You are about forty and every morning you struggle to get out of bed and only feel fully awake after your first hit of tea/caffeine and the weather does not help.
There are definitely some big contenders for the fatigue inducers! whether you work full-time or have a herd of children, life can be exhausting.
There are a few reasons for this in man and woman those factors depending much from hormones changing and lifestyle.
Whether it is the never ending emails, work deadlines, high pressure demands or simply approaching the end of the year, when things get even busier and we are always on the go we can exhaust our cortisol stores. Cortisol has many responsibilities in the body; it is responsible for our natural stress response, linked to inflammation, blood pressure, blood sugar metabolism, carbohydrate and protein metabolism and a healthy immune response. When we are running on cortisol, our stores deplete. This depletion can throw off the delicate balance within our body and contribute to feeling fatigued.
In the women the hormones naturally fluctuate, and sometimes that can take a lot of energy. For females, not only do our hormones fluctuate day to day throughout a normal menstruation cycle, they also alter over our lifetime menarche, menstruation, perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause. Peri-menopause can start around the age of 35, with women experiencing a decline in progesterone and estrogen. It is this decline that can induce fatigue. Progesterone is famous for helping to calm and elevate moods, and estrogen helps to uplift moods amongst many other things. When both hormones naturally decline during perimenopause, women can feel a little flat, lost and unsettled.
Everybody is unique, and for that simple reason no one diet or lifestyle suits everyone. However, there are some reoccurring foods that may be pulling down your energy. The main contenders are wheat, dairy and as mentioned before refined sugars. As we are busier than ever, we tend to pick the fast food options and while this can be convenient it often is not the most nutrient dense choice.
Consuming higher levels of fructose and refined sugar can be a vicious cycle tired and looking for a quick pick me up, we reach for sugar. The sugar causes a quick rise and drop of blood glucose levels which result in us being tired. Some of the signs of sugar dependence can be craving sugary foods when not hungry, looking for a sweet after each meal and interestingly even being terrified at the thought of quitting sugar can be a sign of needing to reduce sugar intake.
Few research has demonstrated an increasing trend in alcohol consumption over 40; this was particularly evident in women. The health consequences of alcohol consumption are well documented. In regards to nutrition, we know that alcohol increases nutrient loss (often through urination), in particular water soluble B vitamins. B Vitamins have a strong affinity with cellular energy production.
Our BMI and waist circumference can be an indicator of our total health even if is not a perfect index, is an indicator of increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular conditions and other health concerns. Insulin can play a role in our energy levels and general health and wellbeing. The additional abdominal fat can also slow us down and reduce our energy levels.
A healthy sleep routine is right up there with a wonderful whole food diet, balanced lifestyle and good exercise regime. Few studies found a direct correlation that sleep deprivation acutely reduces energy levels. Women suffer almost twice as much from the negative effects of reduced sleep, such as daytime sleepiness, poor memory and concentration. Medical advice for a good rest ia average adult requires between 7-9 hours' sleep daily. Sleep doesn't only support energy levels, it is also the time that our body repairs itself, produces hormones and clears toxins.
In conclusion we were not built to be sedentary nor to follow addictive, punishing exercise regimes either. We are not designed to exist on just a few hours sleep a night, live indoors with very little exposure to sun and nature, eat bizarre combinations of processed foods.
Nor were our brains wired to handle profound amounts of mental and emotional stress. I believe so many of us are exhausted because our modern lifestyle has removed us from nature and we have become divorced from its natural rhythms and cycles.
As humans, we are physically designed to eat natural and seasonal food and exercise in spurts, with time to rest and recover. We thrive with fresh air, sun and water.
We are built to sleep when the sun goes down and wake when it rises. But very few of us are living this way. Instead, we are living at a pace and rhythm that are completely foreign to our genes and biology.
You aspect now from us an answer to all your problems and what to do. Well, what to do it is a easy recipe: no stress, more physical movement, eat healthy and with controlled calories with a limited intake of alcoholic drinks and to conclude the recipe plenty of time for your rest and sleep. Unfortunately it is not possible most of the time to avoid the events of the life so what we can try to live our life with good sense, enjoyable time and philosophy.