Some days, you just do not feel like getting up. Your energy level is low, you feel drained, you may crave carbohydrates, you even may be skipping meals, your legs are restless and you feel sleep deprived. Did you ever think that perhaps your medications are knocking you out?
Read on to discover the possible reasons you are dragging your butt, and, to find out healthy living styles to help you get your energy back.
There could be many reasons for low energy, aside from illness, such as diabetes, or chronic pain, arthritis; often times, the reasons are staring you right in the face.
1. Do you drink enough water?
Many women and men who complain of fatigue are just dehydrated. According to Dave Grotto, R.D. for American Diabetic Association in Chicago, dehydration reduces blood flow to your organs, leaving you tired and sluggish. Drink 8 glasses of liquids, mainly water, every day. If your urine is clear, or pale yellow, that is a good indication you are doing the right thing.
2. Do you skip breakfast and other meals?
If you are off to you workday with nothing more than a coffee you have picked up on the way, miss lunch, but snack with a power bar, and by 2:30 or 3:00 PM, you are exhausted and you wonder why?
Skipping meals can cause your blood sugar to dip, leaving you feeling so weak. The best and only way to maintain your energy level is to eat a fiber rich cereal for breakfast, according to recent study findings (2006) in Wales at Cardiff University. People who participated in the studies, found they had a 10% reduction of fatigue, less incidents of depression and improved cognitive skills.
Having experienced these incidents myself, I am a strong supporter of eating breakfast, lunch and dinner with small healthy snacks, such as 10 almonds, a nectarine, an apple, in between meals.
3. Do you crave carbohydrates consistently?
At least fifty percent of your diet should consist of carbohydrates, but they must be complex carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. It is the processed foods such as cookies, white flour products, even white pasta, that cause your blood sugar to spike. So choose wisely.
4. Is your body is not getting the right nutrients it needs?
There is a complete palladium of vitamins and minerals plus a lot of things we do not need for our body maintenance.
Many women are found short in magnesium, which is a mineral that improves cell efficiency, therefore, conserving energy. Dr. Christiane Northrup, MD., author of Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom, feels women need 400 mg. a day. Since most multivitamins contain only 100 mg., we must be certain to build magnesium up naturally by eating foods such as green leafy veggies, peanut butter and whole grains.
Another nutrient we fall short on often is omega-3 fatty oils. These oils help regulate metabolism and boost oxygen intake; therefore increasing energy. These oils are found in higher fats fish such as tuna, salmon and mackerel, and it is recommended we eat several servings of fish per week for increased energy.
5. Do you get enough sunlight each day?
A 20-minute walk is all we need to give us enough Vitamin D per day. It also in known to trigger your brain to release specific brain chemicals such as serotonin. These chemical are vital for boosting our energy and mood.
6. Do you watch too much TV daily?
Slow and steady weight gain is the result of being a "couch potato". To try and break the cycle of this habit, try setting a limit on your TV time, or better yet, get on that treadmill and put TV in front of it. You may be surprised at the amount of weight loss over one year.
7. Sleep deprivation is one of the most common robbers of your energy.
If you have restless leg syndrome, insomnia, perhaps anaemia, check it out with your physician. You may be lacking in iron or have RLS - restless leg syndrome, which your doctor can help you with.
8. Are your medications zapping your energy?
It is a know fact that certain anti-depressants such as Celexa and Paxil, which have sedating side effects, can rob you of your energy. It is also know that statins in drugs such as Lipitor, Crestor, which are cholesterol lowering drugs, can deplete the body levels of COQ10, which is a co enzyme vital to producing energy in cells. There are many other drugs, even over the counter drugs, can cause sleepiness, fatigue as a side effect, in anti-histamines, or nighttime cold remedies. Check with pharmacist for non-sedative cold remedies.
9. Is it possible that you have diabetes?
One main symptom: unexplained fatigue. According to Endocrinologist Alan L. Rubin, M.D., author of "Diabetes for Dummies", says "When your diabetic, glucose or blood sugar - the body's main source of energy - can't get into your muscle cells. It is confirmed by a fasting blood glucose test to measure your blood sugar levels. Diabetes, if caught early, may be controlled by diet, and simple healthy lifestyles, lowering your sugar and fat intake and losing excess weight.
10. Have you had your thyroid checked lately?
One in ten women have hypothyroidism, or low thyroid hormone levels - and many are unaware of it, according to the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. "Thyroid hormones control metabolic rate, so when your cells aren't getting enough, your body's processes start to slow down, leaving you sluggish and prone to weight gain", says Mark Wiensen, M.D., director of Endocrinology at Hackensack University Medical Center in Jew Jersey. See your doctor to have your levels a thyroid blood test. Many low levels are treated with a synthetic hormone which you may have to take for the rest of your life.
Having noted the possible causes of fatigue, and exhaustion, let's take note of possible healthy living solutions to give you energy:
* Go for a walk
* Snack on nuts, not sweets, or complex carbs (fruits)
* Take a power nap
* Make some green tea and sip slowly
* Give yourself a massage
* Meditate
* Take a mint or have mint gum - boost your energy
If any or all of these methods help you in some way to get more energy into your lifestyle, then you surely have found the right recipe for healthy living.
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