Energy Question,help me please?!

Energy Question,help me please?

I need advice on how to increase my energy. I have been ill and my energy levels are low. The doctors want me to take pills to increase my energy combined with excercise.
I have been excercising more but I really don't like the idea of increasing my energy through pills. If you have any suggestions, I'd be grateful.

Thanks.

5 months ago
I feel better already just by having answers to the question. It gave me a lift! Thanks, keep them coming.

Let's recap where does the feeling of being energized comes from: 3 main factors

1) The balance of neurotransmitters in the brain
2) The quality of the food you ingest
3) The ability of your metabolism to transform the food into ATP (equivalent to a little battery that the cells use to remain alive and work, when all ATP is gone you dwindle and die).

1) you can have people who eat well, absorb well and still feel crappy because the feeling is coming from poor brain chemestry. Example is clinical depression, where a person "feels" without energy to do anything. This needs correction by medication.
Another example: substance abuse, if anyone takes an ilegal drug that tampers with serotonin or dopamine (two of the main neurotransmitters) they may feel great for a little while but will become a couch potato later on, feeling without energy for anything (look at heroin addicts).

2) Some of the best nutrition advices out there are contained in the books: "Protein Power" by Dr. Eades, who himself also recommends the book " The Zone", with its proposed nutrition program. They are not diets but a way of life, the correct way to eat, so that the body will perform normally.
In summary they recommend an appropriate amount of complex carbohydrates (which is much less than the average American consumes daily), and also the correct, computed amount of Protein everyone needs (which is more than the average American consumes, for an average person it is around 90 g per day, while Americans consume an average of 40 g per day).

3) Proper chemical reactions in the body require the presence of Enzymes. The body can manufacture ALL the Enzymes it needs for proper functioning, if you provide it with raw vegetables in good variety and also eat foods with sufficient protein content (meat, chicken, eggs, lots of fish, whole grains, cottage cheese etc...)

If you add adequate amounts of water (about 6-8 glasses a day) and at least 30 min of daily exercise, you will get back in perfect shape in NO TIME. The body is a wonder, it has everything it needs to repair itself, given the right ingredients. Love yourself: Eat right. You can't love others if don't start by treating your own self right.

Good luck with your recovery.