Hi, welcome to Step It Up with Steph.

I'm your host Stefanie Mansour and this is your weekly dose of health, fitness and lifestyle entertainment.

I've been coaching women for over a decade in health and weight loss and nothing excites me more than helping people reach their goals.

My background is in communications, psychology and women's studies and I'm certified in personal training, yoga, pilates and life coaching.

I've been honored to be featured on National Outlets for my comprehensive approach to tackling every day wellness issues.

Each week we'll be meeting a new guest who's ready to step it up.

We'll provide everyday solutions for your wellness problems, talk to experts, give you food advice and also a workout to help you live healthier.

So, join us, it all starts now on Step It Up with Steph.

Announcer: Step It Up with Steph is made possible by... Lifeway Foods: makers of probiotic Lifeway Kefir and Plantiful products.

Arnicare Gel: natural pain relief.

On today's episode, we're meeting with a guest who says that her low energy and fatigue is wreaking havoc on her professional life and her personal life.

We've got some experts who are going to help her put a pep back in her step.

Plus, we've got some energizing foods and an energizing workout.

But first, let's take it to the streets and see what random everyday people do when they need to get more energy.

What do you do to get more energy?

Aw, I eat, I rest.

Oh, you eat and you rest.

I love it.

Usually we drink hot coffee.

Oh.

Soda.

Okay, what else?

Coffee?

What else do you do to get more energy?

Exercise.

I usually drink coffee.

You drink coffee.

More energy?

Yes.

Okay.

I don't know workout.

Good.

Today, we're meeting with our guest, Shayah, who says she has low energy all the time.

Hey, Shayah!

Hi, Steph.

Thanks for joining me.

So, you literally have no energy ever?

That's correct.

I'm literally tired all the time.

Okay so morning, noon, night, any day of the week.

All the time.

Okay.

What have you done to try to boost your energy?

I have tried things like smoothies, juicing, vitamins, vitamin powder.

Okay.

I even tried walking-- And nothing works?

What is this low energy preventing you from doing in your life?

I would say that I don't really get to enjoy life like I should because I do not have the energy to do so.

Okay.

I procrastinate in starting my business because I don't have the energy.

I don't get to see family and friends.

I don't have the energy to travel.

I just feel like I need my life back.

Yeah.

Okay.

Well, I'm glad you're here and I'm sorry you're feeling this way.

But I've brought a couple of experts that are going to join us here on the couch to help you get more energy.

So, are you ready to step it up?

-Yeah.

-Okay.

As a women's health and wellness coach for over a decade, one of the most common complaints I receive is not having enough energy.

Now, if this is a struggle for you all the time, it's important to get this checked out by a physician.

But today's guest Shayah says that this is more of an issue of her routine and food and sleep.

So, today I brought in our doctor of naturopathy, Dr.

Kathy Chavez, and also Todd Puckett who's a licensed therapist and life enhancement specialist.

Thanks for joining us.

-Thank you.

-Thank you.

Yes.

Well, all right, so Shayah, how often do you need that extra oomph throughout the day?

Every day most of the time.

Okay.

And I know that, Dr.

Chavez, there are some medical things that people should get checked out if this is something they're suffering from.

So, what do you recommend that people should check out?

Well, I would schedule with your physician and get a physical exam and have them look at your thyroid and your red blood cells and your kidney function, your liver function.

Just all of the basic things, your B vitamins, just to see if there's anything obvious that could be contributing.

Okay, great.

And in terms of questions you'd have for someone like Shayah, you love to know what people eat, right?

Yes.

Yes.

Diet affects us immensely.

Steph: Yeah.

And especially with energy, obviously, so what do you eat?

I usually have a bowl of cereal in the morning.

Steph: Okay.

If I eat.

Okay.

Sometimes I don't eat, but if I do, I would probably have some cereal or a piece of fruit.

Okay.

And then what about after that?

I usually wait you know a very long time before I eat.

Steph: Okay.

Like dinner.

Steph: Okay.

The next time that I would eat.

