You might start with an innocent cup of coffee, only to realize that down the road you need several cups to get you going and then some more to keep you going throughout the day. Then, when you try to stop, you get plagued with awful headaches.

Most energy drinks are unnatural and addicting. They’re usually packed with sugar, too. When you drink them, you get that “sugar high,” only to be followed by the inevitable crash. Then you need something else to pick you up. It’s a frustrating cycle that repeats itself every day.

Your best bet is to turn to natural ways to increase your energy. By incorporating some simple strategies into your daily routine, you’ll soon notice that you’re waking up feeling refreshed and your natural energy keeps you going even on your busiest days.

Try some of the following ways to increase your energy naturally:

1. Exercise in the morning. Getting up early to exercise might sound dreadful. After all, you know how tired you feel in the morning and the idea of getting up even earlier and doing physical activity just seems downright insane. It’s true that the first few mornings will be tough, and you may even feel like giving up altogether. But force yourself to give it a try.

· Even if you go in kicking and screaming, it’s likely that within a week you’ll actually find yourself enjoying it! You’ll crave that movement in the morning and it’ll fill you with much more energy than a cup of coffee.

2. Yoga. Yoga is an all-natural energy booster that’s been around since ancient times. It’s a series of stretches and body movements that you can practice at any time of day. Even if you enter a yoga session tense and stressed, you’ll exit feeling calm, relaxed, and energized. See if you can find a local yoga class, or for a lower cost option, buy a yoga DVD.

3. Avoid crash foods. Your diet is extremely important when it comes to how you feel throughout the day. Some foods may increase your energy initially, but then they cause you to crash in the end. Anything with high sugar content will cause this roller coaster effect.

· Shoot for eating things that are known for maintaining your energy throughout the day, such as foods that are high in protein.

4. Get enough sleep. A necessary amount of sleep will be different from person to person, but most people need 6-8 hours of sound sleep for the best results. Not getting enough sleep is a huge factor in low energy levels.

5. Eat your breakfast. It’s true that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but unfortunately, it’s the most popular one to skip. You may think that if you’re not particularly hungry that it’s better to skip this meal so you can eat more calories later. However, such thoughts play havoc with both your metabolism and your energy levels.

· When you skip breakfast, it sends your body into a natural starvation mode where it consumes muscle mass to continue its normal processes. The small amount of energy you receive is at the expense of your muscles and other important functions!

· On the other hand, when you eat breakfast, you’ll feel more alert and energized and give your body the necessary fuel for the beginning of the day.

Bringing these strategies into your regular daily routine will enable you to feel more energized throughout the day. If using all of them entails too much of a lifestyle change, simply add them one by one. Sooner than you think, you’ll be enjoying the benefits of an unending source of natural energy: YOU!

Restaurants are notorious for sneaking in unhealthy ingredients. Some people think that the only way to remain truly healthy is to avoid eating out at most restaurants altogether. Or perhaps you can only eat at restaurants that are geared solely towards maintaining health. This simply isn’t true!

The truth is that with a little research and smart thinking, you can enjoy most restaurants from fast food joints up to four-star establishments and still maintain a balanced diet.

Here are some important tips to keep in mind as you continue to enjoy eating out:

1. Look for the light menu. Every restaurant won’t have a light menu, but a growing number of chain restaurants are promoting light alternatives without much searching. You may even find light menus up on the fast food board. You’ll soon find that light doesn’t always mean you’ll be giving up flavor.

2. Take half your dinner home. Dinner is served in larger and larger portions all the time. Sometimes your meal won’t be unhealthy, but your portion size will be. To avoid overeating, you can simply ask your waiter to serve you half the meal and box up the other half for you to eat for lunch tomorrow.

3. Go grilled. One way to eat smart is to opt for grilled instead of fried items. Fried foods have gobs of additional calories and fat. Grilled chicken or fish make great choices because they’re lean proteins as well.

4. Avoid drinking extra calories. If you’re watching those calories, don’t forget to count the calories that you drink. Drinking soda products or alcoholic beverages while you’re out can add calories quite quickly.

• Choose water as an alternative and then you’ll only need to worry about the calorie content of your meal.

5. Be salad smart. You can choose a salad as your main dish as a way to eat smart. You’ll probably find that there are bigger salads on the menu beyond the house or side salad. Many of them contain a bigger vegetable variety or meat such as chicken.

