Why do I sleep so much, and why do I feel tired all the time? If this is a question you want answers to, don’t worry, you’ll find them here. It’s not normal to feel tired all the time, so let’s get to the bottom of what might be causing your fatigue. Empower yourself to feel fully energized and overcome your fatigue with these tips below.
Growing up, I battled chronic fatigue, falling asleep in class, behind the wheel and sometimes being unable to get up off the couch. I know it’s hard to function and live a normal life when you’re always tired and falling asleep. Now that I lead a healthy lifestyle, I never experience it anymore, and can’t wait to share my secrets with you!
Remember, just like there is no one magic bullet to lose weight, there is usually not just one thing causing your fatigue, it requires adjusting your habits and creating a healthy lifestyle to bring your body into balance.
1. Dehydration
Did you know most people have chronic internal dehydration? Raw plants help you stay hydrated because water is stored in them in a jelly-like substance, and will not be passed through your body as quickly.
Many people think they are getting water in juice or soda, but those items are actually increasing urination and further dehydrating them. Coffee, tea, drinks with sugar and alcohol are all dehydrating and can cause serious fatigue. When your organs are dehydrated, they can’t function, and neither can your brain.
Your goal is to get at least 7-9 servings of uncooked fruits and vegetables every day, as well as two liters of alkaline water. Try not to drink large amounts of water at once because it will just pass right through you. Take small sips throughout the day.
Get a reusable glass, or a steel water bottle to carry your life saving alkaline water around, and your fatigue will start to wash away. Try not to drink more than one glass of alcohol a day or you may continue to struggle with fatigue. I know that sounds boring, but you can have fun without being hammered, I promise.
2. Gluten intolerance
Many people experience symptoms of gluten intolerance, one of which is chronic fatigue. Most people have no clue to how much gluten is affecting their body. Most gluten is highly processed in unhealthy foods like fast foods, chips, cereal, pizza, refined flour pastas and desserts.
Most people experience tiredness from foods that contain gluten, and that tiredness can last 1-7 days. It’s really sad how bad processed food is for our energy levels, and that people are mostly blind to it.
How do you overcome possible gluten intolerance and get your energy back? Do what I had to do in 2007. Cut out processed foods and eat a plant based, whole foods diet. Don’t worry, it will help you lose weight too.
3. Not enough fat
When I first went gluten free I didn’t understand the nutrients that the body needs on a daily basis to have energy. Those nutrients include healthy fats like avocado, oils, nuts and seeds. I experienced the worst chronic fatigue when I cut out all fat from my diet. Once I realized it, I got my energy back.
Your brain needs fat for energy, and it needs the right kinds which are unsaturated. Saturated fats also known as trans fats are what you will find in dairy, greasy fried foods and unhealthy desserts. Healthy fats, that are naturally occurring in nature, are vital to your ability to execute tasks and have energy. At least we don’t have to obsess over cutting out all fat from our diets, right?
Try adding avocado to some organic eggs in the morning. You can cook them with coconut oil. Other healthy oils that do not contain trans fats are grape seed oil, olive oil, avocado oil and walnut oil. Bring an almond butter or salt free, sugar free organic peanut butter snack with celery, carrots, or cucumber slices to work as a mid-morning snack. For an afternoon snack, try raw trail mix.
4. Nutrient deficiency
If you aren’t getting enough live plants in your diet, chances are you are going to feel fatigued. Most of what we are told by companies is food, is actually toxic to our bodies, and offers no value to our energy or productivity. Fast foods and most packaged foods contain little if any nutrients, and our body not only feels hungry soon after feeling stuffed, but it also stays in a constant state of lack.
Our body needs a full spectrum of vitamins and minerals to allow it’s systems to function properly. They all interact and when we aren’t giving ourselves anything but burgers and fries, fatigue is sure to follow. Consider including a raw organic multivitamin or green powder by New Chapter, Garden of Life or Health Force which are available online or at most health food stores.
Yes, you need about 40 grams of protein daily, but that protein will stay stuck in your system if you don’t have live plant enzymes to convert it into amino acids in your body. You could consume 100 grams of protein and feel no more energetic if it can’t be used as energy in your body. Incorporating more raw foods into your diet will do wonders for your energy levels.
5. Excessive caffeine
If you drink multiple cups of caffeine per day, chances are that’s causing your chronic tiredness. Have you ever heard of adrenal fatigue? It’s when your hormones get out of whack because of things like too much caffeine. Your body can’t run on caffeine, it needs nutrients and exercise. Try to cut back to one cup in the morning, and don’t drink energy drinks. Also try not to have caffeine after noon.
Gaia Herbs makes a good supplement to help balance your adrenals called Stress Response.
6. Lack of exercise
Lack of movement is a big cause of sleepiness as well. You need movement to get proper circulation to your brain. When your brain is devoid of oxygen and blood supply, you will feel tired. Movement also literally moves things along in our digestive tract and helps us eliminate waste.
