Are you frequently feeling tired, even after resting?
Then let’s look at ways to combat fatigue and get your energy back.
As I’m a nutrition coach, I will address your diet as well because what we eat has a huge impact on our energy levels. But let’s start here:
1. This one is the most obvious: going to bed earlier
This is the simplest and perhaps the most effective way of combating fatigue. Going to bed at a sensible hour [it’s suggested that around 10 pm is ‘sensible’] might be just what the doctor ordered. It can leave you feeling more refreshed and energetic for your next day’s activities. If you regularly stay up too late and have less than 7 hours of sleep, then this is one of the first lifestyle changes you should look into.
A simple lack of sleep can not only cause tiredness the next day. It can increase your cravings for carbs, it can cause unnecessary hunger, foggy brain, insulin resistance, weight gain and more.
Is there any way you can make changes to your routine so you get more sleep?
But fatigue is not just about lack of rest, but also about a lack of sleep ‘quality’. If you’re too restless through the night, wake up several times, get up to go to the bathroom too often [that can be due to hormones], perhaps ask your doctor to look into this.
It can be due to various health conditions: stress or depression, blood sugar irregularities, breathing difficulties etc.
Once medical issues are ruled out, investigate how you could improve the situation so you can get a great night’s rest with deep uninterrupted sleep.
Some people find that taking magnesium supplements before going to bed helps not only to fight night cramps but it helps them to sleep better. It is suggested that Magnesium glycinate is one of the best forms of magnesium for sleep. It’s a combination of magnesium and the non-essential sleep-inducing amino acid, glycine.
Here is an informative article on the various types. Who would have guessed there are so many?
Guided sleep meditation is one that I like to use frequently. Choose from the myriad of both paid or free options online. Either via an app or check out YouTube.
2. This one you probably know already: cut down on coffee:
Coffee may be one of the most popular solutions for fatigue, however, it is not a long term solution. Caffeine will only give you a temporary boost in energy followed by a low when it wears off.
Try to cut down on your intake of caffeine-rich beverages and replace those with healthier alternatives such as herbal teas, chicory coffee, water-filtered decaf coffee, or even infused water as these will keep you hydrated and leave you feeling more energized throughout the day. Good quality coffee has many health benefits, especially for our liver. But it can keep you awake at night if you drink it too close to bedtime or too often.
I stick to having 1 or 2 cups of coffee mid-morning and early afternoon. But then that’s it for me. The rest of the day I don’t have any further caffeinated drinks.
3. Do some light exercise:
Doing some regular light exercise late in the afternoon will not only help you prepare for bedtime but will also assist you in getting a good night’s sleep. A study from 2008 showed that “symptoms of fatigue were moderated by exercise intensity, and the more favourable outcome was realized with low-intensity exercise.”
4) Stay hydrated
Being dehydrated can lead to fatigue and brain fog.
Even just mild dehydration can cause tiredness and exhaustion. Besides being beneficial for our weight management goals, if one doesn’t drink enough water
- it impacts a good night’s sleep by drying out our throat and nasal passages,
- it reduces our ability to concentrate
- and it even impairs our mood and can cause headaches.
When there’s not enough fluid coming in, our body has to fight to deliver the right amount of nutrients and fluid to cells. This can cause muscle weakness and cramps even during the day.
So drink up and get hydrated.
5) Last but not least, get your nutrition right
Your body runs so much better when you feed it right. Therefore nutrition is one of the key components for overcoming or preventing fatigue. If you eat too many junk food treats, or eat a nutritionally deficient diet, you will notice a dip in energy levels.
One of the problems of indulging in unhelpful foods too often is that they are so addictive. Many can’t stop having just one Oreo or potato chip. 😆 Before you know it, the whole pack might be eaten.
Therefore make it a priority to stay away from those foods that rob your energy. Instead, your focus should be on whole foods like fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains.
For instance, you probably have read that we should choose fresh whole fruit over fruit juice. Juices are full of natural sugars which cause your blood sugar to rise and then fall quickly.
This action can leave you feeling tired and hungry shortly after drinking them.
The reason is that they don’t contain the fibre of whole fruit which helps keep your blood sugar more even throughout the day.
Another nutrition tip is to choose the whole grain varieties of starchy carbs. Complex fibre-rich carbs give you longer lasting energy than refined carbs.
The trick is to prevent fast gastric emptying [that’s what we call the quick exit rate of food from your stomach]. And fibre rich food is one of the tools that can assist.
Whole grains contain vitamin B and magnesium, which are important in helping the body produce energy. Combine those with protein-rich foods like tofu or beans, and a small amount of good fat [think two slices of avocado, a few nuts or seeds]. These combinations can help prevent blood sugar imbalances that can end up making you feel tired and cause mid-afternoon slumps and nighttime eating.
In fact, many doctors believe that more often than not, people’s fatigue is caused by blood sugar imbalances due to an unhealthy diet.
Therefore, if your diet needs to be upgraded, head over to my shop and check out the 14 day Kickstarter recipe ebook for £10. It’s a day to day menu with quick and delicious slimming recipes to boost your nutrition. 🥗