Whenever we feel like we need more energy, a lot of the time we just want a greater sense of drive and inspiration.  If we're inspired and motivated, we can derive energy from almost nothing.  When we're not quite as enthused, however, our focus might turn to coffee or other things that might stimulate us to some extent so that we can finish whatever we feel we need to do.  Here are some ways to increase our natural feeling state of inspiration and drive so that we can propel ourselves forward while also increasing health.

Tonic Herbs

Tonic herbs are probably the quickest way to increase feelings of drive and ambition, especially in someone who feels "burnt-out".  While there are other "thought-based" ways to feel more inspired, this is something you can try without having to necessarily "think your way" to success.  They help to naturally bring in more inspired states of energy, which allows you to think more creatively and hopeful, without having to "swim upstream" so much by trying to think differently.

With regard to tonic herbs, many of them can be helpful.  This article will focus on a few of them that work in different ways.

Jing Tonics

For drive and ambition, certain Jing tonics can really help.  This is because they increase your deep energy reservoir known as Jing.  This is essentially the core energy that you are born with but can be depleted through excessive stress.  Jing is associated with the adrenals and kidney's as well as the reproductive system.  Jing tonics are often known to increase reproductive power, which can be something to take note of.

Jing is very much connected to feelings of being grounded and having willpower.  When we have a lot of jing, we feel more able to go out and do what whatever it is that we want to do.  For many people, increasing Jing is one of the most powerful steps they can take to reinvigorate themselves.

Jing Tonics include:

He Shou Wu

Goji Berry

Schizandra Berry - Known to increase Jing, Chi and Shen.

Chaga Mushroom - Chaga is very powerful for increasing feelings of well-being and overall motivation for many people. 

Black Seseme Seed - You can buy these in many supermarkets and in health food stores.


For a more immediate energy that might be somewhat similar to the sensation of coffee or green tea, consider taking Chi Tonics.  These do not stimulate or deplete, yet they give a quick sense of having significantly more energy.  Chi is basically our inner energy that we use throughout the day.

Two very well-known Chi tonics are Astragalus and Ginseng.  Schizandra is also a powerful Chi tonic.

The next step for increasing energy and drive is to learn how to let go via the Sedona Method.  This is a very powerful technique that allows you to let go of the emotional energy that might to tiring you.  When you do this, you might feel much more energized without even having to take anything for increased energy.  It is a powerful way to increase your inner energy naturally.  Still, just taking tonic herbs is very powerful and will likely help you to naturally release emotions without trying to.

Some very well-known herbs for helping you to feel elevated above negative emotions, so that they are more easily let go of include Reishi Mushroom, Tulsi, and Asparagus Root.  These are all considered to be Shen Herbs, or spirit elevating herbs.  Shen is one of the three treasures in Taoist Tonic Herbalism.  The other two are Jing and Chi.  All three play a powerful role in health and vitality.

Often times, it is easy to fall into the "trap" of feeling unsure about how to perfect an area of our lives. We may feel that, "this time, we have to make it right" which can lead to feelings of insecurity about which action is right.  Whenever this occurs, remember that "trying to be perfect" does not necessarily inspire appropriate action steps.  Getting into a flow, where you feel more connected to life and your tasks, however, can bring creative solutions and true understanding.  Essentially, this suggests that you can choose to get in the flow, rather than staying stuck in obsessive thinking.  To do this, you just need to put "one foot forward", and remain open to new innovations that can help you.  When we feel very content, however, this is often easier.  What if, though, you feel stressed and need to go forward somehow.  Here's one way that might be useful.

Remember that all work you ever do is brought about step by step.  Having a clear intention can be helpful, but you do not have to feel fine about each and every step before you progress.  If something feels insurmountable, consider that you can just begin and put as much focus on each individual aspect as you can.  When you work in this meditative way, where each action deserves praise and approval, you begin to see how your little efforts will stack up into a remarkable achievement.  During the journey, though, you can feel wonderful.  This state of feeling is not just to make it easier and less stressful.  It actually helps you to connect to that flow and get more inspired ideas to move forward faster.

