Energy Boosting...

The Causes of the Beast Called Fatigue are Endless

Still Healthy and Strong in His 90's...

First: See your doctor

Chances are that you’ve already talked to your doctor about this but it's always worth one more visit to your health-care practitioner to search for and try other ways to combat your fatigue: Iron or vitamin B12 deficiency, depression and hypothyroidism are call common triggers for women. It’s also possible to miss a diagnosis like this because you ‘expect’ fatigue…  However, to address this may make you feel quite a bit brighter.

Stay hydrated

“Most of us suffer from dehydration and don’t even know it” says Annie Salsberg, a Toronto-based doctor of naturopathic medicine. “Drink half of your body weight in ounces of water every day,” she recommends. “And for every cup of coffee, drink two cups of water.”  Since dehydration triggers not only fatigue but all unwelcome cronies (fogginess, lethargy, apathy), water should be looked upon as medicinal. Personally I am not a big water drinker naturally but I add a slice of lemon to ice water or a slice of lemon and half a teaspoon of honey to boiling water and I find I can enjoy both of them.

Get More Sleep

Personally I find getting more sleep difficult, especially now that I don’t particularly want to go to bed alone.  I have made my bed as attractive a place as possible and always read a novel (light and fun and not too scary) and I use a special underblanket that is more expensive than a regular electric blanket but which protects against magnetic fields from most electric appliances (lamp, radio, clock etc)   Sometimes I encourage a phone call from a friend last thing at night too, when I’m already in bed.  However, if you have a partner, chatting with another beau may not be a good idea!

Sleep hygiene is the term given to a healthy sleep 'environment'.  Erratic, volatile sleep schedules wreak immediate chaos on energy levels. So the amount of sleep you get is just as important as when you get it. “Think of yourself as a baby,” says Salsberg, “and put yourself on a regular routine: Go to bed and get up at the same time everyday.” Ideally, try to tuck in between 10 and 11, and rise between six and seven.

A faithfulness to that kind of virtuous schedule helps balance levels of cortisol, a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands that’s essential for managing stress, mood, and energy. (Up-and-down cortisol levels cause sluggish adrenal function, which in turn may cause fatigue.) “Since cortisol function is highest between six and seven in the morning,” says Salsberg “it’s preferable to rise at that time, so you can stay in sync with your natural energy stores.”

Eat right

Load up on protein. (Eat a serving per meal of things like peanut butter, low-fat milk or cheese, and chicken breast.) And instead of sugars and white, refined foods such as bread or pasta (which cause energy surges and nap-inspiring crashes), choose complex carbs. “Not all carbs are created equal,” says Salsberg, who doesn’t endorse that anti-carb craze. What she does endorse are high fibre foods such as fruits, veggies, nuts and seeds, which, she says, are key to maintain energy. “High-fibre foods slow the release of sugar into the blood stream and help prevent the hypoglycaemic dips.” Greens are even better; they detoxify and boost energy. And if you don’t want to graze daily on kale-and-rapini dinners, health-food stores carry greens in powder form: You can get your daily dose, without ingesting a forest’s worth of verdure.

I also need to take supplements and I find that if I miss them even for a couple of days I feel much more easily tired and it’s harder and takes longer to pick up afterwards.  In fact within a couple of days I begin to get acne.  For me - and, I've learned, for most of us whose bodies have had to deal with a physical trauma, vitamins and supplements are key.  Usana are by far the highest quality and their purity is recommended by doctors - ask Simon here for free individual advice.  I also use Melatonin at night and MAXGXL glutathione - see Andrew's great article on glutathione and/or phone Andrew at 250 881 0499 and tell him you read about him here on ReBuildingYou!

Exercise

Exercise is a fantastic way to push the boundaries of your fatigue and slowly build up your stamina.  For the first few weeks you may be so exhausted after your exercise that you need to sleep for an hour or two.  Don’t take this as a sign that you can’t do it!  Persevere and you will quite quickly pick up and take this exercise in your stride.  Try to start off by exercising in the mornings – even after 20+ years I still find it difficult to exercise in the evenings.

“Find any way to quicken your heart rate for half an hour, three to five times a week. I’m a big advocate for walking,” says Salsberg. While lethargy tends to breed more lethargy (when you’re tired, going spinning or walking might seem punishingly counterintuitive), it’s important (albeit sometime painful) to kick-start an exercise routine. And since exercise tends to trigger the release of endorphins (the happy hormone), cardio also helps to quash fatigue’s faithful accomplice: depression.

The last thing I feel like doing when I'm tired is exercise.  But it's also one of the most effective things to do to increase your stamina.  Try walking for half an hour, three or four times a week.  After a few months you may still feel tired - but you will be doing more!  Guraranteed! That's something else we humans seem to do automatically: fill up our available energy with chores!

Tip!  Remember, dance is also a great form of exercise!  As is singing in a choir.  Your walk could be in a favourite place or with a favourite person...

It's quite usual after trauma to suffer from bone-weary tiredness. Even after 25 years I still need to boost immune system and become very quickly exhausted unless I take a really good multi-vitamin, extra vitamin E, CoQ10 - all from Usana, who make excellent quality supplements.  I also use Melatonin at night and MAXGXL glutathione.  If I forget to take any one of these supplements I'm exhausted within a day or two and within three or four days I begin to break out in acne.  My acne seems to be directly related to the need to boost immune system and exhaustion and provided I remember to always take my supplements and drink plenty of water and get some fresh air and exercise I have a clear complexion.   with love and kindness, Julie 

Mike Geary The Truth About Six Pack Abs - Review of Mike Geary's ebook The Truth About Six Pack Abs.