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Have you ever paused to think about what’s actually in the
food you’re eating? Not just the calories or macros, but the ingredients—where
they come from, how they’re processed, and what they’re doing inside your body?
I didn’t give it much thought until I found myself burned out, fatigued, and
running on coffee and cortisol.
That’s when I started doing some digging. And what I
discovered changed everything.
What’s Really in Our Food?
We live in a time where convenience is king, but many of the
quick meals and snacks we reach for are packed with hidden ingredients: added
sugars, seed oils, artificial preservatives, flavor enhancers, and colorings.
These substances don’t just affect our waistlines, they mess with our hormones,
mood, sleep, and stress response.
For example:
- Refined
sugars spike your blood sugar and trigger crashes that leave you
exhausted and cranky.
- Seed
oils (like canola, soybean, and corn oil), found in many packaged
foods and even restaurant meals, are highly inflammatory and linked to
metabolic issues.
- Artificial
sweeteners and preservatives can disrupt your gut microbiome—where
over 70% of your immune system and a big chunk of your serotonin (the
“feel-good” hormone) are made.
No wonder we feel foggy, fatigued, and anxious, even when we
think we’re eating “healthy”!
5 Surprising Things I Learned That Boosted My Energy and Lowered My Stress
Here are five small but mighty food and habit changes I made
that had a huge impact on how I feel—each backed by science and surprisingly
simple to implement.
1. Eat protein within 30 minutes of waking up.
This one was a game-changer. I used to skip breakfast (in
the name of intermittent fasting) or just sip coffee until noon, but I learned
that having at least 20-30g of protein soon after waking helps stabilize
blood sugar, supports muscle maintenance, and keeps cortisol in check. My go-to
now is oatmeal with protein powder and nut butter, or scrambled eggs with
spinach and sprouted toast (like “Ezekiel bread”).
2. Drink water before coffee.
I was chronically dehydrated and didn’t even realize it.
Your body loses water overnight and hitting it with coffee first thing only
increases cortisol and dehydration. Now, I drink at least 12-16 oz of water
with a pinch of sea salt and lemon first thing in the morning. It wakes up
my digestion, rehydrates my cells, and helps my coffee hit better (and less
jittery!).
3. Start reading ingredient labels, not just nutrition
facts.
Once I stopped counting just calories and carbs and started
looking at what was in my food, I realized I was eating a ton of
unrecognizable ingredients. A good rule of thumb: if you can’t pronounce it or
your grandma wouldn’t recognize it as food, maybe skip it. Now I stick to
whole, single-ingredient foods when possible, or look for packaged options with
5 ingredients or less.
4. Balance each meal with protein, healthy fat, and
fiber.
Forget low-fat, low-carb extremes. Real balance is about
keeping your blood sugar stable, so your energy doesn’t spike and crash. For
example, instead of just grabbing a banana, I’ll pair it with almond butter or
Greek yogurt. This combo keeps me full longer and keeps my mood steady, too.
5. Cook with real fats like olive oil or avocado oil.
I was shocked to learn how inflammatory vegetable oils
are—and how common they are in store-bought dressings, frozen meals, and even
so-called health foods. Switching to anti-inflammatory fats like extra
virgin olive oil (EVOO), avocado oil, or grass-fed butter made a noticeable
difference in my digestion and energy.
So, What Are the Best Food Options?
You don’t need to be perfect or become a gourmet chef to eat
better. Here are some easy swaps and go-to foods that will nourish your body
and brain:
- Best
Proteins: Wild-caught fish, pasture-raised eggs, grass-fed beef,
organic tofu/tempeh, legumes (if tolerated), and clean protein powders.
- Best
Carbs: Sweet potatoes, berries, quinoa, wild rice, and vegetables of
all colors.
- Best
Fats: Avocados, olive oil, coconut oil, raw nuts and seeds, and fatty
fish like salmon or sardines.
- Best
Snacks: Hard-boiled eggs, hummus and carrots, nut butter on celery,
chia pudding, or beef jerky with minimal ingredients.
Try These Today to Feel Better Fast
If you’re feeling low energy or overwhelmed, here are three
small things you can try starting today:
- Start
your day with a 30g protein breakfast. Scrambled eggs with spinach and
avocado, or oatmeal with protein powder, berries, and nut butter.
- Drink
water before your coffee. Add a pinch of sea salt (Baja Gold) and/or a
squeeze of lemon to supercharge hydration.
- Read
your food labels. Choose one packaged food you eat often and read the
ingredients. If you can’t pronounce it, maybe find a cleaner option.
Why It Matters
What we eat is either feeding our fatigue or fueling our
energy. And while food alone isn’t the whole story of stress and burnout, it’s
a powerful tool in your recovery and prevention toolkit.
When you start treating food like information and fuel—not
just filler—you start to feel more like you again: clear-headed, calm,
and capable.
Here’s to eating well, living fully, and feeling better—one
bite at a time.
***
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suggestions and feedback!
And if you are too burned out and overwhelmed to even
begin to use any of these strategies it might be time to get some help. Find a
coach, therapist, or doctor who can help you reverse out of the physical,
mental, and emotional symptoms of burnout so you can get back to living in life
you love.
Remember, Self-care isn’t selfish…it’s required!
Yvonne Lee-Hawkins, IPHM, is a holistic Leadership and
Wellness coach, stress strategist, and writer, who spent 20 years in corporate
and leadership functions. When she is not working, she loves to go on nature
adventures with her family, in the Pacific Northwest where they call home. You
can find out more on her website,
or follow her on LinkedIn,
Medium, or Instagram.
If you want some help fueling for energy, or with general
wellness, schedule
a call here.
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