Fatigue has many causes, some of which are complex. But sometimes we overlook the most obvious reason why we lack energy: we haven't provided ourselves with the proper fuels.
Often, lack of energy means nothing more that that you are hungry or thirsty. In fact, it is often a better marker that you need something to eat than any sensation emanating from your belly.
With that in mind, here are some tweaks to your food choices and eating patterns that could go a long way towards remedying low energy and daytime fatigue.
1 EAT OFTEN
Eating small meals throughout the day, or three meals and two smart snacks, helps to keep your blood sugar stable, which tends off fatigue. Try to eat something healthy every 3 hours; longer than
that, and you risk a drop in blood sugar that will affect how you feel.
2 SKIP THE COFFEE ...
The caffeine in coffee is a mostly safe and natural stimulant that increases your heart and breathing rate. But its effects wear off, leaving you either craving more or feeling tired again. Many experts now say to avoid caffeine if fatigue is an ongoing problem.
3 ... BUT NEVER SKIP BREAKFAST
You wake up and do your morning routine, and by the time you arrive at the kitchen for breakfast, 12 hours have passed since your last meal. Even if your stomach doesn't feel hungry, your body is. Eat a small breakfast every day. Studies show that people who eat breakfast concentrate and are more productive than those who don't.
4 KEEP ON DRINKING WATER
Water is needed for the basic chemicals production of energy in your body. Without enough in your diet, your body has to compensate for it in a way that can sap you of vitality. Drink a glass every 2 hours or so.
5 EAT SUFFICIENT PROTEIN
The amino acids in proteins help to increase levels of neurotransmitters in your bloodstream that play a major role in mood and alertness. A good rule of thumb is to be sure have a serving of protein at every meal, including breakfast.
6 CONSUME FEWER SWEETS
Refined sugar is digested by very rapidly and causes nearly instant blood sugar surges - the well-known 'sugar rush' we accuse overactive children of having - followed by a crash in blood sugar that leaves people without energy. While grown-ups may not feel sugar-related surges like a child might, they often suffer from the crash. So skip fizzy drinks, cakes, biscuits; opt for instead.
Try Siberian ginseng An adaptogenic herb, meaning it helps to strengthen your body systems to better manage stress, ginseng significantly improved symptoms among 45 people who had moderate fatigue as compared with a placebo group.
Choose the right antioxidant One that seems to help people with unexplained chronic fatigue a Co-enzyme Q10. Certain medications can reduce levels of this important antioxidant in the body, particularly the widely prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs called stains.
Tune in to yoga You're never too old to start. This ancient stretching, strengthening, mind/body regimen offers something for everyone, regardless of their physical condition. In one survey, 25 percent of people with unexplained fatigue who added yoga to their activities found it improved their fatigue throughout the two-year study period. Try the form called pranayama. It involves breathing techniques and stretching; in one study, it significantly improved mental and physical energy in people with chronic fatigue.
Ask your GP if you could be anaemic If you're always tired, it's worth having a word with your GP to make sure you're not anaemic. This condition, in which there are low levels of oxygen-carrying red blood cells, is common in pre-menopausal women and in older people. It occurs in about 11 percent of men and 10 percent of women over 65. A simple blood test can indicate if you're anaemic, and a course of iron tablets or other medication can improve anaemia with a few weeks. But don't take iron supplements without consulting your doctors first, as this may not be the cause, and too much can be harmful.
Breathe deeply As we said earlier, cumulative stress could be the culprit behind your fatigue. That's why relaxation breathing may help. In one study of patients who had stem-cell transplants, those assigned to listen to a tape that instructed them in relaxation breathing for 30 minutes a day for six weeks reported significantly lower levels of fatigue than a group who didn't listen to the tape. It may test your patience at first, but give prolonged deep breathing a try. It's the next best thing to yoga or meditation and requires no training or skill. Merely sit in a comfortable chair, close your eyes, and slowly and fully inhale through your nose, then slowly exhale through your mouth. Keep doing it for 15 minutes. For a variation, feel free to add in a gentle stretch or move your ankles in circles while performing the deep breathing.
Being tired is not our normal state.
If you find yourself out of energy come the afternoon or ealy evening, you need to remedy the situation
Joint and muscle pain
Twinges. Spasms. Stiffness Aches. On any given day, the number of adults who are coping with joint and muscle pain is huge. Half of those over the age of 65 report ongoing knee, shoulder and other joint-related pain. Many more report lower-back pain and some form of significant ongoing muscular discomfort. After coughs and colds, back pain is the most common complaint that sends older people to the doctor.