• Ask them to serve your salad dressing on the side rather than on the salad. Then the amount of dressing you put on the salad is up to you. When it comes to dressing, a little bit can go a long way. Here’s a tip: avoid the creamy dressings. That’s the fatty stuff!

6. Appetizers can make the meal. If the restaurant serves tasty appetizers, you can order an appetizer as your main dish. If that’s not enough food, you might want to order two appetizers. Many times two appetizers will still be less food than a main course selection.

7. Choose healthy sauce. Be aware of how the sauce is made in the dish of your choosing. If you’re eating Italian, for example, choose an option with a tomato-based sauce. This will provide you with a bigger benefit than a cream based alternative. This is also the case when it comes to choosing your soups; avoid the cream based ones if possible.

8. Include fruits and veggies. You know that fruits and veggies are an important part of your diet at home, so you should continue to seek them out when you’re making your selections at a restaurant. Steamed vegetables can be a great side dish, and fruits can likely be ordered in place of a dessert item.

Keep in the mind the same healthy information you use when building your home meals while you’re out. Don’t be afraid to indulge yourself from time to time, but maintain an awareness of your eating habits and portions and you can’t go wrong.

Every now and then, you can’t avoid negative attitudes from surfacing. Everyone goes through the same experience. However, you may have to act on the situation when the volume and frequency of negativity begin to rise in alarming levels.

Negative attitudes can do so much damage to your life. They can trap you and keep you from progressing. You need to counter them with positivity.

The Impact of a Negative Attitude

Your way of thinking greatly influences your actions. So, when you allow a negative attitude to dominate your behavior, you are really just sabotaging your own success.

A negative attitude also affects the people around you. When you complain incessantly, you repel others. Generally people like spending time with people who make them feel good.

The Manifestations of a Positive Attitude

While negativity dampens the spirit and kills hope, positivity does the exact opposite. In fact, a positive attitude can open up opportunities for you. You can also let the positive energy rub off on the people around you.

Contrary to popular belief, attitudes are not always fixed. But you can shape them.

Here are some tips for shaping your attitude and thinking positively:

1. Visualize. Train your mind to conjure pleasant and peaceful images instead of tragedies and worst-case scenarios. Imagine yourself succeeding in your plans. Savor the victory in your mind.

1. Write. Let out your frustrations. Keep a journal of the things you accomplished. This activity can put your life and thoughts back to order.

1. Decompress. Stressful situations magnify a lot of negative emotions. Find time to relax and restore positivity into your life. Visit your church; take yoga lessons; soak in the tub.

1. Affirm something. Read up on or invent your own set of positive affirmations. Worded in the present tense, positive affirmations empower you to pursue your dreams and remind you of your capabilities. An example is “I am strong enough to face my fears.”

1. Live. Don’t be content yourself with mere existence. Savor each day, even if there is nothing different about it than yesterday. It still is another day of life.

Each night The News Hour with Jim Lehrer shows the servicemen who lost their life. When I watch that I am reminded that another day of life really is a gift and not a given. As you attempt to shape your attitude and introduce positivity into your life, remember not to pressure yourself too much. Pretty soon, you will develop a positive attitude without thinking too hard. That is, we want this to be a reflex that instinctively happens.

What is mental health? HelpGuide.org defines mental or emotional health as “your overall psychological well-being. It includes the way you feel about yourself, the quality of your relationships, and your ability to manage your feelings and deal with difficulties.”

People who are emotionally healthy share some common characteristics:

• They feel content. Life has meaning and purpose and is filled with satisfying relationships and activities.
• They enjoy life and people, laugh often and know how to have fun. They have created a comfortable balance between work and play, rest and activity, family and work.
• They enjoy learning new things and adapt readily to change.
• They have learned to cope with stress and adversity successfully, and when faced with problems are optimistic that life will improve.
• They have high self-esteem and project self-confidence.

There is a strong connection between mental and physical health. Adequate sleep, regular exercise, proper nutrition, a daily dose of sunlight, limiting alcohol and avoiding cigarettes and other drugs improve physical health while increasing energy and lifting your mood, contributing to positive mental health. Physical exercise releases endorphins that reduce stress and lift mood, helping to combat anxiety and depression. Adequate sleep decreases the risk of depression and increases resilience. Ten to 15 minutes of sunlight a day increases happiness.

It’s as important to nurture your mind and emotional health as it is to take care of your body. Try these strategies for decreasing stress and building positive emotions:

• Feel the world through your five senses.
• Explore your creativity.
• Share your life with a pet.
• Take time for contemplation.