Okay and what do you have for dinner on average?

I would say basically chicken, a vegetable and potatoes.

Okay.

And Dr.

Chavez what do you think about Shayah's diet in terms of energy?

I think I already know what you're going to say, but-- Yes, you do.

Well, I think we found one of the causes of your low energy.

So you know you are a biological being and you actually need food and calories to make energy, literally.

And so, I think if you eat, you're going to have more energy.

So I'd recommend like within 30 to 60 minutes after waking up have some protein.

Cereal and fruit usually have a lot of carbohydrates, which you're going to burn through really quickly.

Protein will give you a little bit more sustained energy and then you have to eat again for lunch.

And then I'd recommend even like an afternoon snack and then dinner.

If you get food in, you will have more energy.

Great.

And what about in terms of sleep?

That's something else that you like to know about.

Yes, yes.

For every issue I want to know about food and sleep, but especially for energy, how's your sleep?

What are your routines before bed?

And what's the-- how do you sleep?

Well, to be honest I really don't sleep that much.

I do go to bed really early, but I wake up like every two hours.

I never have a full night's rest.

Well, I think if we can work on your sleep, that'll obviously help with your energy as well.

And so even just eating protein throughout the day is going to help.

Because when you're waking up frequently throughout the night, that can be because of low blood sugar.

You secrete the stress hormone cortisol when your blood sugar is low, so we'll see what happens with just getting some food in.

That's great.

So you need to eat during the day so that you can stay asleep in the night.

Yes.

All right that makes sense.

We can do that, eat more.

Yes.

Yes.

Okay, now Todd, what's one of the first questions that you would ask someone like Shayah, if she came to see you.

One of the things I would ask you is, what are you really wanting to accomplish?

What are you really wanting to work toward?

I would like to start my own business and I would like to visit family and friends.

If I have more energy, I would like to travel and get some exercise in my life.

Fantastic.

Well, one of the things I do with a lot of my clients is I have them set up a goal list.

Like a 30-day, 60-day or 90-day goal list.

Have those be very attainable goals, something that you would absolutely focus on.

I would start with you with just a 30-day goal list.

And 15 of those goals and they could relate to numerous things in your life.

The things that you just mentioned.

I love that.

So, you'd know where you're going.

Like you can see where you're going and you have a deadline in which to achieve it.

Absolutely.

Okay.

Now, in terms of Shayah's nighttime routine, what would you recommend for her to do so that she's getting more sleep?

Okay, one of the things I would ask you there is do you sleep with your cell phone?

Absolutely.

Don't we all.

Sure, sure.

One thing I would request that you do there is to set your phone just in the other room.

Even if into the bathroom next to you, just a different room as you're going to bed.

Then I would make a list of three things that you want to accomplish the next morning or start off with the next morning.

It doesn't have to be your whole goal list, just three specific things so you know what you're waking up to.

And then to close your evening down, list three things that you're grateful for.

Three things for gratitude.

Kind of like a gratitude list.

So, then you're at peace, you know where you're headed the next day and you're ready to go and you don't have the distractions from your phone.

So like an attitude of gratitude.

Yep.

Great.

Okay, how's that sound Shayah?

Wonderful.

Steph: Okay.

And just to recap Dr.

Chavez, you're saying to eat more protein, and Todd, you're recommending that Shayah focusses more on her nighttime routine and getting things in check so that she can peacefully fall asleep.

Well, and something I want to work with you on is getting us on a schedule for eating.

So maybe we'll set an alarm or we'll go grocery shopping one day a week and plan that out for the rest of the week.

Just being able to implement all of these recommendations is sometimes the hardest part.

Seeing how they fit in your life.

So I want to work with you on that and making sure that we get you more energy and get you firing on all cylinders.

Okay, great.

Good, well, let's step it up.

What do you guys to get more energy?

Walking.

Well-- Coffee works for me.

Okay.

Coffee works for me.

Some exercise.

Okay.

What type of exercise?

I'll swim a little.

Yeah.

