Fighting fatigue

There is a phrase I often use to describe the frenetic pace of life in the new millennium and it is: "Too tired to keep running, too scared to stop." When fatigue sets in, it can really affect our ability to be efficient on the job, be a good parent, be in a good mood, or our ability to just be at peace. Fatigue is generally a byproduct of stress (mental and/or physical), overwork, jet lag, lack of sleep, or illness.

Fatigue can also be related to dietary excesses or insufficiencies, environmental factors, excessive exercise or not enough or chemically driven (medication, drugs, or alcohol). Chronic fatigue is a more severe, unrelenting fatigue that has persisted for six months duration or longer and is associated with other symptoms including (but not limited to) sore throat, brain fog, poor sleep, gastrointestinal distress, and frequent colds. If you are suffering from chronic fatigue then you must talk with your primary health care provider.

For those who have reason to be tired, we hope to give you some tips here to help fight your fatigue. The first step is to stop and assess your life. What is the worse thing that would happen if you were to take away half of your "to do" list. Where can you carve in some time for you? What time are you going to bed at night? If you aren't working a graveyard shift then chances are you can be in bed at a reasonable hour. For most people that may be around 10 pm. Avoid watching television up until you are ready to go to sleep. Your brain needs some quiet downtime and the last thing you need is the bright light and noise stimulating your mind when it naturally wants to mellow out. A good night's rest is one of the best ways to get your body into a more energetic routine.

Depending on your morning activity, whether you are rushing off to work or getting kids ready for school, decide what time you need to wake up in order to carve out at least 30 minutes of time for you, either moving your body, meditating, journaling, before the morning gets crazy. Then comes a very important part of the fatigue-elimination process, eating breakfast. A common attribute of centenarians (those who live to age 100 and beyond) is that they eat breakfast. Breakfast fuels your day for success and provides the energy your body needs to get revved for the day. Pass on the sugar, white flour and 5 cups of coffee and instead go for complex carbohydrates, protein, healthy fat (and a few cups of green tea). It's okay to have brown rice for breakfast – you can alternate it with steel cut oats, add a few walnuts or a tablespoon of flax seed oil for some healthy fat, some fresh berries for added fiber and phytonutrients and your off to a great start.

Eat smaller meals throughout the day, rather than skipping meals and stuffing yourself at dinner. Big, heavy meals at night tend to disrupt sleep patterns, which can contribute to fatigue later on in the day. The same is true for drinking alcohol right before bed, or drinking coffee after dinner – not a great idea. Keep balance in mind. Too little fat, too many carbohydrates, or an imbalance of key nutrients will eventually catch up with you.

B vitamins, especially vitamin B12, are known for helping with "energy." It's true, B12 deficiency will likely make you feel tired. Vegetarians, in particular, often find it difficult to obtain adequate B12 through their diet since B12 is found in animal products like beef, lamb, oysters, clams, crab, tuna, and yogurt. In that case a supplemental form may be necessary. Magnesium is another nutrient that is key. Magnesium feeds the energy source in each in the body. Magnesium is found in nuts and seeds, avocados, spinach, grains like amaranth and barley and chocolate. Vitamin C is another nutrient that helps keep the body's energy supplies high and may also support the immune system as well. Ever notice that when you feel tired often you tend to get sick more often as well (and vice versa)?

Check in with yourself. Are you over-exercising? Under-eating? These are relatively simple corrections to make once you become aware of the pattern. You may need to discuss your habits with your doctor or nutritionist.

How is your mood? Are you craving sugar? Are you having headaches? Feeling depressed? These are all signs that your blood sugar may be imbalanced. When your blood sugar is out of balance you will likely feel tired. You may be high one minute and come crashing down, exhausted, the next. This is where the frequent small meals comes into play. Keeping healthy snacks nearby is a great place to start. Nuts and seeds (to get your healthy fat, fiber, protein and magnesium fix), yogurt (B12), string cheese, whole grain crackers, hummus, healthy bar or nutritional beverage – these can all help keep your blood sugar stable when grabbing a small meal isn't really an option. Trying to eat something at least every 2 to 3 hours is key.

Avoiding the high drama foods and lifestyle will also support your energy. High drama food examples include: fried foods, fatty foods, over-processed, over-sugared, artificially flavored and colored, additives (like MSG, hydrolyzed protein, yeast extract). The high drama lifestyle should go without saying. If you are out partying 'til the wee hours, night after night, then of course you are fatigued. Most bodies aren't meant to put up with that for very long. Get clear on your priorities, get some rest and get back into balance.