ENERGIZE

5 REASONS YOU ARE FEELING TIRED

Why am I always tired? Is a question some of us always ask ourselves. Feeling tired all the time has become so common, it's like flu. Although it is not contagious, most of us experience it or have experienced it at some point of our lives and have had no clue why. Even when you have a sensible lifestyle and don't have any serious illnesses, you might still feel tired all the time. Here are 5 reasons why you might be feeling tired:

1. The first reason is lack of sleep, or the quality of sleep. What is sleep? Sleep is the condition of body and mind which usually recurs for several hours at night where the nervous system is inactive, the postural muscles are relaxed and consciousness is suspended. What happens when you don't sleep for a minimum of 7-9 hours a day? You are producing more C-reactive protein. C-reactive protein is link with heart attack risk and is higher in people who get 6 or lower hours of sleep. Throughout the process of sleeping, because consciousness and the nervous system are inactive, stress levels are reduced, resulting in a more controlled blood pressure. As a result of lack of sleep, your ability to think, remember and process information will be impaired. All of this plays a large role in combating fatigue. When you are sleeping, you are allowing your body to recover by producing new cells while you rest. So if you do not give you body enough time to recover, it will result in fatigue and many other problems. Getting 7-9 hours of sleep everyday should keep you off-track with fatigue.
    
2. You are tired because you aren't drinking enough water. Even a 2% fluid loss within your body can affect your energy levels, says Amy Goodson, RD, a dietician for Texas Health Ben Hogan Sports Medicine. Blood volume is reduced as a result of dehydration, which leads to blood thickening and lowers the speed of oxygen reaching your muscles and organs because your heart pumps less efficiently. It is important to consume 8-10 glasses of water to stay hydrated and have balanced energy levels.
    
3. Skipping breakfast can really bring your health down. Food is used as fuel to pump your blood and keep the flow of oxygen running. At night, when the last meal for the next 8 hours is dinner, and your body has been working internally the entire night, you need to restock on fuel. Breakfast is the refueling your body needs to get you going throughout the day. So if you skip out on breakfast, it is very likely that you will feel sluggish throughout your day even after a good night's sleep. Breakfast is needed to kick start the metabolism in your body, so it is important not to skip this meal of the day.
    
4. Being dependent on caffeine to get you through the day can be one of the reasons why you're feeling exhausted. Consuming caffeine in high quantities can really disturb your sleeping cycle. Along with a disturbed sleeping cycle, you may experience caffeine-crashes. Caffeine blocks the active cells that drive you to sleep. So when a high amount of caffeine is consumed, you will be unable to sleep at night. It is best to cut out caffeine by mid-afternoon to have better sleep at night. For energy, keep the dependency of caffeine low and snack on high energy foods like edamame beans, whole grain cereal bars, goji berries and bananas.
    
5. If you are frequently relying on junk food as part of you breakfast, lunch and dinner, then there is something seriously wrong with the diet. Living on junk food means that the only nutrients you're probably getting are simple carbs and sugar. Simple carbs rapidly increase blood sugar. If you are running on junk food, you are most likely to experience sharp blood sugar drops which will later be the reason for you feeling worn out. To run efficiently the body needs so much more than that. It is so important to incorporate a balance of nutrients within your diet. To have stable blood sugar levels, incorporate lean protein in every meal.