Constantly Feeling Tired?

Are you one of those individuals who is always feeling tired? no matter what time to day it is? Or do you feel tired during different hours of the day? or the year?

If you fall into the category of those feeling tired all the time, even after an apparent good night sleep, or feel tired at certain time during the day,  you need to look at the following possibilities as to reasons why you feel as such:

1. Adrenal fatigue – what is that? You have 2 little glands that sit on top of your kidneys and help produce various hormones, including the stress hormone cortisol. Overtime with excessive stress, the adrenals get tired overworking to keep up with the demands of the stressors which could range from mental, emotional , psychological, environmental, dietary as well hormonal, causing adrenal fatigue, leaving you feeling tired all the time as well, you wake up feeling not refreshed all the time.

2. Lack of adequate nutrition and water – A lot of people have a tendency to skip breakfast and run out the door and the first time they eat may be after a  couple of cups of coffees. They tend to have lunches if time permits or have a bite here and there, feeling tired and exhausted mid day and when they get home, they are famished so they have a large dinner and feel full and bloated! They go to sleep in a few hours and start the same cycle the next day and the next and the next!! and they feel tired constantly along with gaining weight over time. So for these people, here are my simple recommendations to feel more energized naturally through the day:

a). Start out with a solid breakfast – consisting mostly of proteins and vegetables along with a small portion of fat: here is a great breakfast for great energy (if you tolerate these food items) – 2 boiled eggs or scrambled eggs with 1/2 cup of spinach sauteed with mushrooms and onions, with 1 cup of avocado shake  made with 1/3 of an avocado, 1 tsp of chia and hemp seeds, and 6 oz of unsweetened almond milk.

b). Eat frequently through out the day and often. Try to prepare cut up vegetables, fruits, seeds and nuts for snacks for the day and try to rotate the variety as much as possible as well, make sure you drink adequate water or herbal teas through out the day.

You could be suffering from a lack of nutrients as well which is causing this fatigue – iron and B12 deficiencies are known to have symptoms of fatigue so please talk to your naturopathic doctor about ruling these out.

3. Lack of enough sleep – Sleep is key when it comes to resting and rejuvenating the body for the next day so when i hear people telling me that they can get by with 4 hours of sleep, i am always surprised. It is crucial for people with demanding and high stress jobs and studies to get a minimum of 7 hours of sleep a night. A chronic lack of sleep will not only leave you feeling tired in the morning, it will also sooner then later impact your immune system leaving you susceptible to getting more sick frequently.

4. Lots of stress – Have you ever noticed that your body has fighting off everything and then all of a sudden when you decide to take a break you get sick? Well, usually when the body is under a lot of stress, the immune system gets suppressed leaving you susceptible to getting sick often. So try to keep the stress under control. Stress management is very important to keep a healthy balance for the body. Stress also drains the body of the energy making us feel tired and fatigued, along with not waking up feeling well rested. Stress can also lead to excess weight gain around the waist.

5. Winter blues due to a vitamin D deficiency – With the winter days being short and not enough day light, most of us are lacking in Vitamin D. Vitamin D is very important not only for your bone but also for your mood, and immune function. So make sure to top on your vitamin D supplementation during the winter months. Talk to your naturopathic doctor about the amount of Vitamin D you would need. A lack of Vitamin D can also lead to lethargy and fatigue.

6. Certain Health issues:  Various health issues such as hypothyroidism and auto immune diseases can cause constant fatigue and lethargy as well.

Please talk to your naturopathic doctor if you are feeling tired all the time. It is very important to establish the root cause for you symptoms before treating any health issue.

By: Sushma Shah, Toronto Naturopath, at the Nature’s Intentions Naturopathic Clinic.

 

 

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