One practical way to do this is to choose to do one very small task, actually the smallest aspect of that task.  Do whatever it is that you are completely willing to do without resistance.  If the first step seems too small, break it down to an even smaller task.  Do this until you are willing to take some form of action.  After that, give yourself the ability to feel accomplished about that.  Then, consider whether there is follow-up task that you can do, even if it is just as small.  Give yourself the ability to choose either way on this.  If you don't have the "energy" to do this small and seemingly meaningless task, then you can stop for now.  Very likely, you'll be willing to see how far you will go doing these extremely small tasks.  Eventually, you'll realize that you just got started on something that you were resisting or putting off.  This will likely inspire another action, which will propel you to go even farther.   You might find yourself "in a flow" where you feel like you're working almost effortlessly on something that seemed so difficult before.  You can choose to get into a flow, you just sometimes have to start very small and give yourself the approval to not "make yourself" worry about it.  Once you get a significant aspect completed, you'll have your own motivation and momentum to move you forward.

Magnesium, for many people, is a powerful mineral that can increase feelings of well-being and productivity.  This is because it induces calmness and relaxation while also increasing concentration and focus.  Many people feel that they cannot pay attention well because of a deficiency of this mineral. 

It essentially "turns on" many enzymes and detoxification functions in the body.  When we don't have enough, these might not be fully operating.  The result is less than optimal feelings of vitality and ability to eliminate toxins.

Magnesium can allow you to feel lighter and more free.  When we go from not having enough to having higher levels of magnesium, we can feel elated and more "in the moment".  Quickness of thought and the ability to rationalize and create solutions will also likely increase.

In addition, magnesium is incredibly alkaline.  This means that, in terms of the Ph of our bodies, it helps to sway it toward alkalinity and overall balance.  Just by adding in more magnesium rich foods or high quality magnesium supplements, we can begin to bring in this balance.  The result is increased calmness and a more "zen-like" composure and outlook.  Most foods that are considered to be alkaline have a good amount of magnesium. These include green leafy vegetables, certain superfoods like chlorella, spirulina, and blue-green algae, as well as raw nuts and seeds which aren't necessarily alkaline but provide a lot of magnesium.  Raw cacao is very high in magnesium, as is high quality dark chocolate.  Hemp seeds are also high in this mineral.

A magnesium supplement can also be incredibly effective for some people.  Of these, the best are generally magnesium oil and ionic or angstrom magnesium.  Magnesium oil is incredibly powerful for many people and is used topically to increase magnesium levels, which actually allows you to take in more than would be digested through other ways of supplementing.  Ionic magnesium or angstrom magnesium are likely the best edible forms of magnesium supplements and much better than synthetic magnesium supplements that contain other unnecessary ingredients.  Other than this, look for whole-food sourced magnesium supplements.

Research uses for magnesium oil and see if that is an appropriate addition to your lifestyle.  It might be one of the most helpful tools you can use for your overall health.

Coconut Oil is known to increase weightloss for many people.  It's other effects, for some people, can be even more powerful.  This article will detail some of the more subtle empowerment-oriented benefits of coconut oil.

1.  Coconut oil is very good for neurological health.  As a clean source of saturated fat, it is very good for the brain and nervous system.  While saturated fat has gotten negative reviews, especially regarding animal products, high quality saturated fat without toxins can actually improve biological functioning.  Coconut Oil is not at all connected to the potentially negative effects of other saturated fat sources.  In fact, it can help to reduce cholesterol in people who need it.  On the contrary, for people with too low cholesterol that may be suffering from hormone related depression, coconut oil has been found to increase cholesterol to a more appropriate level.  Dr. Gabriel Cousens has found this to be true and often suggests coconut oil or coconut butter to patients with this issue.  Cholesterol and saturated fat is also needed for myelin sheath regeneration, as that is what it is partly composed of.

