Do you struggle with maintaining your energy levels throughout the day? An afternoon slump or desire to take an evening nap can really put a damper on your day and get in the way of your routine. So, how does one avoid falling victim to fatigue? There are certain vitamins, activities, and foods that can help support your energy levels in a stable way!
Reasons Why You Might Be Experiencing More Fatigue
There are loads of reasons why you cannot seem to shake the feeling of tiredness throughout your day.
- Iron-deficiency - An iron-deficiency or what is also known as anemia is a potential cause for your lack of energy. When someone is low on iron, their body struggles to bring oxygen into their blood leading to fatigue. A physician can test your iron levels to see if they are at a decent place.
- Sleep apnea or sleep complications - Sleep is essential for our body to feel properly rested and rejuvenated. Sleep apnea, anxiety, stress, and high cortisol can all contribute to restlessness. If you have poor sleep, consider finding a way to improve this aspect of your life to avoid fatigue.
- Anxiety or depression - Anxiety and depression can both negatively contribute to one’s energy levels. When a person is anxious or depressed, there is a chance their body reacts by feeling exhausted to the point where they do not want to participate in normal activities. Be sure to check in with how you are feeling when trying to get to the root cause of your fatigue.
- Hormone fluctuations - Excess amounts of progesterone can cause a person to feel extremely tired. Also, if your thyroid struggles to produce thyroid it can cause your energy levels to decline.
The connection between energy levels and digestion is the last potential reasoning for fatigue that we want to highlight. Due to the connection between the gut and the brain, it is crucial to understand how to best take care of your digestive health to avoid triggering fatigue. The body produces a large amount of a person’s serotonin in the gut, meaning when your gut is unstable this process becomes interrupted. Harmful bacteria, inflammation, and a disregard for digestive health will negatively contribute to this situation. Be sure to find a probiotic for bloating to avoid hurting your gut and in turn your energy.
The Vitamins and Nutrients That Can Help Eliminate Fatigue
So, how can we support our energy levels to eliminate that afternoon slump once and for all? Incorporating vitamins and nutrients that are focused on your energy is a great place to start.
Vitamin B12 is one of the most popular and widely known energizing nutrients. Vitamin B12 helps regulate your blood and nerve cell health. When someone is vitamin B12 deficient they are more likely to experience tiredness; so, finding ways to add vitamin B12 into your diet is crucial.
Magnesium helps your body produce energy and can reduce the amount of lactate in your system which in turn helps one avoid fatigue. Low levels of magnesium can cause a host of health issues, but luckily it can be found in a variety of different foods or in supplement form. Be sure to take note of the amount of magnesium you are consuming, because overconsumption can actually cause digestive complications rather than eliminate them.
In a similar fashion, ashwagandha is an herb that gives off a similar energizing effect to coffee without the added anxiety that some people might experience with coffee. Ashwagandha is actually known for its relaxing properties, so its mix in impact creates an unmatched relaxing energy that will help you take on the rest of the
Certain Foods and Activities That Are Supportive of Your Energy Levels
Our meals are what give us the energy to be able to tackle the day, but does the type of food we eat impact how our energy levels react? The answer is yes. There are certain foods that will offer you energy for a limited amount of time before sending you right into a state of extreme fatigue. Processed foods and meals in excess sugar can have this negative effect.
Instead, we need to be incorporating energizing ingredients into our meals that will offer us energy that will continue to keep on giving. Complex carbohydrates are superior to regular carbohydrates due to the time it takes for your body to process the carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are made up of longer chains that your body takes longer to process and thus leads to more stable and long lasting energy levels.
Protein is another underrated nutrient when it comes to energy stabilizing. The digestion of protein takes longer than other nutrients, meaning it takes longer to completely process through your system which leads to more energy in the end. Consider eating high-protein lunch meals to avoid triggering an afternoon slump.
When it comes to lifestyle, there are certain pillars that each person should implement to support their energy levels. Drinking water, exercising, and participating in relaxing activities are crucial to keeping your heart, body, and mind healthy. While it might seem contradictory, a sedentary lifestyle can actually cause you to feel more fatigued than participating in workouts. Regular exercise helps to improve your lung and heart health leading to more energy throughout the day.
All in all, your energy levels are crucial to having a successful day so do not let these poor daily habits cause you to struggle with fatigue. Instead, implement these pillars, vitamins that help with bloating, and foods into your routine!