Fatigue... and what you can do about it
Fatigued? If you feel tired, sluggish, wish you had more energy or have trouble getting up in the morning, check out these 7 factors that may be contributing to your fatigue, and what you can do about it!
1. Adrenal glands. Your adrenal glands are responsible for helping your body handle and process stress. If you are constantly under stress, your adrenals are being forced to work constantly and can end up fatigued. If you feel tired, extra-fatigued after exercise, get sick often, have seasonal affective disorder (SAD), asthma, food sensitivities, or have difficulty sleeping, your adrenals may be to blame.
a. Watch your caffeine intake. The more tired we feel, the more we want to reach for the extra cup of coffee, but this can do more harm than good. It gives a short-term burst of energy, which may cause you to over-do it, due to the false sense of energy. It also stresses your adrenal glands. Too much caffeine sends mixed signals to your adrenal glands (are you tired and fatigued, or are you energized?!) and can cause your adrenals to work harder than they need to.
b. Your adrenals and thyroid gland are on the same axis in your body (the HPA axis) and so when one is forced to work over time (due to stress or poor function), it can affect the other. That means that if your thyroid isn’t functioning properly, your adrenals may be trying to work extra to pick up the slack. And it works the other way too – if you’re under constant stress and sending your adrenals into fatigue, then your thyroid function decreases leading to low thyroid function.
2. Thyroid function. Your thyroid plays a role in your metabolism, which means it can affect your energy levels, as well as your hormones and even your mood. If you are tired and feel sluggish often, but feel energized by exercise, then your thyroid may be not be functioning properly. Other signs of low thyroid include dry skin, constipation, and weight gain. If you are under constant stress, so is your thyroid. Don’t let stress be the cause of your fatigue.
3. Stress makes our bodies and minds work harder than they need to. Stress causes your adrenal glands (and thyroid) to work overtime which can send them into a state of adrenal fatigue and if your adrenals are fatigued, you will be too! There are many ways to de-stress your life naturally which can help prevent your adrenals and thyroid from getting fatigued.
a. Our lives tend to be over-scheduled with too much work and not enough time for fun. This is a recipe for disaster, and adrenal fatigue. We need to take time for ourselves and make sure to take time to rest and rejuvenate. If you are constantly on the go and pushing yourself to, or past, your limits on the daily, your adrenals won’t be able to keep up, which means your energy won’t be able to either.
4. Fun. Your life needs a balance between work and fun, stress and rest, sleep and activity. Work is a necessary part of life, but so is fun. If we are constantly working and not giving ourselves a chance to rest, re-energize, de-stress and reset, our bodies are going to be over-worked and over-tired which leads to the fatigue we all know and want to get rid of! Do things that make you happy and that you know will de-stress you, such as spending time with friends, exercise, reading, getting outdoors, or taking a bath without being interrupted. In other words, treat yourself.
5. Blood sugar. Stable blood sugar levels means more stable energy. If your blood sugar is having large swings in it, such as a quick increase and then a quick drop from eating sugar, your energy may suffer. Low blood sugar is often the cause of that energy slump you feel in the afternoon, a couple of hours after lunch. If your lunch didn’t contain enough fat and protein to stabilize your blood sugar for hours, then it will start to dip a couple hours after you eat, making you feel tired, craving sugar, and wanting a nap. The keys to stabilize your blood sugar are to:
a. Eat balanced meals. This means protein and healthy fat at every meal. These take longer to digest which means they will keep you feeling fuller for longer.
b. Avoid sugar. Avoiding high sugar foods will prevent your blood sugar from spiking up, which inevitably leads to a drop. A drop in blood sugar can lead to sugar cravings, and a drop in energy.
c. Eat regularly. If your blood sugar is out of balance, eating every 3-4 hours can help stabilize it by preventing those drops that occur when you haven’t eaten for a while.
For more ways to keep your blood sugar from affecting your energy levels, check out these 7 tips to balance blood sugar.
6. Nutrition. Diet and nutrition play a huge role in energy levels. If you aren’t getting enough iron, B vitamins, vitamin C and D, healthy fats, and protein in your diet, your energy levels are going to suffer. An overall well balanced diet, with a variety of vegetables, animal protein, and healthy fats is ideal to keeping your nutrient levels where they need to be and making sure that your thyroid and adrenal glands have what they need to function properly.
a. Your adrenal glands need vitamin C, B-vitamins and healthy fats to properly function. Healthy fats include avocado, fish, fish oil, olive oil, butter, olives, and avocado oil. Stress actually depletes the levels of B vitamins in your body because your adrenal glands will use them up at higher rates when they are under stress. Low levels of your B vitamins, especially B12, and low iron, can lead to anemia and fatigue.
b. Your thyroid needs healthy fats as well as multiple nutrients which work as co-factors to support thyroid function (such as Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Vitamin B12, Iodine, Selenium, Zinc, copper and L-tyrosine).
c. Many of these nutrients can be found in your diet. However, if your diet lacks any of these, supplementation may be necessary.
Dietary sources of B vitamins include animal protein, such as seafood, poultry, eggs, and red meat. These foods also provide iron, zinc, copper, and selenium.
Greens are also a great source of iron.
Vitamin C can be found in broccoli, red bell pepper, and citrus fruits like tomatoes, grapefruit, and oranges.
Vitamin E is found in oils, fish, avocado, and nuts.
Iodine is in iodized salt, seafood, and seaweed.
e. In addition to providing vitamins and minerals, animal protein provides your body with the amino acids (the building blocks of protein) it needs for proper muscle function and metabolism. Without sufficient (animal) protein, you may be lacking key nutrients in your diet.
f. Vitamin D contributes to your mood, your immune system, and your bone health. Low levels are associated with depressed mood and seasonal affective disorder (SAD) which can both make fatigue worse.
7. Sleep. This may seem like an obvious one, but not getting enough sleep is a huge contributing factor to fatigue. If you wake up unrested (feeling like you could stay in bed for hours, or feeling tired and sluggish even once you’re up and about), or are getting tired and exhausted before you’re getting in bed at night (i.e. falling asleep on the couch while watching TV after dinner), then you aren’t getting enough sleep. You need at least 6 hours of sleep at night to let your body rest and recharge, though closer to 7-8 hours per night is usually more ideal. So if you’re not getting enough sleep or your sleep isn’t restful (such as waking up in the middle of the night or waking up too early and not being able to go back to sleep), a lack of sleep may be contributing to your fatigue. If you’re having trouble sleeping, check out these tips on natural ways to help insomnia.
There are so many factors that can contribute to fatigue and you need to make sure that you are addressing all seven to beat your fatigue and wake up feeling energized and ready to take on the day. Contact Dr. Sahni’s Portland Naturopathic practice to schedule a screening today!