A lack of energy is one of the top five complaints to doctors nationwide. However, it’s been estimated that 66 percent of people who visit their doctors never even mention the problem because most doctors don’t have a treatment to cure fatigue! In fact only three percent of the patients suffering from chronic fatigue are found to have anything wrong when they are tested for the many things that can trigger a loss of energy that is hypothyroid condition, anemia, heart disease, nutritional deficiencies, infectious diseases, immune deficiencies, or autoimmune diseases.

Most physicians are trained in Western conventional medicine which doesn’t have the overall solutions to cure fatigue.

Woodson Merrell, a doctor of internal medicine and a researcher has helped lead the development of a new medical and integrative discipline. Scientists whose specialties range from: neuroscience, biomolecular medicine to exercise physiology, nutrition and mind-body medicine, are studying the sources of energy in our body and identifying new ways to tap them.

In a nutshell, “Power Up”, tells us how to use the results of these findings to generate more energy and enjoy a better health. This book will help you unleash your natural energy, revitalize your health and feel 10 years younger.

Molecules of energy are produced in every cell of the body by special DNA located inside a tiny structure called “mitochondria” which are similar to tiny factories transforming the potential energy from food, air and water into active human energy.

We can liken our body to a massive nanotechnology manufacturing facility. Every day, food provides the raw materials our DNA needs to operate, maintain, and even repair parts. The DNA is programmed to replace almost every cell in our body every six months throughout our life. This continuous energy production depends largely on what we eat. For example when we eat whole plant foods, for example, our genes have the key to unlock the energy of the sun that is stored in the leaves, stems, roots, seeds and flowers. Likewise, when we eat processed foods full of synthetic preservatives, colorings and flavorings, our body wastes a great amount of time separating the artificial ingredients from the useful nutrients it can find. Some foods drain energy and others enhance energy.

We should also avoid burnt red meat, fried foods and refined sugar that lead to the creation of harmful chemical by-products called free radicals which cause the premature aging of cells.

Empty, sugar-rich calories can give a quick energy boost, but they ultimately do more harm than good. The best sugar source for energy comes from complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, brown rice, beans and lentils. All the so-called energy drinks and bars are merely energy substitutes. They mimic the effects of energy but in the long run deplete our energy supply.

Three processes, inflammation, oxidation and glycation (excessive sugar) consume a lot of energy, trigger premature aging and cause damage. The most common inflammatory foods are sweets, meats and cheese. By eating good quality food (such as salmon, trout, almonds, walnuts, legumes, cruciferous vegetables, dark leafy greens, tea, grape skin, citrus, olive oil, turmeric, ginger, garlic and rosemary) that fight inflammation, you will increase your energy and reduce the risk of developing cancer, heart disease and diabetes.

The best antioxidant foods are blueberries, cranberries, green tea, broccoli, dark chocolate, carrots, spinach, kale, cantaloupe, yams, tomatoes and citrus. Chocolate incidentally is a powerful antioxidant food, four times more powerful than green tea. It also possesses phenyl ethanolamine which actually improves our mood. But for chocolate to work best for health and energy, it needs to be at least 70 percent cocoa.

Finally to reduce the level of blood sugar, you should eat low carbs like pumpernickel bread, oatmeal, rye bread, muesli cereal, lentils, beans, apples, cherries, grapefruit, kiwi, oranges and tomato juice. And don’t forget that yogurt helps reset the immune system and water is the best way to help the body flush toxic by-products.

Moderate exercise strengthens the immune system and helps the body generate energy. Merely thirty minutes of brisk walking can increase the production of energy within the cell and in the transmission of energy between cells.

Moderate exercise activates proteins responsible for making the brain better able to think and also helps us train our muscles burn more sugar calories and produce more enzymes that metabolize fat. Furthermore, exercise acts as a phenomenal energizer when fatigue is caused by depression. Exercise elevates the same neurotransmitters targeted by antidepressant medications (serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenalin). Many doctors prefer the use of exercise, a therapy with few side effects, instead of taking antidepressants.

The author also stresses the importance of rest as “a critical foundation of health as well as an important source of abundant energy”. We sleep to conserve energy by slowing down metabolic processes, to regenerate tissue, and to clear out toxins.

“Sleep offers your body time and energy to carry out a full range of maintenance duties: rebalancing hormones, strengthening the immune system, consolidating memory, and repairing overworked areas of the body. While you slumber, your brain’s immune cells get to work producing a crucial substance called interleukin 12, which is necessary for processing memory as well as for conferring immunity to disease.”

You need eight hours of sleep and more than half of that should happen before 4:00 in the morning. Poor sleep is linked to exhaustion and major health problems such as breast cancer, obesity, diabetes, immune deficiencies and especially heart disease. Researchers at Columbia University have found that those who slept for only five hours each night were 60 percent more likely to be obese than those who slept for seven or more hours per night.

Woodson Merrell concludes with the power of connection as a means to rebuild energy. Researchers have found that feelings of isolation are linked to alterations in the activity of genes that drive inflammation, the body’s first immune response. When we have a positive supportive community, the good vibes, so to speak resonate in our body. With the rise of the Internet, many think that they have forged new friendships while sitting alone in the comfort of their living rooms.

“It’s hard for anyone over the age of thirty to understand, but people who spend an inordinate amount of time in Internet communities lose important interpersonal skills and the scope of energy that comes with interacting face to face…I’d rather see you get out and enjoy the natural world and interact with real people whom you enjoy so that you experience the vital source of connecting with other’s direct energy”

Power Up is a compelling read. It is full of exciting, health-enhancing advice and it opens the door to understanding how we can achieve optimum health. Dr. Woodson Merrell is one of America’s leading pioneers in integrative medicine and this book is a trustworthy guide.

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