A lack of exercise is the enemy of energy. Sitting around all day is not what we are built to do. We are made to move with muscles and joints designed to be used on a regular basis. Exercise improves blood and oxygen flow to our cells, helps us to balance blood sugar, alleviates stress and supports proper hormone balance. Go without exercise for too long and you will feel your energy levels drop.
The solution is to get active. Simply participate in a mix of aerobic and strength exercises for a least 2 ½ hours per week, every week. If you break this done it is just 30 minutes a day on at least five days of the week. This is a manageable minimum for most people as long as it is purposefully planned into your daily routine.
Another factor for low energy during the winter months is poor nutrition. This is not the time to skimp on eating the right foods. If we eat a diet depleted in nutrients, we are bound to feel depleted ourselves. Your body needs nutrients such as B-complex vitamins and magnesium to produce energy, but levels of these can be quite low in over processed, overcooked or refined foods.
Processed foods, particularly refined carbohydrates, can also send your body on a bit of a sugar roller coaster of high and lows. We all know about the sugar crash throughout the day, which can leave you feeling tired, unfocused and irritable.
Another cause of poor nutrition is a diet that is too restrictive, where too many food groups are avoided. The variety of foods eaten should not be limited to a select few. These kinds of dietary imbalances eventually cause one or more nutrient deficiencies. Although avoiding certain foods or food groups is often required due to allergies, intolerances or other reasons, it is crucial to balance this by eating as wide a variety of other foods as possible. It is important to learn which nutrient deficiencies you may risk because of your dietary avoidance, and learn to top those up with appropriate substitutes or nutritional supplements.
Sometimes it is necessary to seek nutritional advice from your nutritionist, naturopath or other health care practitioner. These people will have the knowledge you seek when it comes to your dietary requirements. They can help you balance your diet and prevent any serious damage to your health. One of the more serious deficiencies may be low iron. Even borderline iron deficiency can leave you feeling tired, unfocused, unmotivated and weak.
Correcting low iron is a simple thing that can make a tremendous difference in energy levels. This problem is more common for women. For women experiencing fatigue you should consider having your iron levels tested in addition to testing for thyroid function, another leading cause of fatigue in women.
In our busy world most of us may be suffering under too much stress. Living in a chronic state of fight or flight eventually wears us down and eventually burns us out. We need to take breaks from stress and recharge our bodies and our minds. For your own good it is necessary to break this cycle each day through activities such as exercise, meditation, and deep breathing. Without these breaks we gradually drain our energy reserves and eventually feel exhausted unmotivated and unhappy.
As well as managing your stress, it is important to stay on top of nutrition during stressful times. Stress increases the body's nutrient requirements for such B vitamins, vitamin C and Magnesium. Unfortunately, the foods we reach for when stressed are often high in calories and sugar without adequate vitamins and minerals.
In response to stress the adrenal glands pump out the hormones cortisol and epinephrine. This may be helpful in the short term but potentially damaging to your health when they pump out too much, for too long. Adaptogens are traditionally used to nourish the overworked adrenal glands and to prevent stress-associated burnout. In order to support stamina and energy you should consider the adaptogen family of herbs. They include traditional herbal favorites such as Siberian ginseng, ashwagandha, and Rhodiola rosea, herbs that can help us to adapt to stress and support those important adrenal glands.
It is too easy to overlook another serious cause of fatigue: Dehydration! Too little fluid intake and/or too much fluid loss can cause fatigue. It can also cause lightheadedness and when left too long, muscle aches, irregular heartbeat and other serious symptoms. The risk of dehydration increases in situations such as prolonged exercise, diarrhea, vomiting and hot climates. Each of these can lead to excess losses of both fluid and salts, with replacement of both becoming extremely important. Even mild dehydration can have noticeable effects on how we feel and how much energy we have throughout the day. It has been discovered by some researchers that dehydration equivalent to about a 1 percent loss in body mass can have negative impacts on mood, concentration, and energy levels in both men and women.
Instead of drinking large amounts of water in the morning and night time, you should consume fluids regularly throughout the day. This should include fluid-rich soups, teas, and fruit, in addition to water and other beverages. If you suspect a mild case of dehydration, replacement of water and salts can be achieved with natural electrolyte replacement drinks. These can be purchased or easily made at home from a simple mix of filtered water, sea salt and sugar in appropriate proportions.
For those of us who live in a part of the world where there is less sun in the winter we need to find alternatives to getting the benefits we need from sunlight. Humans are light-sensitive creatures and short gloomy winter days can start to get us down after a while. In some cases the effects can be severe enough to warrant a diagnosis of seasonal effective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that occurs seasonally. This disorder usually includes tiredness, sadness, carbohydrate cravings, irritability, body pain and insomnia. It is estimated that SAD affects up to 3 percent of North Americans, with women being at higher risk than men. Less severe symptoms, known as the winter blues, may affect up to 15 percent of the population. Natural treatment for SAD includes regular exercise and exposure to bright light each day. Researchers have discovered that one hour of exposure to bright light therapy improves the symptoms of SAD.
One of the more obvious leading causes of fatigue of course is inadequate sleep. If you have frequent problems getting to sleep or who find yourself waking frequently, you know the relationship between you sleep problems and fatigue. However, for others who suffer from a condition called sleep apnea (disruptions to breathing that occur while asleep), this can be a more serious problem. The consequences of sleep apnea can be serious enough to cause poor concentration, increased blood pressure and increased risk of heart attack of stroke. Sleep apnea affects an estimated 3 to 5 percent of the population. These percentages may be higher due to many cases going unreported. Sleep apnea is more common in men and in those who are overweight. Snoring, gasping and restlessness while you sleep are signs of sleep apnea. Family members can help in identifying this problem and getting help immediately could save a life. If you suspect you may suffer from sleep apnea, consult your health care practitioner. Lifestyle changes such as losing weight and avoiding alcohol may improve you quality of sleep.
If you constantly feel tired, your health care practitioner can help identify the underlying causes of fatigue that may apply to you and what you can do to get yourself back on track. It may be as simple as changing your diet to get the proper nutrition, exercise or a simple lifestyle change.
I am a firm believer in maintaining an active lifestyle. There are no magic bullets to good health. Eating the right foods, getting plenty of exercise and of course spending quality time with loved ones. I have been truly blessed with many people in my life. Understanding myself and building relationships is rewarding in so many ways.
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