Fatigue is one of the most common complaints patients at Caring Medical report to us. Did you know the NIH estimates roughly 30% of the population complains of sleep disruption? When sleep deprivation and resultant fatigue last longer than 6 months, it is then considered a chronic problem and can lead to poor brain function, cognitive impairment, brain fog, and eventually total exhaustion. Between 836,000 to 2.5 million Americans suffer from fatigue.
As you know, we want to get at the root cause of our patients’ problems, not cover them up with medications or other potentially toxic substances. If we lack energy, we are unable to do the things that we want to do or accomplish. When we are tired, often our diets suffer because we reach for something to give us a boost such as a sweet treat or a caffeinated beverages or a combination of the two! Unfortunately, when we do this, most of us will crash and burn later!
There are some healthier things we can all do to help us have lasting energy and keep us doing all that we want to do. Ready? Here we go:
Get quality sleep. We all know what it feels like to lose a night’s sleep – terrible! Imagine that day after day? It is imperative that the body engage in restorative high-quality sleep to allow our bodies time to repair and restore, providing a healthy immune system and balanced hormones. Most people need between 7-9 hours per night. And turn off your devices before bedtime!
Get moving! Exercise gives you energy and increases levels of dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin in the brain, producing an enhanced mood and better energy. In addition to that, your body receives more oxygen and nutrients to your tissues to help your body function optimally. Just ten minutes of exercise can provide energy like a cup of coffee!
Eat nutritious food. We all know that the body survives best when it is being fed the proper fuel. Enough said about this – dump the junk, eat fresh food, limiting excessive use of caffeine and alcohol, drinking more water.
Control stress. This can be tough with all that life throws our way. Stress uses up a lot of energy, therefore it is a good idea to add relaxing activities to your routine such as working out, yoga, reading, listening to calming music, sharing time with good friends, unplugging (from TV and the internet!), and praying or meditating, adding deep breathing.
