Want more energy, but feel too pooped to even think about revamping your routine? Good news: You don’t have to expend lots of effort to reap a big improvement. We uncovered some simple — and all-natural — ways to rev up your day. Ladies, start your engines!

1. Snack on High-Octane Fuel

Starting to drag? Forgo the cookies and chocolate bars for these powerful pick-me-ups:

• Snack: 10 unsalted nuts (walnuts or almonds) and 2 tsp. raisins or several dried apricots (130 to 155 calories)
  Packs: Energy-sustaining macronutrients. Protein and healthy fats from the nuts, and complex carbs from the fruit.
  — Pamela Peeke, M.D., author of Body for Life for Women


• Snack: 1/2 cup baked sweet-potato chips (98 calories)
  Packs: Complex carbs, which are loaded with fiber. Helps you feel full, and balances blood sugar (and mood).
  — New York City-based clinical nutritionist Robert Pastore, Ph.D.


• Snack: 4-oz. serving of pineapple or unsweetened applesauce (60 calories)
  Packs: Vitamin C. Contains modest carbohydrates (15g) and calories, no fat or cholesterol, and little sodium. Perks you up and satisfies hunger between meals.
  — Registered dietitian Linda Delahanty, co-author of Beating Diabetes

2. Try some herbal uppers

• Drink a cup of gingseng tea
• Eat some Guarana herb
• If you’re sleepy, pop a mint. The odor activates the trigeminal nerve, which sends wake-up signals to the brain. You can become alert in just two minutes.

3. Clear Your (Mental) Deck

For a quick getaway from stress, meditate. People who follow this practice, which involves quietly observing your thoughts, are happier, calmer and more focused than people who don’t. They’re also less likely to suffer from draining conditions like headaches, anxiety attacks and PMS. “Meditation should be like brushing your teeth,” says veteran instructor Lissa Coffey, author of Getting There With Grace: Simple Exercises for Experiencing Joy. “You should do it every day to maintain your mental and physical health.”

Before you begin a meditation session, change into comfortable clothing and find a quiet room to sit in. Have a little snack if you’re hungry (hunger distracts from inner peace!). Start by doing five minutes twice a day (set a timer) and work up to one or two sessions that last 20 to 30 minutes apiece.

Beginner’s Meditation:

1. Sit comfortably on the floor or in a chair. Your back should be straight but not rigid.


2. Close your eyes. Inhale deeply. Exhale, and count “1.”


3. Inhale deeply again. Exhale, and count “2.”


4. Continue this way until you reach the number 10. Then count backward from 10 to 1. Repeat until finished.


5. If thoughts distract you (and they will), try not to judge yourself or be swept away by them. Just start over at 1.

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