To be able to fight fatigue and boost your energy levels, you have to know WHY you are fatigued in the first place. Yes, you can down the coffee, energy drinks, soda pop and other sugary things to try to amp up your energy, and they work much of the time, however, you do so at a price – more reduction in energy levels that necessitate more of the artificial stimuli to try to get through your day. It becomes a downward spiral.
WHY is your energy low? Let’s start with diet. The purpose of nourishing your body is to provide the nutrients for growth, repair, and energy for your body to perform functions and activities you need it to perform. Consuming junk foods, can steal more energy than it provides. The energy taken to metabolize that junk may be more than you have available, so something else has to suffer. Just like a bank account. You only have so much money. You’ve carefully meted out what is needed to pay for the necessities of life. If you have an additional financial need, something is going to take the hit – maybe a fun event, getting your nails done, maybe even a good meal. It doesn’t make sense to steal from the very thing providing you energy – your diet!
What health issues do you have that may be dumping your energy? Some of the worst are insomnia and sleep apnea, low blood pressure, Type 2 Diabetes, hypothyroidism, an underlying infection, dental infection or poor dental health, food allergies/intolerances, environmental allergies, anemia, fibromyalgia, heart disease, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, pain from any source, obesity and many medications taken to control diseases and pain.
So what can we do? Find the right exercise for you. Anything is better than nothing. 60-90 minutes per week is ideal for most people, but not everyone. Opt for exercises such as yoga, tai chi and qi gong to help restore energy, especially if you are weak or a little too sedentary.
Lose weight. Even five pounds overweight can adversely affect your energy levels. Get rest. If you aren’t sleeping well at night, take a nap. However, a nap of greater than 30 minutes can result in a worse night’s sleep, so keep it to 10-20 minutes.
Drink more water. Dehydration can contribute to fatigue.
Eat regular meals (3-5 per day), balancing proteins with carbs, eliminating the junk, including and especially sugar, coffee, alcohol, energy drinks, etc. Those may seem to increase your energy, but ultimately they steal more than they help.
Reduce stress. Stress gobbles up energy. Reduce stressful activities wherever possible.
To learn more, join us for our upcoming health class, How to Feel Energized All Day & Actually Keep Up with It All, on Wednesday, March 15th 7:30pm at Vital Health in CDA. Attend in person or online. Fee: $15. To register, call 208-765-1994 or go to vitalhealthcda.com/health-classes/
Want to hear more from Dr. Carling? Check out our podcast. Search for VitalHealth4You on your favorite podcast listening app or go to vitalhealthcda.com/podcasts/