2.  Coconut oil is a powerful Jing tonic.  This means that it nourishes our deep inner energy that is connected to our kidney's and adrenals as well as reproductive function.  It's powerful thyroid rejuvinating properties may account for some of this aspect.  Coconut oil stimulates the thyroid, which, in turn, increases metabolism leading to weight loss.  Coconut oil also has growth factors and other strength inducing qualities.  It's medium chain triglycerides, composing much of the fat content, is used very quickly as energy rather than being stored as fat.  This gives you more immediate energy and a sense of empowerment.  Eating coconut oil, either by itself or mixed into other foods, can promote activity, leading to more exercise due to this energy increasing quality.

3.  Coconut oil is a powerful anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial supplement.  It naturally increases immunity as well as protects against many microbes that have a lipid coating.  Taking coconut oil is a powerful way to increase resiliency against foreign microbes.  Sometimes, just increasing immunity brings a natural inner empowerment and sense of vitality.

Here is one of the most direct and easy ways increase physical and spiritual energy within you.  Doing this, especially if you've never experimented with tonic herbalism or yoga, can have profound and quick benefits to your state of well-being.

In Taoist Tonic Herbalism, Shen is a prominent energy associated with spirituality.  It is one of the Three Threasures.  The others are Qi (energy) and Jing (deep energy reserve associated with adrenal and kidney power).  When we have a lot of Shen, we can sense a feeling of upliftment even when dealing with stressful situations.  It allows us to have greater insight over it, rather than being caught up in our thoughts and negative emotions.  One of the most notable Shen Tonics, which increases this energy, is Reishi Mushroom.  It has been used for spiritual purposes as well as immunity and other physical benefits for centuries.  This is something which increases overall health over time as well as feelings of well-being.

When you take Reishi, you are taking something that increases your ability to rise above feelings of worry and other emotions that often pull us down and keep us feeling less than vibrant.  This allows us to naturally increase our ability to be present or "in the moment".  Your extra energy can be channeled into whatever you are doing in the moment so that you can fully experience it and feel a sense of deep appreciation and aliveness.      

In essence, Reishi is a wonderful tonic for many people and increases our natural ability to allow and release.

Yoga is also something which increases feelings of aliveness and contentment in many people.  By practicing it, in whichever way you feel comfortable, you can start to obtain these benefits.  The result is a calmer outlook and a greater ability to be "in the moment".  This can lead to a sense of energy within you that you can direct your focus toward and be in a state of meditation without the intense will needed to "block out" thoughts.  When we practice yoga or anything similar, we can be in a state of natural meditation and connection to life with little effort beyond the physical act of yoga.  Eventually, this ability can grow and meditation can become second nature.

Tai Chi and Qi Gong also can help this process, much like Yoga.

When you combine taking Reishi everyday with practicing Yoga, you have a very powerful process for  increasing your sense of spirit.

We all know about the mind-body connection.  If our body is cluttered, how will our thoughts be?  This question can make this concept more real and applicable.  Here is a basic idea, that you can take action on in order to have a more clear and centered mind.

Clear Your Body, Clear Your Mind.

By clearing our body of negative emotions and physical toxicity, we become more able to tune into our inner energy.  This allows us greater access to inner tranquility and clear thinking.  Meditation then becomes much more doable.

How then do we become more clear inside?

One way is to practice emotional releasing.  If you're new to it, check out The Sedona Method and EFT.  Both offer a powerful way to release emotional tension and become clearer inside.

While this is specifically focused on emotions rather than physical toxicity, it can allow your body to be better able to detoxify as you have less inner tension that you are holding onto.

Physical Detoxification

By having a clean diet, whatever that is to you, you are adding much less toxicity than you would otherwise.  Still, there are ways to remove what you might have built up which can be causing you issues.

One way is to follow a very clean diet, which could be a raw food diet.  By eating a raw vegan diet, focusing on lighter or easily digestible foods which do not take away your energy, you will have more ability to detoxify naturally.

One easy way to do this is to make green smoothies a big part of your diet.

