Are you constantly tired? Eating well and improving sleep quality will give you an energy boost
Being constantly tired is such a common condition that it spawned the acronym TATT: “Tired All the Time.” It’s normal to feel tired after a strenuous exercise or a busy day at work. But sometimes, fatigue can be persistent and begin to affect your performance throughout the day. Fortunately, there are natural ways to restore your energy levels and combat persistent fatigue.
4 Tips to bring your energy levels back up
The following tips can help give you more energy and reduce feelings of tiredness:
- Eat the right foods
As the body’s main source of energy, food is a necessity. Eating the right foods can not only help you stay healthy, but it can also help you avoid constant exhaustion and boost your performance throughout the day. Good dietary choices for combating fatigue include foods that are rich in healthy fats, protein and complex carbohydrates.
Healthy fats refer to unsaturated fats, which are commonly found in nuts, seeds and oils like sunflower oil and olive oil. Complex carbohydrates, on the other hand, are made up of sugar molecules that are strung together in long, complex chains. They are found in peas, beans, whole grains and vegetables.
When looking for healthy energy sources, avoid processed and packages foods as they contain nothing but empty calories.
- Address your stress
Family conflicts, pressure from work or moving into a new house can all be very stressful and can make you feel tired. To effectively deal with stress, pursue meditating and exercising regularly. Exercise helps reduce the levels of stress hormones and triggers the release of endorphins, which are chemicals that help relieve stress and pain.
There are also medicinal plants called adaptogens that can help your body adapt better to various stressors. Examples of great adaptogens include goji berry, licorice root and turmeric.
- Seek advice if you have a nutrient deficiency
Chronic fatigue may be due to an underlying condition. Consulting a healthcare practitioner will help you determine if you have a pressing health issue that needs to be addressed, such as a nutrient deficiency.
Lack of iron and vitamin B12, in particular, can result in low energy levels. These two nutrients play an essential role in blood health, and being deficient in these nutrients can lead to anemia. Symptoms of anemia include pale skin, shortness of breath and constant fatigue.
- Get enough sleep
While you sleep, your brain cells replenish the energy stores that were depleted when you were awake. The body also restores various functions, such as temperature regulation, steady hormone levels and good appetite – factors that influence how much energy you have.
In contrast, lack of sleep can affect your decision-making and problem-solving abilities, leading to a drop in productivity. It also increases your risk of obesity, as sleep helps keep a healthy balance of the hunger and satiety hormones, ghrelin and leptin, respectively. When you don’t get enough sleep, ghrelin levels go up while leptin levels plummet. Obesity, in turn, can cause constant tiredness as your body has to work harder for you to do your daily activities. To avoid these, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends getting seven to eight hours of sleep every night if you’re 18 years old and above. Meanwhile, younger persons need more hours of sleep.
Constant fatigue can prevent you from doing your daily activities. With these four tips, you can boost your energy levels and fight fatigue naturally.
yogaesoteric
January 28, 2023