Beebleblog

Nowadays a lot of us live very fast pace lifestyles where we feel as if we are running out of hours in the day. With all this frantic work and play our bodies are going to suffer at some point. It is becoming more and more common for us to get tired and run down during the day which in turn will increase stress levels as our tiredness affects our ability to cope in difficult situations. This also affects our blood pressure which is very bad for our health.

So why do so many of us feel tired all the time? We have to look at possible causes and really the main causes are lack of sleep, lack of food, dehydration and finally lack of exercise. All of these are main contributors but rarely work alone, it is more often a combination of all four and usually all four of them working together that cause our fatigue.

Lack of Sleep

It is fairly obvious why not getting enough sleep will effect how tired you feel so I am not going to go into this one in detail on this occasion. However if you do have problems sleeping please read our article on sleep. You should also find that your sleep improves when you deal with your diet, water intake and exercise.

Lack of Food

Food is our source of energy and if we don’t get the right quantities of nutrients then our bodies won’t function properly. It is known that we need sugars, carbohydrates and fats to create energy but we also need the protein, vitamins and minerals to help our bodies function correctly and cope with everything thrown at it.

Low blood sugar levels can cause that feeling of fatigue and having sugars or foods that are high on the Glycaemic Index will help this in the short term however a few minutes after the sugar rush there will be a crash where you will feel worse than before. This is why it is important to have slow release foods or those that are low on the G.I. This allows the body to use the sugar over a longer period of time which successfully maintains the energy levels. This is better for the body as there is no lack of energy and the body can work better at a constant energy level rather than one with peaks and troughs. It is possible to make foods more complex by combining them with protein or fibre. This helps slow down the release of energy. To help with this in your own diet you should try and eat regularly and have smaller meals. (Little and often – Beeble) Also avoid foods that are high on the G.I. Which means very sweet foods and processed foods (yes it is time to eat healthy – Beeble). To find out where foods are on the G.I. and for a good healthy diet, visit this link.

Water is Vital

Water is as important as diet, with such a large percentage of our bodies made up from water even one percent less in our bodies has a major effect on how we perform. Our brains can’t function as well when we are dehydrated as the signals don’t get through as quickly resulting in poor performances at work and in the gym. This means wasted time all round as everything will take longer to do. Not good for business and not good for your bodies if you want to get the most from your workout.

To help avoid this there are a couple of things you need to take into account. The first is to take on more water: approximately 2 litres spread out through the day and more if you do anything that uses up water, for example exercise and if you eat sweet foods or drink sweet drinks and/or tea and coffee. All these use up much more water from your body to help digest them and make them suitable for our bodies. So you can see what damage foods and drinks high in the G.I. start to do to our bodies. So try and avoid these foods and drinks or keep them to a minimum. You may need as much as 3 litres even 4 litres a day if you exercise on that particular day.

Exercise

Exercise is fantastic at keeping our energy levels high. A large amount of clients of mine have seen the benefits of having a healthy diet and good workout routine. The exercise strengthens the heart and the lungs which in turn helps the body to function better. It also means that when things become stressful the blood pressure doesn’t rise as much and allows you to stay more relaxed. The long and short of it being is that if you can stay in control when things get stressful then you will be on top form.

Many of my clients after training for 6 months and making the changes to their diet have felt so much better that they have taken chances and had promotions at work that have really paid off. This isn’t because my training style is anything special it is just the simple facts that if you give your body what it needs to function and you keep it exercised and in tip top condition then you can take on so much more than when you are stuck in a unhealthy body that can’t perform properly.

Summary

•    Get a good amount of sleep: on average 8 hours a night
•    Drink plenty of water: around 2 litres spread throughout the day and more if you exercise
•    Eat a good wholefood diet that doesn’t include foods that are high in the Glycaemic Index
•    Exercise to keep the heart and lungs healthy and the body and mind strong

For a better idea on what I mean by whole food diet visit the good food doctor link on the left menu.

Combining all these together will give you the best results, you will have a stronger immune system to fight off illness and will be healthier and more alert. It doesn’t happen over night and I have seen some people take as long as 6 months to really start to feel the difference. However it is not magic it is fact and if you stick to it, work hard and break old habits you to will get there and will be the better for it.

Good luck to you all and it would be great to hear back from anyone who tries this and benefits, or doesn’t.

Remember that in a very few cases some illnesses can be the cause of the fatigue so it is always best to get yourself checked out by your doctor first to eliminate these.

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