That's a good one.

Go on long walks.

Ooooh long walks.

Exercise a little bit.

That's great.

I love that.

I go for a walk after work.

Walk after work, okay.

A walk or a green smoothie.

Ooooh a green smoothie.

Being around other people with energy.

Ooooh I love that one.

Today, we're talking about ways to boost your energy throughout the day.

We're going to be talking about some foods and drinks that you can add to your daily routine.

I'm joined by registered dietician Kristy Brissette.

-Hey, Steph.

-Hey, Christy.

So good to see you.

You too.

Thank you.

All right so let's first talk about hydration.

So, a lot of my private weight loss clients mistaken being hungry with actually being thirsty.

It's true because you need lots of hydration to help move hormones and nutrients throughout your body, so you're going to feel tired if that's not happening.

Plus, you need a lot of water to flush out any of the waste products that are in your system.

And it's part of your body's natural detoxification process, so you need that liquid.

And, I always recommend to drink half your body weight in ounces of water per day.

But you've got an even different recommendation, right?

Yes.

So, the Institute of Medicine recommends that most women get 12 cups of fluid every single day.

Any type, right?

Yes.

So, it doesn't have to just be water you can have soup, tea, coffee whatever.

Okay.

Okay great.

So give me these like healthy twists you have or tasty twists they are in water.

Tasty and nutritious ways to make your water, you know, give it some oomph, it's so boring, and you want to enjoy drinking it.

So, the first one is my spa water.

It's melon cucumber mint.

Super simple.

You just throw melon chunks, fresh mint, cucumber slices, top with water and you can keep that in your fridge.

Okay.

Super full nutrients, antioxidants, super healthy.

The next one I have is my favorite iced tea, so it's half green tea, half hibiscus tea.

So, you just steep the two tea bags together and you can top with a little bit of extra water.

Isn't that delicious?

So it's naturally sweet, you don't have to add honey or any sweeteners to it because the hibiscus is a flower, it really helps cut the bitterness of the green tea.

One thing I will mention though is with caffeine you want to be careful.

It's a bit of a double edge sword.

You perk up but then you crash later.

So if caffeine's an issue for you, go for a decaf green tea.

Okay, that's a good tip.

And my third recipe is with sparkling water.

So, I love adding some fresh cranberries and lemon slices to this.

And it's fun because it's sparkly, so you feel like you're doing something festive.

It looks beautiful.

You're going to end up drinking a lot more.

I love bubbles.

So much fun.

What do you think?

So good.

-Delicious, right?

-So fresh, yes.

I could drink that all day long.

-I know so can I.

-It's no big deal.

That's the point.

That's awesome.

Okay so in terms of staying hydrated we got that down.

Now, let's move on during the day you know after lunch, if you get the mid-afternoon slump, what are some ways that we can combat that with your every day salad.

Because you're saying this might not be enough to keep you energized.

Yeah, you're going to run out of fuel really fast, if all you're having is greens and a low-fat salad dressing.

It's just enough to keep you going.

Okay.

So, there's three categories of foods that you want to add to your salad to give it staying power.

So the first category is slow carbs.

So, these are slow burning energy.

They have fiber.

They give you a nice, steady release.

And so I brought some quinoa, I have roasted sweet potato, beans a whole grain pita.

So you can go ahead and add your favorite to our salad.

We'll build as we go.

-That's awesome.

-Awesome.

-Yes.

-You grabbed a sweet potato.

I like to keep the skin on because half the fiber is in the skins.

-Nutrients, yes.

-Nutrients is so important.

So, we've got that and that's a lot better for you than white rice, white bread the fast carbs, they spike your blood sugar and then you end up crashing and you end up hungry later.

So better slow carbs.

Next, we're going to go for a protein source so you can do your beans are half protein, if you're doing a vegetarian thing.

Okay.

Or you can go for some tofu.

We have some salmon, we have Albacore tuna and we have the roasted chicken breast.

Okay.

So you want that protein to boost your metabolism.

