foods with added sugar, foods with excess caffeine, energy drinks, baked sweets, etc. All these foods can impact your energy levels as well as overall health and digestion in a negative way. 

Today, when there are countless quick snack options, building healthy eating habits is really a task. You often overlook the ingredients of your food in order to meet the needs of this extra busy world. However, we at The Farm take care of everything that can directly or indirectly impact one’s health and wellness. 

Along with the wide range of wellness programs, we also provide healthy dining options to suit every individual’s preferences and taste. If you want to adopt a completely vegan diet that is also full of nutrients, you can check out the menu of our ALIVE! Vegan Restaurant. Here, you get plenty of dishes with fresh fruits, leafy green vegetables, whole grains, seeds, nuts, etc. 

Easy Raw-Food Recipes by ‘The Farm’ That You Can Replicate

The Farm’s wellness restaurants serve meals made with raw and live ingredients. Even if cooking is involved, it’s done at temperatures below 40 degrees Celsius to protect the essential enzymes. We are listing some easy-to-replicate recipes that are super rich in nutrition as well as in taste:

1. CEVICHE – A South American Dish, where we replace the fish with an assortment of mushrooms

INGREDIENTS

3 cups mushrooms (sliced), 2 cups young coconut meat (julienned), 1 red onion (diced), 1 cup ripe tomatoes (diced), 1 cup bell peppers (diced), 1 medium-sized cucumber (diced), 1 mango (diced), 1 tsp garlic (minced), 3 chili, seeded and minced, 4 tbsp cilantro (chopped), 4 tbsp basil (chopped), 4 tbsp fresh oregano (chopped), 1⁄4 cup orange juice, 1 tsp liquid aminos, 4 tbsp lime juice, black pepper, salt, cayenne (to taste), 2 tbsp olive oil

FOR MARINADE

• 3 tbsp tamari
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove (minced)

Preparation Method

• Mix the marinade ingredients and marinate the mushrooms in the mixture for at least 2 to 3 hours.
• Drain mushrooms and combine thoroughly with all other ingredients.
• Serve in a cocktail glass with a drizzle of coconut sour crème and topped with a few corn and chili crackers (if desired).
• You can also sprinkle on some chopped fresh herbs.

2. ROMAINE LETTUCE WRAP with Marinated Vegetables and Thai Tomato Vinaigrette

INGREDIENTS

6 big romaine lettuce leaves wilted in 2 tbsp raw sesame oil and sprinkled with 1⁄2 tsp sea salt, 1 cup almonds or walnuts (soaked and dehydrated), 1 tsp white miso, 2 tbsp water, 1 tsp vegan fish sauce, 1 cup mung bean sprouts, 1⁄4 cup carrots (julienned), 1⁄2 cup jicama (julienned), 1⁄4 cup celery leaves (chopped), 2 tbsp Thai basil (cut into fine ribbons), 2 red chilies (minced)

FOR ASSEMBLY

1 tbsp (per serving) Thai tomato vinaigrette

Preparation Method

• Clean and dry the romaine lettuce leaves, then sprinkle sea salt and add the raw sesame oil. Wait for 5 to 10 minutes.
• Put the nuts and miso into a food processor, then process until smooth. Add the water.
• In a separate bowl, mix the carrots, jicama, celery, mung bean sprouts, chili, basil, and vegan fish sauce.
• Add the nut/miso paste and mix with the vegetables thoroughly.
• Fill one leaf of lettuce with the mixture, then roll into cylinders.
• Serve as an appetizer with Thai tomato vinaigrette drizzled over.

These recipes are open to experimentation. You can complement them with pulses: soya, red and white beans, lentils, nuts, and so on. If there are ingredients that you cannot find easily, you can replace them with other seasonal or locally produced ingredients. You can visit the Farm’s Alive vegan restaurant for an experience and dive into a number of recipes to replicate them later at home.

Incorporating the above foods in your diet can have a significant impact on your overall health and wellness. Not only will it boost your energy levels, but it will also help you with weight management and longevity. Just keep in mind that only eating healthy doesn’t suffice, but it’s your overall lifestyle that matters. 

Click here to give your body and mind a boost and improve your overall wellness.