Fighting fatigue
Some easy eating tips
Have you felt tired lately? Then you’re not alone. Fatigue and low energy are common symptoms which can be caused by many different factors such as stress, insufficient sleep, hormonal changes, poor diet or more severe physical or mental underlying conditions.
However, some simple tips can hopefully help you feel more energized. When it comes to eating, there are four things we can focus on.
The first thing is to have regular meals and not skip any of them. This strengthens our biological rhythms and decreases the risk of unwanted snacking. It also helps to stabilize blood sugar and energy levels throughout the day.
Secondly, we can help to stabilize our blood sugar by eating complex carbohydrates rich in fibre, and add protein to every meal. This helps slow sugar absorption into the blood and reduces the risk of blood sugar spikes and drops, which can lower our energy levels and make us feel tired. We can find complex carbohydrates in foods such as wholegrain products, oats, beans, lentils, quinoa and sweet potato. Good sources of protein can be found in animal-based foods such as meat, chicken, fish, eggs and yoghurt. Vegetarian alternatives include hummus, tofu, nuts, seeds, peas, beans and lentils. A good example might be to add a handful of nuts to your morning oatmeal porridge.
The third thing is to eat food rich in iron. Unfortunately, iron deficiency is quite common and can easily be checked at your health centre. It is easiest for the body to absorb what is called heme iron from animal sources such as red meat, eggs, poultry and seafood. Vegetarian iron, or non-heme iron, can be found in foods such as leafy green vegetables like kale and spinach, herbs such as parsley, lentils, beans and especially black beans and tofu, nuts and seeds. For optimum absorption, the body needs vitamin C which is found in fruits and vegetables.
The fourth thing we can do is to avoid having late meals. This is important and gives the body the best chance to increase secretion of important and restorative hormones during the first hours of sleep. Stopping eating at least three hours before bed increases the chance of optimizing these hormones. At the same time you get a good period of fasting until breakfast, which is much appreciated by your healthy gut bacteria.
It's well worth finding a good routine so you can stick to these simple habits.