You can also add in foods and tonic herbs to increase your ability to detoxify.  These include medicinal mushrooms like reishi and chaga, raw aloe vera products, algae products like spirulina, etc.  Check into David Wolfe's books and video's online to learn more about superfoods and herbs that can promote this ability.  Many that he recommends have incredible properties and naturally help you to detoxify.

Two products that can help you to detoxify heavy metals are zeolites and fulvic acid.  This alone can increase your clarity profoundly.

Matt Monarch, of The Raw Food World, frequently talks about the power of cleansing the colon.  He finds that it works incredible in combination with a raw food diet to remove toxicity quickly and allow you to feel more clarity.  One way to cleanse the colon, which he is most fond of, is colon hydrotherapy.  He also suggests enemas for some people as they are less expensive and can be done by yourself.

Dr. Robert Morse ND talks about the incredible power of a fruit-based raw food diet for detoxification. He finds that it allows you to cleanse more fully than other ways of eating.  He also recommends certain herbs that allow you to detoxify more effectively.

When your body is cleaner, your mind becomes freer, and negative thoughts are weaker

Letting go is something that can be effortless.  The key is to naturally access a higher state.  When we feel no concern over the result of letting go of something, we will drop it without resistance.  This happens naturally when we uplift ourselves to a state of clarity and contentment.  When we feel no fear, we look at our emotions without attachment.  The easiest way to get there is to be yourself.  Find that deep contentment within, though it might be hidden by emotions.  The moment you feel empowered, you can allow your feelings to be in front of you and just notice them.  If you are in a state of courage, you'll find them dissipating just by looking at them.  If they aren't, see if you are resisting letting go on some level.

If you are really having difficulty, there is one food which can help you to let go:  Chocolate.  Chocolate imparts a sense of love and acceptance that helps you to transmute any feeling into pure energy.  That energy then fuels your spirit and brings you up even higher.  Let chocolate show you how to allow and let go.

Listening to highly inspiring music, or whatever music that moves you, can also greatly increase letting go ability.  Just connect with that feeling of freedom and joy and match that with whatever negative feeling you are experience and watch it dissolve naturally.  Certain feelings, however, will be more difficult to accept initially but they can still be let go.  Music can make it much easier for certain people.

Many times, when we feel stuck or we don't know what to do, we are focusing on what we should do and what we haven't done yet.  This sets us up to be very disempowered.  To offset this, the key is to find something to do even if it is small and feel completely appreciative of your efforts.  In essence, find something to do that you will actually do and put a lot of attention on the fact that you are completing one task, forgetting as much as you can about anything that you did incorrectly or didn't do at all.  This will turn into inspiration and eventually momentum which will lead you to achieving what you thought you couldn't.  The key is direct action and persistence, all while staying in as high a state as you can.

When you are loving what you are doing, you will naturally find ways to do it better.  When you are frustrated, it can lead you to giving up or not doing as well as you want to.  Stay in a high state, where you are appreciative and content with small efforts but open do new ideas for bigger steps.

One way to do this is to use it as a meditation experience.  Put your attention on a small first step that you are willing to take toward your goal.  Feel wonderful about it, however small it is.  Leave out all expectations of how this will or will not bring you closer to what you want.  Just notice the fact that you are doing SOMETHING.  That will eventually take you where you want to go if you keep building on that small step with more small steps until you notice ways to take even more prominent steps in the direction that you want to go in.  By doing this, you are being more open to creativity and letting go of resistance to doing whatever it is that you feel you want or need to do.

Let the moment guide you when you don't know what to do.  If you feel stuck and want to give up, consider bringing more attention to THIS MOMENT.  You might find one small step that you are willing to do.  Again, let go of expectations as much as you can and just enjoy the task itself while directing yourself in the direction that you want to do.

For more ease in this transition to a state of inspiration, especially when you feel less than vibrant, there are certain herbs that can help.

