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| Tuesday, July 28, 2009 |
| Tired All the Time |
Everyone is so busy these days. They all seem to be super busy, but accomplishing little. The worst part is that on any given day at least 10 people tell me how tired they are. By 11 am I’ve already spoken to 5 clients who complain of being tired or needing a nap. There are many reasons for tiredness such as lack of sleep and thyroid problems, but I believe diet plays a big role in being tired all the time.
The way you eat can obviously contribute to your energy level on any given day. People who eat healthy, balanced diets are usually among the most energetic and enthusiastic that I see in both my nutrition practice and my personal training business. There are some basic things you can change to make sure you spend less time yawning or snoozing and more time enjoying life.
First of all, limit your caffeine. I know everyone uses caffeine as a quick pick me up, but that quick pick me up usually leads to a crash later on. Once you start feeling tired again, you need another dose of caffeine. You can become addicted quickly. Caffeine is also a diuretic so too much caffeine can contribute to dehydration. Dehydration is another thing that causes us to feel tired. I always recommend drinking water throughout the day. Avoid the caffeine if you can or use it in small doses. Being dehydrated will cause you to feel lethargic, cranky and even hungry. Avoiding caffeine and staying hydrated can improve your energy and help control your appetite.
Next, limit your intake of simple carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates like cookies, cake and white flour give you a quick rise in your blood sugar. You feel energized in the short term but after an hour or two, your blood sugar will start coming down rapidly and you will start feeling tired again. The tiredness leads to cravings for more sugar and the cycle repeats. Try to break that cycle with some complex carbohydrates. For instance, if you always have Fruit Loops cereal and coffee in the morning, try cheerios with sliced strawberries and 4 oz of 100% fruit juice or a decaf coffee. If you can break the cycle, you can start improving your energy.
High fat foods will make you tired shortly after you eat them. A cheeseburger, fries and a shake for lunch will leave you feeling exhausted by 2 pm, so unless your job allows you a mid afternoon siesta, this is not good. If you can cut the saturated fat in your meal and increase the fiber, it will leave you feeling more energized. If your daily diet is high in fat, you will be in a cycle of eating, feeling energized for an hour and then starting to feel sleepy.
Lastly, try to avoid eating too many processed food. When we eat food full of chemicals, our bodies have to do extra work to process those chemicals which can take a toll on your energy level. Here is a small list of high energy foods to include in your diet. Try to replace your energy zappers that are high in fat, sugar, caffeine or chemicals with some of these:
- Vegetables
- Fruit
- Fish
- Chicken
- Nuts & Seeds
- Beans
- Eggs
- Low Fat Dairy
- Whole Grains
- Jennifer
Labels: healthy eating, healthy tips, Jennifer
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posted by My Sensei @ Tuesday, July 28, 2009   |
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| 4 Comments: |
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Been there, done that! Yes, healthier eating does help with being less tired.. that is for sure!
BUT, also in this crazed life we sometimes live, it is just we can't get enough sleep no matter how we try! :-0
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I totally agree with all that! My problem is also staying up too late!
My kids are in bed by 10 in the summer and then its kind of like "ME" time. I check e-mail, read other blogs, I might bake something and the next thing you know its midnight! I usually only get 6-7 hours of sleep per night!
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I agree with what you said and what Jodi said. Not enough sleep!
I rarely go to bed before midnight it seems!
I have to work on that!
Thanks again for stopping by my blog!
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Well said. I think caffeine is the worst. A while back I decided to eliminate caffeine out of my diet because I was becoming dependent on it; I couldn't function with out a coke. The first few weeks without Caffeine was horrible, I was tired 24/7 but after I adjusted I felt so good inside and out. I had more energy and wasn't depending on caffeine anymore.
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Been there, done that! Yes, healthier eating does help with being less tired.. that is for sure!
BUT, also in this crazed life we sometimes live, it is just we can't get enough sleep no matter how we try! :-0