It’s now common to find people dragging themselves out of bed in the morning, struggling to stay awake at their desks in the afternoon, too tired to do any more than flop in front of the television in the evenings, or needing to catch up on sleep and rest at the weekends. Some people are even experiencing all of these!
Stress and over-busy lives are a huge factor in this. I lecture regularly to businesses on stress and fatigue, which are two sides of the same coin, because of the effects of stress on the adrenal glands. As stress levels rise or we rush around more, our energy tends to go down more and more.
The good news is that there are specific eating patterns which can reduce stress levels and enable people to regain their previous energy levels. Some slowing down can be helpful and in some more severe cases even essential, but by changing their eating and drinking habits many people can sustain their current level of activity.
Mineral deficiency can also underpin constant tiredness, because minerals are involved in the process of energy production. It’s not surprising since nowadays our soils are quite mineral-depleted and processed foods in particular are very low in minerals. This can have wide-ranging effects on your energy, your mood, your sleep patterns and your protection against infection.
Low minerals can also trigger the increasingly common condition of sub-clinical hypothyroid, where the thyroid is under-functioning sufficiently to show symptoms, but not enough to show up on standard medical tests. There are more subtle laboratory tests that can detect this malfunctioning of the thyroid, and dietary change and supplements can often make a real difference here.
Other factors commonly affecting energy production include food intolerances and malfunctioning digestion. Constipation in particular is a real energy-drainer.
If your energy is under par, you need to be eating in a way that keeps your blood sugar very even as well as consuming mostly energy-dense foods. I can help you to work out what is likely to be causing your fatigue, and advise on a diet to maximise your nutrient and energy intake as well as support your busy lifestyle.
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