“I’m just so tired.” Have you experienced this feeling for days or even weeks on end? Have you tried to figure out the cause of your symptoms, just to be left feeling even more run-down? You don’t need to live this way. Your life is meant to be happy and joyous. Your body is meant to be healthy and free.

The body is a powerful vessel navigating through life. Sometimes that life is happy and peaceful, and our body responds in turn. But at other times, we trod through mine fields of work, family life, stress, genetically modified foods and emotions that run at extremes. So what can be done? How can we help our bodies respond positively to the negative energies we throw at them?

The simplest place to start is with food—that’s the easiest way to make an immediate shift. While food is a quick source of energy, there are obstacles toward getting quality food.

Begin with these simple suggestions:

1. Be observant: Evaluate your daily eating style. Simply recognize what and how you eat. It may help to record your meals and snacks in a journal. When you begin noticing patterns, look for simple ways to make changes. For example, you may notice that you get tired at 3:00 every afternoon. So at 2:00 the next day, give yourself a healthy pick-me-up, like a handful of roasted nuts and a warm cup of tea. Take note of how that simple change affects you.

2. Follow your intuition: When eating in a restaurant or shopping for produce, follow your intuition. Which foods will best nourish and sustain your body? Choose those. Craving something in particular, go for it! Begin to understand that cravings are your body’s way of talking to you. What is your body asking for?

3. Just say “no”: Stay away from fast foods. Anything that fast does not contain “information” that the body will readily use for energy. Instead, choose whole foods.

4. Fresh, seasonal & organic: Visit local markets, if possible, and choose produce that can easily be sautéed, roasted or made into a soup. Include seasonal foods, such as broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, celery, eggplant, apples, dates, bananas, lemon and fish. And remember, organic is always best.

5. Cut the sweets: Sugar causes inflammation and weakens the immune system.

6. Warm it up: Start each day with a cup of warm tea. Wean yourself off of salads and smoothies that include raw veggies.

7. It’s all in the beans: Start your day with a cup of dark-roasted coffee instead of medium or light roasted.

After a few weeks of following these tips, take note of how you feel in body, mind, and spirit. Are you feeling lighter? Is your head clearer?

Many of these TCM principles are reinforced in our Dragon’s Way program. Learn more and join a class today!