The rapid pace of our lives demands more from us, whether it be at work, at home, or from our own expectations. Even with a typical 9 to 5 schedule, we often find ourselves responding to emails beyond these hours. For working parents, there are children's activities to juggle, followed by meal preparation. Alternatively, we might have elderly parents who need our support in various ways. Additionally, there's the pressure to exercise for our well-being and appearance. It's no surprise that we feel tired and exhausted!
How to recognise the signs of fatigue:
Do you struggle to get up in the morning?
Are you more reliant on stimulants?
Are you avoiding exercise?
Are you struggling to enjoy a social life?
These may be good indications that you are tired and need to reassess your lifestyle and diet.
Causes of fatigue:
1. Imbalanced blood sugar – a diet high in refined carbohydrates (white flour products) and sugar can affect your blood sugar levels giving you energy highs and lows. A properly balanced diet with protein, good fats and complex carbs can improve energy levels greatly.
2. Stimulants – caffeine, sugar and energy drinks artificially boost energy levels, followed by a crash causing tiredness. Relying on them depletes your natural energy reserves and ignores the body signal for rest.
3. Poor Sleep – sleep apnoea, caffeine, stimulants, alcohol and high cortisol levels all interfere with sleep. A lack of natural light and regular meal times affect our circadian rhythms, leaving you unrefreshed. Many people wake around 3am due to blood sugar imbalances.
4. The wrong lunch –a lunch high in carbohydrates (particularly bread) can cause afternoon sleepiness
5. Stress– too much stress can increase cortisol levels which impact on blood sugar and immunity and energy, eventually causing exhaustion. This includes overuse of screen and social media
6. Low Iron levels or low B12– get these checked at the GP. Low iron and anaemia can cause tiredness. B12 works best sublingually or via injection if very low.
7. An underactive thyroid results in a slow metabolism and fatigue. If the TSH reading is above 2.5, nutritional support is necessary. It may also indicate Hashimoto’s, an autoimmune thyroid condition.
8. ME / Chronic Fatigue – when the body has undergone prolonged physical or emotional stress, it shuts down. ME or Chronic Fatigue is a cry for help from your body.
9. Poor circulation or arterial disease. Is the heart pumping well, are the blood vessels clogged, is respiration and oxygen delivery good? You may need to make nutritional and lifestyle changes to support healthy lungs or heart disease.
10. Recharge & relax – Rest is something we tend to do if we have time, when everything else is complete! However, if you don’t make time to recharge your batteries and relax, your body won’t cope and you will feel fatigued or become physically or mentally ill.
Foods to eat when tired:
- Nuts and seeds are great energy fillers, but don’t eat too many, as they are high in calories
- 85% dark chocolate can perk you up, and has no sugar
- Green tea is a better alternative than strong caffeinated drinks. It has a hint of caffeine to boost flagging energy, without the crash that follows a strong coffee
- If low energy is due to falling blood sugar levels, don’t add in more sugar, instead have a protein snack such as humus and raw veg, or apple and nut butter.
Foods to avoid when tired:
- Watch excess wheat, especially bread which can cause sleepiness in many people
- Swap sugar, sweets, cakes and biscuits, which give you a spike of energy, followed by a blood sugar crash for fresh whole fruit or 85% dark chocolate
- Avoid excess caffeine (more than 2-3 cups per day) as this can stimulate your cortisol causing energy to rollercoaster
- Reduce alcohol which is a nutrient and energy robber, but also disrupts sleep making you more tired and exhausted the next day. A healthier alternative is sparkling water and tonic.
Lifestyle tips:
a) Build in some rest time every day, whether this is a 10 minute power nap after lunch (if work permits ) or longer relaxation in the evening, this is key to keeping our energy consistent
b) Have a good sleep hygiene. Go to bed earlier and keep lights low. Don’t watch TV in bed or go on devices in the bedroom, and aim not to eat after 7.30pm
c) If you are working full time and finances allow, get help with housework or gardening
d) Set boundaries around looking at emails and switching off computers
e) Don’t do high intensity exercise when exhausted. A walk or yoga may be better for at these times.
Work with me to increase vitality and feel great!
Contact number: 07767260374 Website: www.whatseatingyou.co.uk
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