29 Nov Why am I So Tired All the Time?
It’s hard to get up in the morning. At two or three in the afternoon you turn into a zombie. After dinner your sofa calls you and you can’t get up. Maybe your get-up-and-go got-up-and-went.
Why are you so tired?
There are a lot of reasons you could be tired all the time and I’m not going to tell you it’s part of getting older. Sure, everyone slows down some, but few people complain that they are not as energetic as an 8 year old. They want the energy to have a productive and focused day.
If there is something going wrong in your body, how would it tell you? How would you know to change what you’re doing and give your body what it needs?
Fatigue is your body’s way of telling you it needs help. Your body wants you to quit expending energy on unnecessary things so you have the energy for healing.
This is where it gets tricky. What is going on that makes your body need you to rest and recover?
Here are a few things your body might be telling you.
You need to eat carbs, fats, and proteins. Each of these macronutrients contributes to energy production in your body. If you are eating low fat, your body may not have all of the building blocks it needs to make energy. And you need vegetables, in all colors, which are your best choice of carbs.
You aren’t getting minerals. Almost everybody needs more magnesium. Good news is you can get it from chocolate. Yes! But there’s also selenium, which is found in Brazil nuts. Calcium can be found in green leafy veggies as well as dairy. And don’t forget iron, zinc, phosphorus….
You’re exposed to toxins. This can be depressing because toxins are in the air, in the soil, on your food, in your water, in your beauty products, everywhere. Your body works to detox, but it can get overwhelmed. Detox support means getting lots of nutrients, water, and sleep. It also helps to sweat out the toxins.
Some medications can cause fatigue. Some meds impair mitochondrial function, meaning, they don’t let your body make enough energy. Examples include steroids, statins, metformin, and beta blockers. Don’t stop your meds without talking to your doctor. But you can work on your health so you might be able to minimize the effects or reduce your need.
Some chronic health conditions. If you look at a list of symptoms for low thyroid, anemia, infection, diabetes, heart disease, depression, anxiety and others, you will see fatigue. You can improve all of these conditions with lifestyle choices.
Stress wears you out. You knew that, didn’t you. When you are under stress, practically every cell in your body participates in the response. That’s great if you are surviving an emergency, but bad if you are under chronic stress day in and day out. Your body can’t keep up with the demands that constant stress puts on you, so you feel tired. Think about meditating or changing attitudes.
Lack of sleep. Before you say duh, think about sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, jet lag, allergies, reflux, and shift work. These things can interfere with restful, regenerative sleep, even if you are in bed a solid 8 eight hours. Again, lifestyle choices can help.
Physical activity makes you tired. Of course, if you exercise or work really hard, you will be tired. But if you have too little exercise, you can feel fatigued. Your body was built to move, not sit.
You are eating processed and refined food. This is probably the main reason you are tired. High sugar or refined foods can cause your blood sugar to drop some time after you eat. That accounts for your crash in mid-afternoon or after dinner. These foods can set up a roller coaster response, where blood sugar peaks and then dives down low. Low blood sugar makes you tired, “hangry”, and overweight.
How do you know which of the above is causing your fatigue, and what to do about it? Ask me and I’ll listen to your concerns. I’m a board certified functional medicine health coach. I can help you find solutions. Let’s work together and get you feeling energized. Contact me for a free 15 minute introductory phone call.
How about you? Any tips for having more energy that you’d like to share? Leave a comment.
Mayo Clinic: Fatigue Basic Causes
This article is for information purposes only. See Disclaimer below.
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