Chi tonics are one type of herb that can help greatly.  These are tonic herbs which naturally increase chi or energy and vitality.  This is the energy that is used everyday to accomplish tasks and deal with stress.  By taking Chi Tonics, you will likely have more energy and ability to deal with stress.  Jing tonics can also help greatly by promoting adrenal function and inner power, which can sometimes increase motivation.  Both Schizandra and Reishi are potent Jing and Chi tonics.  We offer very high quality extracts of these herbs on our store page.

How have you increased your ability to do tasks and work toward the direction that you want to go?

If you haven't heard of him yet, Ronnie Landis is an author, health and nutrition speaker, and peak performance coach.  He has a new book out now, The Live-it Lifestyle:  Dropping Diets Forever!




Q:  Your new book has an interesting title and concept. What is the basic message that you are delivering through it?

A:  The concept of The Live-it Lifestyle was created out of a conversation I had with a good friend on the way back from a health seminar. The diet community in large is focused on restriction, reductionism, and in many ways fundamentalism. It is a competitive field where new books on specific “diets” are proposed and often times put on a pedestal as the end all solution to achieving “health”. The term health is actually very poorly defined as it does not embody one definitive answer, it is more of a general term that can encompass a vast array of possibilities, not just the absence of sickness as the western medical paradigm concludes. The live it lifestyle is the idea that in order to create a life of vibrance, clarity, enthusiasm, and robust physical vigor we must challenge the belief systems we may have adopted through our travels in this life. I believe that the most positive move anyone can make with their health is to find out what they are here on this planet to do and then use nutrition as a way to fuel that purpose. Often times in the diet field people take the dietary philosophy to an inappropriate extreme and turn it into a religion which if anyone has paid attention over the course of history, we can see where that mentality usually leads. The diet world is a mine field of propaganda, misinformation, and over arching contradictory messages which in my opinion counter act true healthy living. In order to truly live we must move in the direction of what brings us joy, happiness, pleasure, and excitement. This applies to all aspects of our lives and that is the message of this book. 


Q:  What inspired you to start eating a raw food diet? What are some of the initial benefits that you noticed when first eating this way?


A:  I began getting seriously into raw foods when I was reaching road blocks in my rehabilitation of an ankle injury I had years ago. I had actually had two knee surgeries as an aspiring athlete and I found myself having a lot of difficulty getting all the way back into the condition I was accustomed too. I found a David Wolfe video online, it made so much sense to me I decided to take it on and within one month I remember running 5 miles in the hills, after the run I thought to myself “I am not in pain!”. This was a major discovery for me at that time. The additional benefits I gained was tremendous clarity over my life. I began to deepen my personal awareness of the world around me and begun to really notice the set backs we have accumulated in our society. This drove me to research and learn as much as I could, which has now lead me to where I am now.


Q:  You mention, on your website, that you were involved in athletics for many years and were even an Olympic hopeful. Has eating raw food and super foods increased your overall athletic abilities even more?


A:  I was competing in Tae Kwon Do pursuing a position on the US Team. I had my first knee surgery at 19 and my 2nd at 23 during my serious competitive years in TKD. I decided to put martial arts to the side for awhile to pursue my first love, basketball. The first thing I noticed transitioning into raw foods and now being a raw foodist/super foodist/herbalist is that my recovery time is dramatically shortened between training. I used to train 2-3 sessions per day, I do not train anywhere near that much anymore but I do notice my knee’s are completely out of pain or aches. I can jump into action much faster then I could on different dietary approaches/standard diet. The most startling thing I notice is my response time is extremely fast, especially in basketball. Basketball is a sport where you are required to make split second decisions at high speed action. I used to be hesitant or slow to make decisions on the court, now I notice even when I’m out of consistent practice I make much faster decisions and can respond to different things happening on the court with more alertness and less delay. The mind is sharpened and in turn the body can respond with more grace and ease.

Q:  What do you typically eat everyday? Are there any foods that you found to be key in your overall diet?


