Fighting Fatigue
- By Alexis Costello     

  
Short days filled with Okanagan clouds.  For many, myself included, when the days are dark it can be hard to find the energy to get out of bed, let alone be a productive member of society.  Some try to boost their energy levels by using stimulants like sugar and caffeine.  While this works in the short term, it sets the body up for a cycle of blood sugar spikes and crashes that can be deadly in the long run.

            According to Prescriptions for Nutritional Health; “fatigue is usually the result of poor dietary lifestyle and habits, especially the combination of high-fat and high-refined-carbohydrate diet and emotional stress.” Since December is traditionally full of office parties, family gatherings, and above all, stress, it makes sense that even those of us who make an effort to eat well tend to consume more sugars and fats then usual.

            One way to counteract this is to make sure that the meals you eat at home are well balanced and healthy.  Fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, seeds and nuts are nutrient dense, providing a range of vitamins, minerals and essential fats in a small amount of calories.  Green drinks and live juices fall into this category as well.  Eating smaller meals throughout the day can improve digestion, allowing the body to actually utilize the building blocks that are consumed.  This also helps keep blood sugar levels stable, which diminishes the cravings for those refined carbohydrates. 

            B vitamins are water-soluble.  The body has a hard time storing them, so it is important that they are there in the diet every day.  B vitamins are needed for a healthy nervous system; they keep the mind alert, are used in hormone production, and are necessary for the proper digestion and conversion of food into energy.  A B-complex (which should include the essential vitamins, plus lipotropic factors like choline and inositol) can make a huge difference.  They should be taken with food to avoid stomach upset. 

            Other supplements that can boost energy are bee pollen and spirulina.  Both of these provide essential amino acids alongside minerals that can rev the body up without causing a blood sugar spike.  These can also help you deal more effectively with stress. 

For some, the problem is more serious.  Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is described as overwhelming fatigue which does not go away, even with rest, accompanied by physical and psychological complaints, including confusion, depression, difficulty thinking or concentrating, irritability, fever, chills, pain in joints and lymph nodes, muscle weakness, sleep disturbance, and headaches.  CFS often goes hand in hand with fibromyalgia, in which chronic muscle pain is the most prominent symptom.  If you think that you may have CFS, make an appointment with your doctor for a diagnosis, then see a nutritional consultant for natural recommendations. 

People have become so used to being tired all the time that we accept it as normal, when, in fact it’s not.  Our bodies are designed to be energetic and healthy, no matter how gloomy it is outside!  Making a few small changes to get back to that state now could save you from the pain of chronic illness later on.

Alexis Costello is a local natural health consultant, writer and mommy.  She can be reached at Okanagan Natural Care Centre, 763-2914