We have to digest regularly in order for the toxins to be removed from our body. If they are not removed from our body, they enter the bloodstream and go right into the brain, causing tiredness. Exercise also releases endorphins, or happy chemicals that stave off depression and keep us motivated. Don’t sit all day, get up and move every thirty minutes.
7. Sugar lows
If you have chronic fatigue it could be from refined sugars, carbohydrate loading, and too much alcohol consumption. If your sugar is constantly spiking and dropping, your energy will too.
Sugar is more addictive than cocaine and its effects on your metabolism, your brain and organs are horrible. Candy, cake, cookies, sugar drinks and sauces, dressings, juices with sugar are making you tired, and they should not be considered suitable for you.
If you respect yourself and want to feel good, which you should, you will eliminate processed sugar from your diet. The best replacement for sugar is organic local raw honey which helps reduce allergies and contains minerals.
Fruit is also a suitable source of healthy sugars, but try to have only 2-3 servings of fruit per day. You should eat healthy small meals every 2-3 hours instead of big meals with long periods of time in between them. Pack snacks like apples and peanut butter and raw trail mix!
8. Constipation
The one thing no one wants to talk about is bowel movement. It’s tied to every part of our lives, our emotional stability, our energy and our health. You should be ‘going’ every day and hopefully twice per day. You should increase your fiber intake and decrease grains. Drink more water and eat raw fruits and veggies.
Green smoothies are a great way to increase the frequency of your elimination, and it’s important to pay attention to this. Your energy will be seriously affected if you’re only going every couple of days. Most of the population is constipated and they don’t even know it. This causes tiredness because the body is heavy with waste. The waste enters the bloodstream and gives us brain fog.
Things you can eat that contain fibers are green vegetables like celery, cucumber, spinach, kale, mixed greens, arugula and chard. Beans and nuts also have high amounts of fiber. Even though oats have fiber, they can cause bloating.
Yoga can also greatly increase your energy levels by opening up your spine and stimulating your digestion. Poses like supine twist and plow pose are great for digestion.
9. Iron deficiency
This is a common cause of tiredness in women, vegetarians and vegans. Things you can eat to increase your iron are plants that are dark in color, like black beans and kidney beans. Spinach is another great source of iron. You don’t have to eat meat to get enough iron; you have to eat more iron to get enough iron.
There are a lot of false perceptions about food out there that are promoted by the companies selling food. People think you need milk, bread and meat to stay healthy, when all of those things contribute to tiredness. It’s important to be aware of how much marketing affects our own perceptions of health. Raw organic iron supplements are a good option as well.
10. B12 and folic deficiency
This is a controversial topic among vegetarians and vegans. I’ve noticed that having some raw honey can boost energy, and it’s not clear if it contains B12’s. Many people who go gluten free suddenly get tired because of a lack of B12 Vitamins and folic acid, which is found in flour.
Folic acid is required to process B12’s into energy. Your best bet is to get a good B Complex supplement with folic acid. I like the one made by Solgar because it is gluten free and doesn’t have fillers.
Finally, you want to make sure you aren’t getting too much sleep or depriving yourself of enough sleep. You need a good 8 hours to regenerate and allow your body to function properly. If you’re only getting an average of six hours per night, chances are you’ll feel tired throughout the day. Also, if you’re getting more than 9 hours, you may also have trouble feeling fully awake.
It’s a good idea to sync up with the rising and setting of the sun, and try to harmonize with the natural circadian rhythms. As a writer, I find my mental clarity at the early hours of the day.
Ancient ayurvedic science studied when our brain is most active, and how to harmonize our sleep habits to optimize our energy and mental clarity. It promotes doing our hardest tasks that we really need to focus on between the hours of 10-2pm. These nutritional and energetic life hacks have been around for a mere 4,000 years.
Remember, your tiredness cannot be killed with one magic bullet. You need healthy food, low amounts of alcohol, caffeine, gluten and sugar. You need regular exercise and a healthy sleep habit. Try to take some time before you go to bed to relax to increase the deepness of your sleep. If you have insomnia, which might make you feel tired during the day, try chamomile or kava tea and restorative yoga videos on youtube.
Your energy levels may take a while to increase as you cleanse your body of processed foods, and get into the habit of regular exercise (preferably twice a day). Just know that as time passes, your energy will continue to increase as your body begins to harmonize and work for you instead of against you.
Try not to mono crop by eating the same thing all the time. Switch up the plants you are eating all the time so you get lots of different nutrients. Free yourself from fatigue and get in the driver’s seat of your life by raising the standards of what you consume and how you spend your time. Don’t be a follower! Be a leader!
Thanks for reading, and we would love to hear your success stories or questions below. We want you to be empowered mentally, physically and emotionally through what you find here on YouQueen.
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