How to fight fatigue naturally
Posted by Eamonn Brady on
Fatigue- Fighting it naturally (Part 2)
I continue aspects of our diet that influences fatigue as well as other aspects of our health
Keep Alcohol in moderation
Too much alcohol will reduce energy levels. It robs the body of vital vitamins, especially B vitamins which play an important part of releasing energy from food. In excess, it causes high blood pressure, and its diuretic action can dehydrate the body, causing tiredness and headache. Moderation is the key. A good tip is drinking a glass of water in between each alcoholic drink, it will not only reduce the risk of a hangover, but it will keep energy levels up.
Taking a look at sugar intake
It is easy to normalise eating habits which are causing daily damage. Too much caffeine, saturated fat and alcohol is no good for the body and too little exercise is not going to help with long term mobility, flexibility, and good health. Sugar is something we tend to have too much off, and it has an addictive quality; evidence in recent years has proven too much sugar is more dangerous for our health than too much fat. Lowering sugar in our diet can not only be positive to overall health, in the shorter term it can have a big influence on our mood and energy levels.
How much sugar am I “allowed” daily?
The maximum recommended intake of added sugar is 6 teaspoons a day (24g). If adding sugar to tea and coffee, this amount will be reached very quickly. If someone takes sugar in the likes of tea or coffee, use brown sugar rather than brown sugar as it less refined so less is absorbed into the blood stream. Better again, try taking an artificial sweetener as it does not affect blood sugar levels in the same way as refined sugar and has zero calories.
Sugar causes more downs than up
As mentioned earlier, high GI foods like sugars are associated with getting hungry quicker and wanting to eat more. Sugary foods and drinks give quick bursts of energy followed by a big crash thus increasing general fatigue and lethargy. A lot of sugar has a negative effect of mood too.
To be continued…next week I discuss exercise
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