As the ranks of those who suffer from aches increase, it may seem that the number of remedies available in shrinking. several widely used prescription-strength pain pills have been pulled from the shelves due to the discovery of potential side effects. Even more worrying is that the three most common painkillers-aspirin, ibuprofen and paracetamol-have all been the subject of serious warnings in recent years.
While nearly one in eight older people still take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) - such as aspirin, ibuprofen and the prescribed drug celecoxib (Celebrex) - more and more research shows that these drugs can be dangerous. Taking aspirin or ibuprofen regularly can raise your risk of gastrointestinal bleeding and ulcers by two to nine times. These drugs can also raise blood pressure and increase your odds of a heart attack, but-perhaps
most surprising of all-they may not even be all that effective against most types of joint pain.
The good news: there are many simple steps you can take to alleviate pain. Smart strategies-from ice to heat to gentle exercise - can cut the pain you're feeling now and lower the odds that it'll cause problems in future.
On next, we'll tell you how to protect yourself from osteoarthritis and from the inflammation of rhuematoid arthriits as well as how to cope with damage that's already been done by these chronic conditions. In this section, you'll get the lowdown on easing discomfort from the joint, muslce or back pain that can become a problem as you get older.
To relieve aching joints
Pop fish-oil capsules Omega-3 fatty acids- the 'good' fats found in fish such as salmon and in fish-oil capsules-helped people with arthritis ease pain and stiffness in more than 15 well-designed research studies. Volunteers were able to cut back on prescription and over-the-counter painkillers. Fish oil may help with back pain, too. However, in some studies, the dosage was as high as 5,000mg of omega-3s. That's a lot of daily pills, so talk to your doctor first, and never take fish-oil capsules without a medical consultation if you're taking blood thinners, such as warfarin or aspirin.
Lose weight Dropping just 5kg (11lb) could cut your risk of developing arthritis in half and reduce pain by at least that much. For every half-kilo or pound that you lose, your knees are subjected to roughly 2kg(4lb) less pressure with every step you take, or about 2,200kg (4,800lb) less every time you walk a mile.
Strengthen your support system Strong muscles take stress off the joints and relieve pain. In a 2002 study of people with joint pain, performing strengthening exercises three times a week for 16 weeks brought pain relief as powerful as that from prescription drugs. You don't need a gym membership or fancy weight machine at home; volunteers in this study used inexpensive elastic bands.
Often, lack of energy means nothing more that that you are hungry or thirsty. In fact, it is often a better marker that you need something to eat than any sensation emanating from your belly.
With that in mind, here are some tweaks to your food choices and eating patterns that could go a long way towards remedying low energy and daytime fatigue.
1 EAT OFTEN
Eating small meals throughout the day, or three meals and two smart snacks, helps to keep your blood sugar stable, which tends off fatigue. Try to eat something healthy every 3 hours; longer than
that, and you risk a drop in blood sugar that will affect how you feel.
2 SKIP THE COFFEE ...
The caffeine in coffee is a mostly safe and natural stimulant that increases your heart and breathing rate. But its effects wear off, leaving you either craving more or feeling tired again. Many experts now say to avoid caffeine if fatigue is an ongoing problem.
3 ... BUT NEVER SKIP BREAKFAST
You wake up and do your morning routine, and by the time you arrive at the kitchen for breakfast, 12 hours have passed since your last meal. Even if your stomach doesn't feel hungry, your body is. Eat a small breakfast every day. Studies show that people who eat breakfast concentrate and are more productive than those who don't.
4 KEEP ON DRINKING WATER
Water is needed for the basic chemicals production of energy in your body. Without enough in your diet, your body has to compensate for it in a way that can sap you of vitality. Drink a glass every 2 hours or so.
5 EAT SUFFICIENT PROTEIN
The amino acids in proteins help to increase levels of neurotransmitters in your bloodstream that play a major role in mood and alertness. A good rule of thumb is to be sure have a serving of protein at every meal, including breakfast.
6 CONSUME FEWER SWEETS
Refined sugar is digested by very rapidly and causes nearly instant blood sugar surges - the well-known 'sugar rush' we accuse overactive children of having - followed by a crash in blood sugar that leaves people without energy. While grown-ups may not feel sugar-related surges like a child might, they often suffer from the crash. So skip fizzy drinks, cakes, biscuits; opt for instead.
Try Siberian ginseng An adaptogenic herb, meaning it helps to strengthen your body systems to better manage stress, ginseng significantly improved symptoms among 45 people who had moderate fatigue as compared with a placebo group.
