enhance your energy

natural ways to fight fatigue

After more than a dozen years working with midlife women in my nutrition practice, I noticed a trend: In our appointments, clients were enthusiastic about making changes to their food intake to reach their goals, but more often than not, they didn’t follow through on our agreed-upon plans.

In my research on eating habits, I discovered that eating wasn’t the primary focus of midlife women: They were more concerned with their energy levels. They were exhausted. Their get-up-and-go had left the building. They wanted to figure out what food and lifestyle choices would give them energy.

If you are exhausted, you are less likely to expend the effort required to exercise, cook healthy meals from scratch, pursue hobbies that feed your mental and emotional well-being, and so on. I’ve compiled a few minimumeffort strategies you can use to rekindle your energy stores.

Go green!

If the thought of doing anything different in your life makes you want to nap, buy a greens supplement. They offer a variety of nutrients from sources you may not typically eat. Kelp and other seaweeds, for example, provide natural iodine to nourish your thyroid gland, which is at the top of the energyproduction chain.

The algae spirulina is a rich source of minerals and B vitamins. B vitamins are crucial for energy production, and they become depleted when you are stressed. Although they are called “greens” powders, these supplements also can contain ingredients like beets that provide enzymes to improve the digestion and assimilation of nutrients. Remember: You get energy from food. If you aren’t properly digesting food, you’re not benefiting from the energy it provides.

The phytonutrients in greens supplements may also help reduce inflammation, which has been linked to fatigue in patients with autoimmune diseases such as chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and lupus. It is possible, then, that inflammation is a factor in generalized fatigue as well. Before you drink your morning tea or coffee tomorrow, drink a glass of water or juice mixed with a scoop of greens powder. You may be surprised at how much better you feel.

Bring your body into balance

Research of people diagnosed with CFS reveals a connection between genesis of the disease and gut dysfunction. Specifically, those with CFS have an imbalance of intestinal bacteria. Probiotic supplements can improve food digestion, which is crucial for energy production.

Very often, exhaustion will crash in like a wave because blood glucose has dipped. This can result from going too long without a meal or from eating too many highglycemic foods—such as processed cereals and breads—that cause blood glucose to rise rapidly. High blood sugar then causes a flood of insulin to open cells to receive the glucose, which then triggers low blood sugar, which makes you feel light-headed, shaky, and tired.

Try to keep blood sugar on an even keel by slowing down the rate of glucose release into the bloodstream. Always include a source of protein, fat, and fiber in your meals and snacks as these foods take more time

than carbohydrates to reach the bloodstream. Eat every 3 to 4 hours. And although the thought of a walk might sound exhausting, research links this form of exercise with improved glucose metabolism in those with Type 2 diabetes. Start with a walk around the block and see where it takes you! ●

Nutritionist and health researcher Lisa Petty, MA, ROHP, is an award-winning journalist and media health expert. She believes that healthy living is simple— although it often isn’t easy.

SELECTED SOURCES “Gut inflammation in chronic fatigue syndrome” by S.E. Lakhan and A. Kirchgessner, Nutrition & Metabolism • “Physical exercise improves glucose metabolism in lifestyle-related diseases” by Y. Sato et al., Experimental Biology and Medicine • “Reduced diversity and altered composition of the gut microbiome in individuals with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome” by L. Giloteaux et al., Microbiome • “What’s for Supper? The experience of eating for women at midlife” by Lisa Petty, Brock University, 2016