About Natural Energy Foods

From vitamin-enhanced bottled water to full-loaded granola bars, many people buy or sell energy foods. This is due in large part to our fast-paced society, where a convenient resource for energy is paramount. Yet with the plethora of energy-promising foods and drinks crowding grocery store shelves, it can be difficult to determine which provide the best source of energy and are the healthiest. One resource can meet all three criteria: nature. And the foods nature provides can supply us with the healthy and dependable energy boost we want.

Beware of the popular packaged natural energy foods that claim to boost energy. These generally contain a number of processed ingredients that have lost their energy-providing and nutritional value. They supplement this loss with stimulants, including caffeine, to provide the energy boost. Despite the claim to be all-natural, such energy foods can contain a lot of sugar and unsaturated fats. So it's important to review the back of the package for the nutritional information before buying such "natural energy foods."

Foods that naturally contain vitamin D, vitamin E, iron and zinc sustain long-term energy levels. Vitamin D can be found in seafood (baked or steamed is best) and leafy green vegetables such as spinach. Vitamin E is best found in fortified cereals, nuts (almonds or sunflower seeds), navy beans or broccoli. The best source for iron is in poultry and red meats; although it occurs naturally in some vegetables, it's not absorbed as efficiently by the body. Iron-rich foods also include tofu, beans and potatoes. Zinc is best in pumpkin seeds, vegetarian beans, wheat germ, spinach and lamb.

Besides the obvious benefit of increased energy, natural energy foods feature a number of additional benefits for health and well-being. They help regulate a healthy metabolism, which normalizes weight. They usually contain higher levels of important vitamins (i.e. vitamin C) and calcium, and they're full of essential minerals including magnesium, iron and chromium. Such nutrients increase energy levels and help the body maintain its natural nerve processes, muscle processes and immune-system processes while regulating heart rhythm, blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

Fruit, cereal, crackers and yogurt are popular snack-food sources of natural energy and nutrition. Fruits contain raw natural sugars that stimulate the brain, facilitating thought processes and recognition. Whole-grain cereal that's high in fiber (3 g or more) and low in sugar provides energy while satisfying hunger and decreasing the risk of heart disease. Multi-grain crackers, particularly when combined with vitamin B- and protein-rich peanut butter or cheese, increase energy and provide satiety. Yogurt is a good source of potassium, calcium and even protein. It provides energy and boosts the immune system.

Raw foods are those that aren't prepared or cooked, or if prepared are done so at temperatures below 116 degrees F. Eating raw foods provides an abundance of essential nutrients that might otherwise be missing from a typical diet of processed and cooked foods. Raw foods including fruits, vegetables, beans, seeds, nuts and sprouted grains all contain natural energy and essential nutrients that are otherwise lost when prepared above temperatures of 116 degrees F.