Five ancient energy boosters revealed

Are you throwing back highly-caffeinated energy drinks or spending a huge portion of your paycheck on the Starbucks drive-through every morning just to get through the Monday-to-Friday work week grind? If so, you may want to consider a more natural approach to boosting your energy.

Malaysians have been practicing health and beauty traditions for centuries. These traditions are known as ramuan and are all about synergy, balance and moderation, a holistic approach for attuning the body’s energies with nature’s rhythms. Here are five natural ramuan secrets for boosting energy:

Exercise—Regular exercise may play a significant role in a number of different health aspects, such as increasing energy, decreasing fatigue and even boosting sexual desire. Malays have long practiced senaman asak badan, a traditional form of exercise that consists of a combination of body movements and breathing techniques. Many of the movements include yoga-like postures (think bending tree, tiger, snake, warrior and blowing-flute poses). Benefits of senaman asak badan include improved flexibility, agility, endurance and strength.

Detox—Part of the ramuan regimen includes herbal cleansing to help purify and rejuvenate the body, promote a youthful complexion, improve digestion and optimize liver health.

Massage—Even though it’s ultra-relaxing, massage has been known to improve energy levels as well. Malays practice a traditional form of massage known as urut melayu, a deep-tissue massage with long, kneading strokes that focuses on blood flow in the urat, or veins and arteries. This traditional massage stimulates energy points while loosening and warming up muscles. 

Herbal supplements—There are a couple great supplements that make it easy to reap the benefits of rare, potent Malaysian herbs. Tenaga may support energy, overall well-being and sexual vitality in men, and Asmara may support energy, vitality, and postpartum firming and toning as well as overall emotional well-being in women.

Foods—Greens already pack a potent punch, so how about turning it up a notch? For lunch or dinner Malays eat ulam, a fresh, leafy herbal salad that they believe to have anti-aging properties and significant antioxidant activity. If you’re feeling adventurous, try this traditional ulam recipe.