How to Fight Fatigue

Fatigue causes misery for the people who suffer from it. Feeling tired and lethargic, aches and pains and general low mood are just some of the signs of fatigue. Fatigue is a lot more common during the winter months as the winter blues or Seasonal affective disorder begins to take its toll. Feeling drained and exhausted is one of the most common complaints while lack of interest in sex and general lack of motivation is not far behind.

What causes fatigue?

There are many factors that can contribute to fatigue. There are medical conditions as well as lifestyle issues to address when looking for the root of the problem. Problem such as lack of sleep, poor diet and nutrition, infections, colds and flu, cancer, Aids obesity, anaemia and alcoholism and drug abuse can all be the root cause of fatigue. During the winter months fatigue is also a major symptom of seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

How can we combat fatigue?

A good place to start is with a healthy diet. Remember that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Your body needs to eat in the morning to be able to function at its best. After a good night's sleep your body needs a good fuel supply to get going! After all you would not try to take your car out on a long journey on an empty tank! A good way to maintain energy levels is to eat smaller more frequent healthy meals. Eating three smaller healthy meals with three healthy snacks in between will keep the hunger away and keep your energy levels up and should help to fight that afternoon slump. The smaller size meals will also help as large meals take longer to digest which causes you to feel tired while the body uses extra energy to break down the food. This is why you feel tired and sleepy after a big Sunday lunch!

Avoiding processed foods and sugars will also help as these foods cause your blood sugar level to rapidly spike and then crash rather quickly. You will feel the crash with a sudden lack of energy and crave more processed foods to bring your blood sugar back up again. It really is a vicious circle and you will feel much better avoiding these processed carbohydrates. Wholemeal foods are complex carbohydrates and are much better for you as they are high in fibre and release their energy more slowly.

We all know that water is important for our bodies to function properly but it is surprising how few of us actually drink enough through out the day. It is recommended to drink about 8 glasses or roughly two litres of water each day. Tea without sugar counts and so does squash and fruit juices.

Exercise can also help to fight fatigue as exercise causes the body to release endorphins that make us feel great! It is recommended that we exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. Exercise can include walking, gardening, vigorous housework or anything that increases the heart rate. The more exercise you can do the better you will feel.

To help combat feeling tired it is important to get adequate rest from sleep. Try to get a routine going to make sure you get enough sleep. About eight hours is good to aim for, it will help maintain energy levels and keep your immune system functioning on top form.

Finally, taking a multi-vitamin can help to make sure you get enough nutrients that your body needs! Taking extra vitamin C and omega 3 cod liver oil capsules can also help maintain a health immune system and help to boost mood.

Small changes in lifestyle and diet can really help to improve the symptoms of fatigue or even stop fatigue all together. If fatigue persists then it is important to seek advice from a health care professional such as your GP.