You feel so tired and low in energy that you don’t even want to leave the bed. It’s morning, but you wish it was evening, so you could slumber back to sleep in a guilt-less way. Even going to the bathroom feels like a chore. We all have these zombie-like days sometimes. But if they persist day after day, and you drag yourself around for weeks or months on end, then it’s time to look at what could be causing your fatigue. Here are some possibilities:
1. Nutritional deficiencies and what you eat
We eat to get fuel. Just like a car, to keep running, our body needs refueling. We need food for all our metabolic functions. Metabolism is a set of chemical reactions that take place in your cells. It breaks the food down, and provides energy for the body’s functioning. There you go, your own little alchemy lab. The key is to get the right fuel. And this is where many people get it wrong.
You don’t eat enough good fats
There is this fear of fats in the Western society. People started cutting on fats, but they replaced them with refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, pastas and white rice. When you do that, you get it wrong twice. Not only are processed carbs bad for you and cause sugar crash, by eliminating fats, you are also depriving yourself of a valuable energy source. Fats are body’s best and slowest-burning form of energy – you just need to get the right ones.
There are three types of fats: saturated, non-saturated and trans fats (AKA trans fatty acids). Saturated and trans fats clog the arteries and are the real bad boys. You have to look for food that contains less saturated fats and/or trans fats and is rich in what we call essential fatty acids. Foods like avocados, nuts and fish contain them and should definitely feature on your menu.
You eat inflammatory foods
Certain foods are also known as inflammatory foods and can cause food intolerances. Gluten and diary can cause fatigue, so you might want to start by eliminating them from your diet and see if that changes anything.
You have vitamin and mineral deficiencies
Different vitamin and mineral deficiencies can cause a chronic feeling of tiredness too. The most important to look out for are iron, vitamin D and B vitamins. Iron deficiency, known as anemia, is especially common in women with heavy menstrual periods.
You don’t drink enough
Sometimes just drinking enough can make us feel better. If there aren’t enough fluids in our blood vessels, the blood pressure goes down, which makes us feel more tired. Water is the an excellent choice along with herbal teas.
2. Illnesses and health issues
— Different physical and psychological issues can make you feel extremely tired.
— If your gut is feeling unhappy, this can drain your energy. Intestinal flora needs to be balanced for the digestive system to perform as it should. Sometimes a detox can help you clean your gut and get it moving harmoniously again.
— Celiac disease is caused by gluten intolerance and is another possible reason for tiredness.
— Diabetes can make you feel tired too due to the constant sugar highs.
— If you have a heart condition and your body doesn’t get enough oxygen, this can result in fatigue and light-headedness as well.
— Also, be on the lookout for any hormonal imbalances. People who struggle with low energy levels can have a low-thyroid function, which is especially common in women.
— And then there is a myriad of other physical and mental stresses and struggles that can deplete your energy pool. Depression, anxiety, and burn-out are just some of the options.
3. Poor sleep
You need to look at your sleeping habits and patterns. Do you stay up late, struggle to get out of bed in the morning, and then end up in a vicious circle?
4. Lack of exercise
1. Nutritional deficiencies and what you eat
We eat to get fuel. Just like a car, to keep running, our body needs refueling. We need food for all our metabolic functions. Metabolism is a set of chemical reactions that take place in your cells. It breaks the food down, and provides energy for the body’s functioning. There you go, your own little alchemy lab. The key is to get the right fuel. And this is where many people get it wrong.
You don’t eat enough good fats
There is this fear of fats in the Western society. People started cutting on fats, but they replaced them with refined carbohydrates, such as white bread, pastas and white rice. When you do that, you get it wrong twice. Not only are processed carbs bad for you and cause sugar crash, by eliminating fats, you are also depriving yourself of a valuable energy source. Fats are body’s best and slowest-burning form of energy – you just need to get the right ones.
There are three types of fats: saturated, non-saturated and trans fats (AKA trans fatty acids). Saturated and trans fats clog the arteries and are the real bad boys. You have to look for food that contains less saturated fats and/or trans fats and is rich in what we call essential fatty acids. Foods like avocados, nuts and fish contain them and should definitely feature on your menu.
You eat inflammatory foods
Certain foods are also known as inflammatory foods and can cause food intolerances. Gluten and diary can cause fatigue, so you might want to start by eliminating them from your diet and see if that changes anything.
You have vitamin and mineral deficiencies
Different vitamin and mineral deficiencies can cause a chronic feeling of tiredness too. The most important to look out for are iron, vitamin D and B vitamins. Iron deficiency, known as anemia, is especially common in women with heavy menstrual periods.
You don’t drink enough
Sometimes just drinking enough can make us feel better. If there aren’t enough fluids in our blood vessels, the blood pressure goes down, which makes us feel more tired. Water is the an excellent choice along with herbal teas.
2. Illnesses and health issues
— Different physical and psychological issues can make you feel extremely tired.
— If your gut is feeling unhappy, this can drain your energy. Intestinal flora needs to be balanced for the digestive system to perform as it should. Sometimes a detox can help you clean your gut and get it moving harmoniously again.
— Celiac disease is caused by gluten intolerance and is another possible reason for tiredness.
— Diabetes can make you feel tired too due to the constant sugar highs.
— If you have a heart condition and your body doesn’t get enough oxygen, this can result in fatigue and light-headedness as well.
— Also, be on the lookout for any hormonal imbalances. People who struggle with low energy levels can have a low-thyroid function, which is especially common in women.
— And then there is a myriad of other physical and mental stresses and struggles that can deplete your energy pool. Depression, anxiety, and burn-out are just some of the options.
3. Poor sleep
You need to look at your sleeping habits and patterns. Do you stay up late, struggle to get out of bed in the morning, and then end up in a vicious circle?
- Get some sleeping discipline and sleeping hygiene.
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine late in the evening.
- Don’t watch late night TV and make your bedroom a soothing sleeping chamber.
4. Lack of exercise
It might sound like a paradox, but if you are feeling tired, you should workout more. Just make sure to finish your exercise session 3 hours before you go to bed, to give your body some time to wind down. So no more excuses. Get at least 40 minutes of exercise, 4 times a week, and see how your energy breeds.
5. Toxins
In the modern world, we are surrounded by many toxins that the body needs to deal with: heavy metals, plastic, pesticides, additives, to name just a few. Feeling tired, can be the first sign of an overload.
6. Medications
Many common pharmaceutical drugs have fatigue as their side effect. Some medications taken for high blood pressure, cholesterol, pain, diabetes, acid reflux and depression can all make you feel low in energy. So discuss your medication regime with your doctor. Or, even better, stay healthy, so you don’t need the drugs in the first place.
How to tackle tiredness
- Look at your diet and make sure that you eat enough fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein and healthy fats.
- Drink enough water and avoid excess caffeine and alcohol, especially in the evening.
- Look at the food labels, so that you know what you’re eating and when possible, opt for more natural products.
- Get a blood test to look at the levels of iron in your blood and possible vitamin deficiencies. You might need to take supplements to get enough of these essential micronutrients.
- Get enough rest and allow time for relaxation.
- Exercise regularly.
If you are worried about constantly feeling tired and would like a peace of mind, contact your doctor to get it checked out, and to exclude any possible underlying medical conditions. However, very often, people are just trying to fit too much into their daily lives and are pushing their bodies to the brink of exhaustion. Be realistic, you might just need to put your life in a lower gear.