As a health researcher and health activist, as well as the host of the T.V. show Balanced Health, I get hundreds of questions from people every month. Not surprisingly, the most common question I get is "How can I have more energy?"

It is the biggest outcry of the adult generation "I WANT MORE ENERGY!" That is understandable. Many infomercials have approached the subject. So have the pharmaceutical industry, designer coffee chains and specialty drink companies.

What exactly is energy and where does it come from?

Webster's defines energy as the capacity of doing work. Energy can be obtained "externally" or produced "internally". Energy from the outside, or "external energy", is what we add to our body to create a feeling that allows us to "do work" as Webster's definition would suggest. Some examples of external energy would be caffeine or the herb Ephedra or Ephedrine. These substances work by stimulating hormone glands, kicking them into high gear to produce adrenaline. The adrenaline provides a window of increased "work capacity."

Unfortunately, external energy provides a short adrenaline rush that peaks and quickly dissipates. Many Americans suffer this decline around mid-morning when their coffee wears off. Caffeine restricts blood vessels, increases the work load on the heart and decreases breathing efficiency. It is also highly addictive. We have found that caffeine affects some people more than others. It can make folks jumpy and nervous, can impair focus and even cause autonomic nervous system impairment. Ephedra or Ephedrine, found in over-the-counter dietary supplements, works much the same way but is a higher concentration, therefore lasting longer. The abuse of Ephedra has caused many heart-related deaths in the U.S.

There are external energy boosters that are healthy, like Bee Pollen and Green Tea. But while healthy, they still do not address the root of the problem and therefore are not the final answer for energy. Herbs like Guarana, Cola Nut and others are much like Ephedra and should be avoided as these also stimulate the hormonal glands producing adrenaline.

The second type of energy is "internal" energy -energy produced inside your body. How is energy created in our body? Energy in our bodies is catalyzed on a cellular level, or simply put -created by our cells. In short, our cells have two functions, to create energy and remove waste.

The reason why people have a lack of energy is because they have too much waste and toxins in their cells and not enough energy to remove it. As you may have already surmised, the more waste and toxins in our cells the more energy that is needed to remove them. Since we have a finite number of cells, waste and toxins can win the war and demand more energy than we have available in our body. The result of this is we become toxic from the inability to remove waste, and because of the overload, we are sapped of energy as our cells work overtime to remove the waste overload. It is a compounding problem and soon symptoms arise like fatigue, congestion, irritability, dizziness, mood swings, inability to focus and more. Ultimately, the toxic build-up lends way to wayward cells that can colonize and form the likes of cancer and other degenerative diseases.

So How Do We Create More Energy?

For the vast majority of people the "dual-approach" will work wonders on improving energy levels. The dual approach is actually quite simple: remove toxins and deliver high frequency units of energy to the cells. Yes, you can help your cells do their job and return them to a wonderfully healthy state and feel rejuvenated by the dramatic increase in energy.

So how do we implement the "dual-approach"? One way, and perhaps not for everyone, is to go on a dietary fast. Fasting is an amazing way to rid toxins of the body. But wait! Before you give up on this article give me a chance. I will give some other simple solutions if you are resistant to fasting.

If you fast, a great way to continue to put high frequency energy units into the cells is by juicing dark-green, leafy vegetables or berries. Typically, the first day or two of a fast are the most difficult. Your body tends to get into a rhythm after that and fasting becomes much easier. When you end your fast, for the first few days eat only raw and living food like vegetables, cold Avocado soup and the like. For some people, fasting is a great solution. For the rest of us, we have a simple alternative.

As mentioned earlier, the "dual approach" to increasing energy is to rid the cells of toxic waste and to feed the cells high frequency energy units. High frequency energy units can also be described as nutrient-dense calories, or calories that contain high levels of nutrition. I recommend that you definitely engage in a high-quality cleansing and detoxification program. There are many, many excellent choices in the marketplace. But beware. There are also a lot of market-driven, low-quality cleansing programs as well. Visit my website below to find out more information about how to choose cleansing programs wisely.

Secondly, if you can't juice dark-green, organic, leafy vegetables on a daily basis, we recommend you take a high quality super-food supplement every single day. The nutrient-dense food that comes from juicing vegetables is a tremendous source of cell-food and a source of abundant internal energy. Again, there are many super-food supplements in the marketplace. Look for those that use organic produce and that use juice-extracts as opposed to just vegetable powders. The juice is where the phytonutrients are found. Visit my website below to find out more information about how to choose super-food formulas wisely.

Keep in mind, abundant energy does not necessarily happen overnight. By cleansing and detoxifying and by ingesting nutrient-dense food, your body will be removing waste at a much higher rate and receiving more nutrition than what it was used to. You will notice some changes in your body as it relates to cleansing and some of these may not be pleasant 'but they are necessary changes.

The vast majority of people who contact me ask me how they can achieve higher energy levels. Energy deficiency is rampant and is a symptom of a greater and far more dangerous problem. Remember the "dual approach" to increasing your energy levels. Remove waste from your cells and feed the cells nutrient-dense foods.