3 ways your diet is causing your fatigue
Is your diet the cause of your fatigue?
Do you wake up feeling exhausted even after 8 hours of sleep? Often feel like you got hit by a bus? Can’t survive without huge amounts of caffeine and always face an “afternoon slump”?
Suspect you may have adrenal fatigue or thyroid problems?
(Not sure what adrenal fatigue is? Read this.)
Your diet is the first place you should start evaluating.
What you are eating, how much and when can have huge impacts on your energy levels throughout the day. Over time this can have significant impacts on your metabolism, stress levels and in turn the adrenals/HPA axis.
Here are the top three ways your current diet may be ruining your metabolism, taxing your adrenals and ultimately leading to you being tired all the time:
1. You’re not getting enough nutrients from your diet
If you are eating a diet full of processed foods you are not providing yourself with the nutrients your body needs to give you energy. Real whole foods will provide your body with the most nutrients. My general rule of thumb is if you can’t pronounce the ingredient or don’t know what it is..it probably shouldn’t be going in your body. Your body relies on many vitamins, minerals and amino acids (magnesium, vitamin C, B vitamins are big players just to name a few) to function optimally. Ensuring you’re getting enough protein, carbs and fat from the right sources is the first step towards giving your body the nutrients it needs.
So what if you supplement to get those nutrients? You cannot out supplement your way out of a crappy diet. Your body can break down and utilize the nutrients found in food much easier than it can in most supplements. This is because it is in a bioavailable form that your body can recognize. Many supplements are of low quality and in forms your body doesn’t recognize or has a hard time utilizing. It is also best to get nutrients from your diet instead of relying on a supplement. Some supplements may be necessary but we will get into that more later.
2. You’re not eating enough
Are you under the impression that the less you eat the better? Think that 1200 calories per day diet is where it’s at? Unless you’re a small child, you probably need to eat more than that. Especially if you are active. Your body will down regulate its metabolism to respond to that low caloric intake, which can lead to fatigue.
When you restrict calories too low your body responds by thinking it’s in danger. When your body thinks it's in danger it will use as little energy as possible and store the rest. We want to let the body know it’s safe and provide it with enough fuel. Our bodies cannot run optimally with an empty tank.
Although every body is different and the amount of calories you need is dependent on the activities of the day or that time of month, a general rule of thumb for a woman is at least 1800 calories/day. Slowly start eating more if you are currently in the low range.
3. You’re on a blood sugar roller coaster
Your body is constantly working to keep your blood sugar from getting too high or too low. Your liver, pancreas and adrenal are big players in making this happen. The goal for the best energy levels is to keep it steady without any significant spikes. Eating certain foods by themselves or going too long without eating are a few ways you can cause a blood sugar roller coaster to occur. This is also a good way to keep your body stressed out.
Pairing protein, carbs and fat together at every meal is the best balance to keep blood sugar stable and reduce stress. If you experience significant energy highs and lows through the day, get “hangry” or shaky if you miss a meal you may be experiencing unstable blood sugar. Eating a combination of protein, carb and fat every 2-3 hours can help keep blood sugar stable and keep your adrenals from having to jump in to help.
Consistently eating enough high quality foods in the right macronutrient combinations at the right times should be your first step towards healing your body and getting your energy back.
Curious what eating like this even looks like? Sounds complicated?
Check out this 5 day meal plan as a starting point: