Are you running on empty? Is your life spiraling into one prolonged episode of fatigue? There are many factors that can contribute to fatigue, including stress, poor eating habits, altered sleeping patterns, poor breathing, lack of exercise, too much exercise, and sometimes an underlying health condition. Most of the time, fatigue can be traced to one or more of your daily habits or routines. More than likely, you already know what’s causing your fatigue; you’re just not doing enough about it. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most powerful changes you can make today to fight fatigue.
FIND A REST STOP Whatever happened to getting eight hours of uninterrupted sleep? When was the last time you actually hit that goal? Almost never, right? That’s a shame because adequate sleep is one of the most effective ways to help your body recover and regenerate from the stressors of life. It is paramount to do whatever you can to get eight hours of sleep a night.
REV YOUR ENGINE Exercise is a fantastic way to combat fatigue and increase energy while becoming healthy. The key is to not exercise so much that you end up sending your body into a state of overtraining and more fatigue. More is not better with exercise; better is better. It is recommended that you exercise 20-45 minutes three to four days per week. You must allow sufficient time for your body to recover from intensive workouts, so adequate rest is crucial if you want to achieve optimal results. If you overdo it, your body will let you know with fatigue and/or injury.
SCHEDULE MAINTENANCE Simply put, don’t put off until tomorrow anything that you can do today, whether it’s changing your car’s oil, going to the grocery store or doing any of the daily tasks that get put off again… and again. Get organized and make a plan of action to complete tasks. Procrastination leads to mental stress and anxiety. It’s the dread of anticipation that will take it out of you every time. To minimize the risk of perpetual procrastination, make a list of the “Top 5 Things to Do Before Noon” each day. Whatever task you want to do the least should be at the top of the list. Get these tasks over and done with before midday, and you won’t spend the day worrying and stressing about getting them done. Then you can start on your To Do List for the remainder of the day.
FUEL UP Eating frequently helps to maintain normal blood sugar levels, preventing energy crashes. If you wait too long between feedings, your insulin levels spike, causing your body to go on a hormonal roller-coaster ride. You will feel surges of energy followed by sudden crashes with tiredness, fatigue and lethargy. It is very difficult to maintain a normal state of energy with big swings in metabolic hormones.
Try consuming three regular meals and two snacks per day, waiting no longer than three hours between meals. Never skip breakfast. Breakfast sets the tone for the day in terms of your metabolism. Combine macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats) each time you eat. Limit simple carbohydrates such as juice drinks, bread, pasta and crackers (especially the refined variety), and processed foods, as these are known to cause mood swings from blood sugar changes. Combining macronutrients normalizes the glycemic index effects of foods on your blood sugar levels. This index traces how much blood sugar spikes in relationship to the foods you eat. The lower the glycemic index number, the better for your body. Finally eat more protein and fibrous carbohydrates to reduce digestive fatigue on the body.
Source: To Your Health –By: Dr. Perry Nickelston