Choose the right antioxidant One that seems to help people with unexplained chronic fatigue a Co-enzyme Q10. Certain medications can reduce levels of this important antioxidant in the body, particularly the widely prescribed cholesterol-lowering drugs called stains.
Tune in to yoga You're never too old to start. This ancient stretching, strengthening, mind/body regimen offers something for everyone, regardless of their physical condition. In one survey, 25 percent of people with unexplained fatigue who added yoga to their activities found it improved their fatigue throughout the two-year study period. Try the form called pranayama. It involves breathing techniques and stretching; in one study, it significantly improved mental and physical energy in people with chronic fatigue.
Ask your GP if you could be anaemic If you're always tired, it's worth having a word with your GP to make sure you're not anaemic. This condition, in which there are low levels of oxygen-carrying red blood cells, is common in pre-menopausal women and in older people. It occurs in about 11 percent of men and 10 percent of women over 65. A simple blood test can indicate if you're anaemic, and a course of iron tablets or other medication can improve anaemia with a few weeks. But don't take iron supplements without consulting your doctors first, as this may not be the cause, and too much can be harmful.
Breathe deeply As we said earlier, cumulative stress could be the culprit behind your fatigue. That's why relaxation breathing may help. In one study of patients who had stem-cell transplants, those assigned to listen to a tape that instructed them in relaxation breathing for 30 minutes a day for six weeks reported significantly lower levels of fatigue than a group who didn't listen to the tape. It may test your patience at first, but give prolonged deep breathing a try. It's the next best thing to yoga or meditation and requires no training or skill. Merely sit in a comfortable chair, close your eyes, and slowly and fully inhale through your nose, then slowly exhale through your mouth. Keep doing it for 15 minutes. For a variation, feel free to add in a gentle stretch or move your ankles in circles while performing the deep breathing.
Being tired is not our normal state.
If you find yourself out of energy come the afternoon or ealy evening, you need to remedy the situation
Joint and muscle pain
Twinges. Spasms. Stiffness Aches. On any given day, the number of adults who are coping with joint and muscle pain is huge. Half of those over the age of 65 report ongoing knee, shoulder and other joint-related pain. Many more report lower-back pain and some form of significant ongoing muscular discomfort. After coughs and colds, back pain is the most common complaint that sends older people to the doctor.
As the ranks of those who suffer from aches increase, it may seem that the number of remedies available in shrinking. several widely used prescription-strength pain pills have been pulled from the shelves due to the discovery of potential side effects. Even more worrying is that the three most common painkillers-aspirin, ibuprofen and paracetamol-have all been the subject of serious warnings in recent years.
While nearly one in eight older people still take nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) - such as aspirin, ibuprofen and the prescribed drug celecoxib (Celebrex) - more and more research shows that these drugs can be dangerous. Taking aspirin or ibuprofen regularly can raise your risk of gastrointestinal bleeding and ulcers by two to nine times. These drugs can also raise blood pressure and increase your odds of a heart attack, but-perhaps
most surprising of all-they may not even be all that effective against most types of joint pain.
The good news: there are many simple steps you can take to alleviate pain. Smart strategies-from ice to heat to gentle exercise - can cut the pain you're feeling now and lower the odds that it'll cause problems in future.
On next, we'll tell you how to protect yourself from osteoarthritis and from the inflammation of rhuematoid arthriits as well as how to cope with damage that's already been done by these chronic conditions. In this section, you'll get the lowdown on easing discomfort from the joint, muslce or back pain that can become a problem as you get older.
To relieve aching joints
Pop fish-oil capsules Omega-3 fatty acids- the 'good' fats found in fish such as salmon and in fish-oil capsules-helped people with arthritis ease pain and stiffness in more than 15 well-designed research studies. Volunteers were able to cut back on prescription and over-the-counter painkillers. Fish oil may help with back pain, too. However, in some studies, the dosage was as high as 5,000mg of omega-3s. That's a lot of daily pills, so talk to your doctor first, and never take fish-oil capsules without a medical consultation if you're taking blood thinners, such as warfarin or aspirin.
Lose weight Dropping just 5kg (11lb) could cut your risk of developing arthritis in half and reduce pain by at least that much. For every half-kilo or pound that you lose, your knees are subjected to roughly 2kg(4lb) less pressure with every step you take, or about 2,200kg (4,800lb) less every time you walk a mile.
Strengthen your support system Strong muscles take stress off the joints and relieve pain. In a 2002 study of people with joint pain, performing strengthening exercises three times a week for 16 weeks brought pain relief as powerful as that from prescription drugs. You don't need a gym membership or fancy weight machine at home; volunteers in this study used inexpensive elastic bands.
No comments:
Post a Comment