Struggling with fatigue
Dear Donovan,
I am struggling with fatigue. I am very impatient and easily annoyed because I am tired, I assume. I often have to take B-complex to feel OK. When I go to bed early I always wake after four hours of sleep and I’m usually up for at least two hours. It isn’t until I am exhausted that I can sleep throughout the night, and at that point it still isn’t enough. What can I do or eat that will help me?
Feeling fatigued all the time could be due to a lack of sleep or it could be due to other factors. The first thing to do is to check your lifestyle. Sleep, diet, and exercise are fundamental pillars to good health and well-being. If you are not getting good sleep, it will affect how you are eating. Also, it will be hard to exercise properly. These factors are all related and interconnected.
It is best to start off by changing your diet and exercising, then see how you feel. It is very important to eat a balanced diet of fruits, vegetables, vegetable juices, whole grains and healthy proteins. In addition, it might not be a bad idea to start taking in some rich foods into your diet, especially those with vitamin A, C and B complex. These vitamins will improve the immune system and produce energy. The B complex consists of a group of diverse B vitamins that are often called the energy B vitamins. These vitamins play an important role in energy production in the body. These vitamins may help to fight fatigue, poor concentration and irritability. In addition, these vitamins may play a role in the regulation of the functions of all body processes.
If you have changed your diet and are exercising and you are still not feeling energetic, it may be time to get checked out by your physician to see what other factors may be causing you to feel fatigued. These may include anaemia, diabetes, problems with the thyroid gland, heart disease, sleep apnoea, menopause and depression.
Anaemia is a disorder which makes it hard for your blood to move oxygen around. A common type is iron deficiency anaemia. Iron is very important in the transport of oxygen around the body. People with low iron will feel tired.
Diabetes can also make you feel tired. It is suspected that the body uses up a lot of energy to cope with the frequent changes in blood sugar levels. Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of diabetes.
Also, if there is a problem with the thyroid gland, that can also make you feel tired. The thyroid gland makes a hormone that helps control how the body uses energy. People with an underactive thyroid usually feel tired.
Sleep apnoea can also make you feel tired. This is a disorder which prevents you from getting enough oxygen when you sleep. This will cause you to wake up frequently, resulting in fatigue from lack of sleep.
We will answer your weight-related questions
Are you struggling to lose weight, or just need some advice on living a healthier life? Tell us about your health issues and we’ll have nutritionist and wellness coach Donovan Grant answer them for you. Grant has over 12 years’ experience in the fitness industry and is the owner of DG’s Nutrition and Wellness Centre, 39 Lady Musgrave Road. Call him at 876-286-1363. E-mail questions to clarkep@jamaicaobserver.com.