A:  My personal diet changes as I change. Originally I ate a lot of conventional/organic fruits and vegetables, nuts, and some seeds. I have made a lot of upgrades since then. I am a big fan of green vegetable juices, super food smoothies, green leafy salads, fruit when in season, lot’s of berries in the summer, herbal tonic drinks. As far as a staple it’s hard to say because I rotate all my foods around. I am a chocolatier so raw cacao is a staple for me, I love chocolate with a passion. It is the most alchemical food on the planet so I use it as a delivery tool for herbs, spices, and other super foods. Green Leafy Vegetables are easily a staple as I would never want to go too long without saturating my body with them. I am a certified plant eater so greens are great! I also love berries, all kinds of berries!


Q:  What are some quick tips that you would suggest to someone who wants to feel better and more inspired?


A:  If someone wants to feel better and generate more inspiration the first thing I can say is spend some time by yourself, perhaps in nature, and figure out what it is you want to pursue in this life. The greatest catalyst for change in someone’s life is the realization of their all encompassing purpose, everything else will follow behind it. I would say use nutrition as a fuel source for your life, if you are eating junk you will feel like junk and in the end will produce junky results. The old saying is the body follows the mind, but in contrast the mind follows the body as well. If your body is out of balance how can one expect their mental acuity to be in proper balance? In terms of nutrition advice I would say learn and implement more green vegetable juices, super foods, better quality water, and continue to upgrade all the food choices you are already making for better choices. 


Q:  Do you have any events coming up in the next year?


A:  I am doing a great event on June 30th with David ‘Avocado’ Wolfe in Northern California. After that I’m heading down to Southern California for a great event with my friend Carolyn Marie Solton. I have others talks sprinkled in and around those.


Q:  How can people get in contact with you and where can they buy your book?


A:  People can find me on Facebook, that seems to be the main mode of online communication. Also www.ronnielandis.com and they can find my book on amazon.com by typing in “The Live-it Lifestyle: Dropping Diets Forever!”

Noni, the well-known superfood, is actually a powerful aid in dealing with emotional wellbeing.  It is found to increase feelings of elation and overall happiness with many people that use it.  While Noni has many powerful properties that likely contribute to this, one of them appears to be it's effect on neurotransmitters.  Some suggest that Noni actually increases the production of GABA, which is a neurotransmitter connected to feelings of contentment.  Others suggest that it might actually have powerful serotonin production qualities.  Either way, it appears to have benefits toward one's sense of wellbeing.

This makes Noni an incredible food for occasional low-energy and lack of drive and enthusiasm.  It might actually help people with anxiety, though that is not definitive.  If it does naturally increase GABA, Noni might actually promote benefits similar to the sense of wellbeing derived from Yoga.  Researchers for the Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine found that Yoga appeared to increase levels of GABA, which could account for at least some of the well-being factor associated with Yoga.

Noni also has a high amount of long chain polysaccharides, which are a type of essential sugar (there are 8 known essential sugars including glucose, which is a short chain sugar).  This might also account for the increase of overall feeling state that Noni appears to promote.  Polysacharides are known to have powerful immmune system qualities as well as nervous system benefits.  They are also sources of long term energy.  This, likely, would give a noticable increase in wellbeing.

People who have low immune system issues might naturally feel less than energetic, as much of their energy can be diverted to their immune system to defend against microbes etc.  By taking a product like Noni, which naturally increases immunity in a way that doesn't over-stimulate someone's immune system, they might have more energy.  Noni is known to be one of the most potent products for the immune system, yet is a tonic that can be essentially taken everyday unlike more medicinal herbs like echanacea.

If you choose to try a Noni product, check out NoniLand Noni Powder.  It is one of David Wolfe's incredible products that contains all of the powerful aspects of Noni in a dried form.  It is essentially Noni fruit that has been fermented, dried and powdered under low-heat conditions.  It can be taken in water or put into various smoothies and drinks.  David Wolfe recommends, for taste purposes, to mix Noni with citrus juice or lemonaide style drinks.

Have you tried Noni before?  What were your experiences?