The following post was originally featured on HipLatina [1] and written by Morena Escardó [2], a bilingual health and wellness coach.

If you find yourself yawning regularly throughout the day, have a hard time keeping your eyes open after each meal, or live by the slogan of "life starts after coffee," then you're one of the millions of people suffering from one of the greatest epidemics of our time: lack of energy [3].

In my practice as a health coach, I deal with lots of people struggling with this. It's only natural that our bodies can't keep up with the sensory overload, stress addiction, toxins in our environment, and a less than ideal diet. The result is that we feel depleted and overwhelmed most of the time, and rely on short-term energy sources like coffee or energy drinks to get by.

What I've discovered with my clients, however, is that in most cases just one or two simple changes in diet and lifestyle can make all the difference in the world. I'm astonished every time I recommend a small change to someone, and they come back the following week telling me their lifelong struggle with exhaustion is completely gone. In fact, I have found that fixing energy issues is one of the easiest things to do.

Keep reading for my top five recommendations to boost your energy in a healthy, sustainable way.

Drink Water

You would be shocked to know how many people go around feeling like zombies all day simply because they don't drink enough water. Our body is mostly composed of water, and needs to be properly hydrated to function well. Start by keeping a large glass of water on your bedside table to drink first thing in the morning, and aim for 7 extra glasses throughout the day.

Take Maca

This root vegetable from the Andes has been consumed for thousands of years for its energy-boosting, hormone-regulating, and aphrodisiac properties. It can be taken in a pill or as a powder in juices and smoothies. Take 1 to 3 teaspoons a day and you will soon enjoy sustained energy throughout the whole day.

Have a Healthy Breakfast

By this I mostly mean don't eat sugar in the morning! Dump all commercial breakfast cereals, pancakes, waffles, breads with sweet toppings, and artificial juices. Instead, go for whole grains like oat or quinoa porridges, robust smoothies with little fruit, and some protein in them like avocado or nut milks, or have a good old organic, free-range omelet with tons of vegetables in it.

Don't Overeat

Slimming down is not the only reason to stop eating the huge portions served in the U.S. these days. Overeating also takes a huge toll on your energy levels, because even though you don't actively do anything when you're digesting your food, your body is, and requires a lot of energy for it. So don't eat several snacks between meals, and stop eating when you're full if you want to feel vibrant and rested.

Breathe Deeply

Just like with water, most of us walk around under oxygenated without even knowing it. Adults have a shallow way of breathing compared to babies and kids, and the more stressed the person, the shallower their breathing. A great way to wake up your brain from a sluggish state is by practicing deep breathing exercises at least once a day (but the more the merrier). There are plenty of guided breathing exercises you can find on Youtube or elsewhere on the internet.