Fight off fatigue: How to beat that tired feeling
To prevent fatigue altogether, Monisha Bhanote, MD, FASCP, FCAP, triple board-certified physician and Yoga Medicine® instructor, suggests taking a holistic approach.
It’s important to examine your lifestyle, looking at nutrition, sleep and exercise, which can all be contributing factors to fatigue, she says.
Nutrition
“Diet plays a significant part in our energy levels,” says Bhanote.
“The western diet, which is rich in processed foods, refined carbohydrates, and pro-inflammatory ingredients, can overwhelm our body, resulting in fatigue, which can be one of the first signs of developing chronic diseases. These foods do not provide the nutrients necessary for the body’s cellular processes to function properly,” she says.
“Our energy is sustained by the production of ATP [adenosine triphosphate] from our mitochondria and we are responsible for providing this support through nutrition,” Bhanote says. “Eliminating processed foods and reducing sugar can alleviate the blood sugar spike that can result in fatigue.”
She suggests eating a plant-predominant, whole foods diet that supplies a combination of proteins, fats, and low-glycemic index carbohydrates.
Bhanote also suggests getting your nutrient and vitamin levels checked as some deficiencies can cause fatigue. A combination of a well-balanced diet and target supplementation may help if that’s the case, she says.
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