It's also important for helping you stay full and slowing down the release of those carbohydrates that we have in the sweet potato.

So that's perfect.

I'm picking tuna because it's off the beaten path for me.

Yes, oh my gosh, and it's absolutely delicious.

It's white Albacore tuna.

It contains omega-3 fat, so a good healthy fat to keep you satisfied, which brings me to the third category-- -More fats.

-More fat.

People are afraid of fat because-- -I know.

--you gain calories, right?

Right, right.

But we're being careful with the portion size.

Fat, research has proven, it keeps you full, it makes you happy.

It gives you slow burning energy.

Yes.

So, we have three options that I brought here.

We have half an avocado, we have some extra virgin olive oil.

You could use that as a dressing.

Yes, exactly.

That would be a great dressing, just a tablespoon, a couple tablespoons of whatever vinegar you like or lemon juice, you're good to go.

And then, we have slivered almonds.

So, nuts and seeds are great in your salad as a healthy fat.

So, go ahead and pick which one you like.

I'm going to pick the avocado here.

And this is a two-for-one special because the avocado is fiber too.

Oh, awesome.

So, this compared to your typical salad is going to keep you feeling satisfied.

You're going to have that slow release, slow burn of energy so that you can keep working and stay productive throughout your day.

Yes, and it is higher in calories, but not all calories are created equal.

Exactly.

So, with these calories we're making them count.

We're being strategic in what we're choosing from a nutrition standpoint.

And we have that trifecta: fat, protein, and fiber that gives you that slow burning energy and that's key to avoiding that slump.

Right, yes.

Yes.

All righ,t so I am going to take this, I think, and scoop out my avocado.

That's a perfect salad, I got to say.

All right, thanks so much, Christy.

Thanks, Steph.

Okay, what about walking your dog?

That uses energy.

That uses energy.

You play with the dolls?

Yeah.

That's fun.

Well, people usually get a lot of sleep.

Good.

We don't do too good at that.

That's why we have this.

Okay.

Awesome.

One of the things that I do for a snack is, I just take walnuts, cashews and raisins and-- Yes.

It's a nice way of filling me up during the day instead of eating all the bad things.

Right, and it gives you energy.

It's like your own trail mix.

Yes.

Love that.

Today, we're talking about all different types of ways that you can get an extra oomph in your day.

So, whether you're looking for more energy in the morning, noon or night, in today's workout we've got you covered.

So first thing when you get out of bed, we're going to move into a goddess pose.

So that looks like this.

Opening the feet a little bit wider than the hips, turning the toes out, bending the knees pulling the abs in and keeping the back nice and straight and then bending the elbows like this at a 90-degree angle.

So you can check out Kia, she's bending half way, that's a modification.

So, you can do this in the morning right when you get out of bed, right next to your bed to start your day.

So here we go.

Inhale and then exhale.

Stand up reach the arms up.

Good.

Inhale and exhale.

Inhale, exhale.

Inhale and exhale, good.

Five more, so we're going to do a total of ten, here we go, four, last three.

Two, good.

Last one and rest.

Awesome.

So if you just ate lunch and you're feeling a little tired, a little lethargic, this next exercise is going to help speed up digestion and also work your abs a little bit.

So, we're going to hold our arms up here and we're just going to do little twists.

So, we're going to go this way first, twist and then the other way.

Now, really try to pull your abs in when you're doing this so that you're getting an extra oblique workout.

And if you want even more you can lift the opposite knee up towards the opposite elbow.

Good, we're going to do five more here to each side.

Three and twist, really pull those abs in.

Last one and rest, good.

So now let's say you're in that mid-afternoon slump and you're looking for some extra energy.

We're going to turn and face this way and step one foot forward and the other foot back.

We're going to bend the front knee into warrior one.

Reach the arms out to the side and up inhale and then exhale relax the arms and straighten the legs.

Inhale, bend and reach, exhale straighten.

Good.

Inhale and exhale.

Good.

So we're really feeling this throughout the front of the body.

