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"  It&amp;#039;s 4 P.M. Your eyelids are drooping, your chin is propped on your hand, and your mind is slowing down like a windup toy on its last turn. You&amp;#039;ve entered the afternoon slump. &amp;quot;Many women feel run-down on a daily basis and have no idea why,&amp;quot; says Steven Margolin, a holistic practitioner in New York and a cofounder of Burn &amp;amp;amp; Build Body. Here, Margolin and other experts reveal how to rev yourself up with easy natural remedies. The payoff: long-lasting energy that doesn&amp;#039;t fizzle. 1 POWER UP YOUR BODY. To elevate your baseline energy, look for a supplement with adaptogens--energizing herbs that support the body&amp;#039;s ability to cope with fatigue and aging, says Frank Lipman, an integrative physician and founder of Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in New York, who favors rhodiola, ginseng, and ashwagandha (try Be Well Adaptogens, $40). If you&amp;#039;re over 40, consider taking CoQ10; this enzyme, which the body produces, is essential for energy and maintaining high antioxidant levels but declines as we age, he says. Start with 200 to 400 milligrams daily for four weeks, then 200 milligrams a day to keep up healthy levels (try Be Well CoQ10, $33). &amp;quot;The benefits kick in quickly, usually within two to three weeks,&amp;quot; Lipman notes. &amp;quot;Some even report feeling more energized in a matter of days.&amp;quot; 2 GO FOR A NATURAL HIGH. &amp;quot;I advise patients who exercise regularly to take arginine, resveratrol, and alpha-lipoic acid 30 minutes before a workout,&amp;quot; says Margolin, who formulated his own Energy Optimizer Packs ($199 for 60 packs). The medley of supplements promotes mitochondrial activity--the natural energy production in our cells--and helps pump more blood to muscles. The net gain? Faster toning and increased circulation for added stamina. Nongym types can get a lift as well. &amp;quot;It&amp;#039;s like a caffeine buzz but without the jittery side effects.&amp;quot; 3 EXERCISE SMART. &amp;quot;There&amp;#039;s a sweet spot for exercise that will leave you feeling revived versus drained,&amp;quot; Margolin says. &amp;quot;Twenty to 40 minutes is the ideal window to build muscle and endurance but not deplete your system.&amp;quot; Break down your time into the ideal routine of 10 to 20 minutes each of interval and strength training a few times a week, suggests Lipman. &amp;quot;The key to increasing metabolism and thereby energy is to power the mitochondria in the cells,&amp;quot; he explains. &amp;quot;Interval-based cardio sessions support the efficiency of the mitochondria, while core strength training increases the number of mitochondria. It&amp;#039;s a win-win for energy.&amp;quot; 4 GET MOVING. Head bobbing at your desk? Taking a brisk 10-minute walk provides energy that lasts for up to two hours, according to a study at California State University, Long Beach. Even better if you can go outdoors, Lipman says. Exposure to sunlight helps regulate your circadian rhythm, so you stay more alert. 5 USE CAFFEINE WISELY. Experts agree that caffeine will give you a quick energy surge that you pay for later. The exception: green and black teas, which contain not only lower levels of caffeine than coffee but also L-theanine, a known calming compound, says Lipman. The result is even-keeled, focused energy rather than the peaks and valleys associated with coffee and espresso. If you crave variety, mix powdered green tea with chilled water for an icy option, recommends New York nutritionist Stephanie Middleberg. 6 KEEP MINTS HANDY. Peppermint--smelling it or tasting it--stimulates the trigeminal nerve, which is connected to the part of the brain that induces wakefulness, reports Alan Hirsch, the founder and neurological director of the Smell &amp;amp;amp; Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago. Try diffusing an invigorating mint-based scent in your work space or chewing mints or spearmint gum. 7 EAT CHOCOLATE. Yes, really. Eating small amounts of dark chocolate may boost physical endurance, say researchers at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine. The optimal daily dosage is found in a five-gram piece of dark chocolate, which is roughly the size of two postage stamps. But there is a caveat: The benefits will likely disappear if you eat more, probably because the cell receptors involved in energy production become overloaded. A good reason to buy that bag of Hershey&amp;#039;s minis. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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