Energy deficit
*Click here for a chart that lists foods that provide energy-boosting nutrients.
On the list below, answer "yes" or "no" to the symptoms that are familiar and persistent for you:
• feeling tired all the time
• using coffee, tea, or a cigarette to get you going in the morning
• feeling unrefreshed after sleep
• experiencing energy slumps during the day
• having mood and concentration swings
• craving sweet and starchy food, coffee, tea, alcohol, cigarettes
• getting angry easily
• over-reacting to pressing or antagonistic issues
• regularly feeling impatient
• feeling anxious or nervous
If you answered "yes" to five or more symptoms, you will almost certainly feel more energetic if you follow the following advice:
Energy deficit
Sometimes everything just seems like such an effort, and all you can think of is bedtime. We all have our off days when we feel low in energy, but for many people, this is pretty much a permanent way of life. Yes, it is normal to feel tired after a week of getting up early, working hard, exercising, and going to bed late. But the tiredness some people experience every day is more like a constant, wiped-out, drained feeling. And when you feel that way, it's almost impossible for you not to get tetchy with your family, friends, and coworkers.
Unless you have an underlying illness, your weariness and irritability are probably easily surmountable. With a little effort, you can identify and tackle the root causes of your tiredness and adopt a diet and lifestyle that truly energize you. However, if your tiredness is extreme or prolonged, you should talk to your doctor in order to rule out any potentially serious causes.
Identifying the cause of your tiredness
There is a host of reasons why you may be feeling weary, many of which are simple to overcome. For example, being dehydrated can make you tired. Try drinking at least six glasses of bottled or filtered water daily and you may well quickly see an improvement in your energy levels. Similarly, if you are not eating nutritious foods, you may be missing out on some important energy nutrients. Your doctor may find that low iron stores (especially common in women and vegetarians) are at the root of your problem, in which case you will need to increase your intake of iron-rich foods and even perhaps take iron supplements.
If your body is not detoxifying efficiently, you can raise your energy levels by changing to a diet that supports your body's detoxification mechanisms rather than hampering them. Alternatively, your tiredness could be the result of a sensitivity to certain foods. Again, simple dietary changes -- identifying and eliminating from your diet the foods that are causing the adverse reaction -- can make all the difference.
Common causes of persistent tiredness that are not directly diet-related include an underactive thyroid gland, which your doctor can test for. Lack of sleep is another obvious culprit -- if you are not sleeping well, you are bound to be tired and tetchy. Depression may also manifest itself as ongoing tiredness and irritability.
*Click here for a chart that lists foods that provide energy-boosting nutrients.
Excerpted from Feel Good Foods by Natalie Savona. Copyright 2003 by Natalie Savona. Excerpted, with permission by Duncan Baird Publishers. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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