The whole torso is getting a stretch as we lift up and we're also working that front leg.

Inhale and exhale, good.

Two more and exhale, good.

Last one, good.

Now, we're going to place hands on the hips, bend the front knee and then step forward and switch.

So bending into that warrior one we're going to inhale, reach the arms out and up, and then exhale straighten the leg and lower the arms down.

Inhale and exhale, good.

Inhale and exhale, good.

Really grounding down to the back of that back heel and extending up from the hip flexor all the way up to the fingertips.

Inhale and exhale, good.

Four more and out, good.

Last two.

Good, last one and rest.

Hands on the hips.

We're going to step forward come back to center and let's say you just got home from a really long day at work, but you're looking for some extra energy.

Maybe you want to go for a full workout, we're going to move into a chair position with the arms up.

So bending down, abs in tight, you can check out Kia for a modification, she's going half way.

Take a deep breath in and then exhale, stand up.

Good, inhale and exhale.

Now the faster you go, the more you're going to increase your energy here, but you also might get a little tired so go at your pace, five more.

Good.

Pressing down through the heel to stand up.

Last one and rest.

Great job.

It's been about four weeks since we met Shayah so let's check up on her.

I'm just thinking about the challenge ahead with all the things that Stephanie has instructed me to do.

And I'm just hoping and praying that these things work for me because I actually really need this in my life to turn it around.

Because you miss out on life and you miss out on so many things that could bring you joy.

I have had low energy for a very long time in my life and making changes aren't always easy, but I am willing to try and I'm determined to get the amazing results that I know I should have.

I'm out having fun at Navy Pier, something I've been wanting to do all summer, but the summer has past and fall is here and I have more energy to do so.

I am enjoying life, thank you.

I'm excited.

I do see a lot of improvement.

One of the things that I'm reporting to you about is that I actually have enough energy to go to my grandparents wedding anniversary tonight.

So I'm excited about that to see some family members and celebrate with them.

I think this is helping me a whole lot and that I'm receiving amazing results.

Things are finally looking up for me.

I have had more energy than I have had in a very long time.

I'm even making plans with my brother to fly to China for vacation.

Just doing things that people only dream of sometimes, all because of me changing my way of living with how I eat and the things that I do daily.

I just believe the best is yet to come.

Thank you.

Hey, Shayah.

H,i Stephanie.

It's so good to see you.

Thank you.

Yes, it's been about four weeks, how are your energy levels?

Oh my gosh I have so much energy.

Yes.

I feel like I have my life back.

Oh, that's great.

I'm so happy to hear that.

What has been the most successful part of all this?

Well, I flew to LA on a whim with some family and friends.

Had a lot of fun there.

I was able to attend some festivities there.

Great.

I attended my grandparents 58th anniversary.

Oooh, congratulations to them and you had enough energy to actually go.

Absolutely.

Good.

I also secured a spot for my t-shirt business for children.

Wow, congratulations.

Thank you.

-Yes, you're welcome.

-Thank you.

What's been the most challenging piece of all of this?

Turning off my electronics at night: my phone, my television.

Yeah, well that's a common problem.

It's hard to turn off the electronics at night, but at least you're still thinking about it.

Yes, yes.

We can keep working on that, but what other habits are you looking to continue on with?

Writing in my journal, at night, the things that I'm grateful for and also a to-do list for the next morning.

And I like the idea of having my groceries prepared and organized in my refrigerator for the week.

It's helped me a whole lot.

-Good, I'm so glad.

-Thank you.

Great job.

I love that you have your energy back.

-Yes.

-Yes.

And for everyone at home, remember to always step it up.

Yes.

Great job.

[music] [music] Announcer: Step It Up with Steph is made possible by... Lifeway Foods: makers of probiotic Lifeway Kefir and Plantiful products.

Arnicare Gel: natural pain relief.

Steph: For more information and for healthy tips to help you step it up in your life, visit stepitupwithSteph.com.

You can also download our health guide and join the Step It Up with Steph 21-day challenge.