Health and energy...

[fajrdrako]

I have been so lacking energy over the past six months that I've been worried about my health. I asked Beulah for advice and she gave me a clipping:

Ten Tips for Energy

1. East at least 5 small meals or snacks per day, at 4-hour intervals. Include breakfast.
   
2. Eat 2,000 calories per day of fresh fruit, veggies, whole grains, low-fat milk products.
   
3. Avoid overeating in the evening.
   
4. Limit caffeine to less than 15-oz per day.
   
5. Limit sugar.
   
6. Drink 6 glasses of water per day.
   
7. Avoid quick weight-loss diets.
   
8. Take time to relax and enjoy life.
   
9. Exercise moderately every day.
   
10. Get enough restful sleep each night.

These are generally easy; the problem is, they are things I've already been taking pains to do every day. And I've still been unnaturally tired all the time. So what's next? Increase exercise? Currently this is taken care of by the exercises the Physiotherapist gave me. I want to walk more, do yoga more, do... something else.

What else? Vitamin pills? More time spent sleeping? But surely 8 hours per night should be enough -?

Comments

[tavella.livejournal.com]

Probably a stupid question -- but have you gone to the doctor to eliminate physical possibilities? Anemia, thyroid, etc?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I did talk to the doctor about it, but we didn't do the testing - nothing except normal blood work. (I'm not anaemic, for example.) If I don't feel more energetic after The Foot heals, I'll probably go back for that. But I hate medical tests - to be avoided at - well, not all costs, obviously, but I like to find other solutions first if possible.

[cionaudha.livejournal.com]

I second this.

Turns out I had sleep apnea.

[omnivorously.livejournal.com]

Word on the blood test. It sounds like *something* is wrong, and it's not something that can be fixed by eating right, exercising, and getting enough sleep. Possibly taking supplements, but a blood test will tell you which supplements. I take tyrosine to compensent for a sluggish thyroid system, but I needed a blood test to find that out in the first place.

[karra.livejournal.com]

Iron pills, maybe. Or B12.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Those might be good.

[sraun]

8 hours per night is actually the average that us poor humans need. Some people do well on less, some need more. So, you might need more like nine or ten. I know I do better on about 9.5 - which means that on the weekend I end up making up some of my sleep deficit, because working 12 hour days makes it really hard to cram in more than 8 hours of sleep!

As tavella pointed out - get checked for physical possibilities. While we didn't realize it until it was pointed out to us, loss of energy due to anemia was one of the symptoms of my leukemia. It just came on so slowly that neither my wife nor I noticed it.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Some people do well on less, some need more.

I guess I'm a 'more'. Sigh.

Yes, weekends are good for sleep. And these days - staying home with The Foot - I get plenty of afternoon naps. Hmm: do you think, when I go back to work, they'll let me take nap breaks? (Don't hold your breath!)

While we didn't realize it until it was pointed out to us, loss of energy due to anemia was one of the symptoms of my leukemia. It just came on so slowly that neither my wife nor I noticed it.

Hmm: really good point. I'll wait till I'm mobile, and then see my doctor.

[theplushiegirl.livejournal.com]

Vitamin D is amazing for improving energy levels =D

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Good suggestion!

[justinej.livejournal.com]

I've stopped eating bread and I've lost half a stone and feel loads better.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

That's terrific!

I could cut bread out, but I'm not sure how much it would help, as I hardly ever eat bread anyway.

But.. now I think of it.. I've been having toast for breakfast more than usually lately.

Good icon!

[meret.livejournal.com]

A daily multi-vitamin certainly can't hurt. I'd recommend seeing a doctor about it, and running some tests. It can be a symptom of a huge amount of things. *hugs*

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes, I guess I should talk to my doctor. After The Foot is healed!

[jwaneeta.livejournal.com]

This is just me, but I joined a gym to counter my lack of energy. This is not something you can really do right now when you're all crippled up, but you might want to try it when you're mobile again.

I never thought I'd like gym-ing, but endorphins are The Bomb, seriously. I feel melloow as a little clam afterwards, and the energy boost carries into the next 24 hours or so. Plus, you get little muscles! I've never had muscles and it cheers me inordinately. :D

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I joined a gym to counter my lack of energy.

A was in a gym a few years back, and I really liked it. And yes, it helped my energy levels. It was a Good Thing.

Muscles are fun, too.

I get this effect with yoga, too. Which is a good reason to start doing it fairly seriously once The Foot is acting like a foot again.

[jwaneeta.livejournal.com]

PS: I found that when I got *more* than eight hours of sleep, it actually made me slower and stupider, so I cut back to 7.5.

Which is unfair. But it helped.

Pip!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

There are days I feel better with 7 hours of sleep, but not consistently. I've yet to discover exactly the right pattern. 7 hours per night would be wonderful!

[mommimus-prime.livejournal.com]

Well, 8 hours isn't enough for me. I like 10.

As for fatigue, I've noticed that as I approach that certain age, I feel less energetic. And the other suggestions can't hurt and can only help...or not. No harm giving them a try. Did you get your thyroid checked?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes, I like 10 hours of sleep, too. Maybe I should take care to get 10 hours per night for a while and see if I feel better?

As for being a certain age... sigh. That doesn't help.

My thyroid should probably be checked. It's always been low, but my current doctor didn't think it was so low that I needed pills. Maybe pills would help.

[kimsrants.livejournal.com]

two things i do when I'm low on energy:

take the iron pills I know I've forgotten to take (both in multivitamin and straight up prescription--anemia is a god awful thing for making me tired)Or eat broccoli, spinach, beans or other high iron food.

spend some time in the daylight. at least 20 minutes. I sleep better at night, feel more awake and rested during the day and the added bonus of a nice glow about me.

other than that, i figure if you stop stressing about how tired you are it may actually help make you less tired. so.. forget about it?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

spend some time in the daylight. at least 20 minutes.

Very good plan!

so.. forget about it?

Relax and enjoy it? That's a good thought.

[tigress35.livejournal.com]

If your doctors can't find anything, try reading some books/websites on Candida. It's a yeast overgrowth in your body and one of its many symptoms is being fatigued all the time for no good reason. The books/websites include checklist point tests to see how likely it is that this could be the cause, ie the more common symptoms (which are usually all things that most doctors treat as separate problems/diseases though for some people they are all caused by yeast overgrowth) you have the more likely it is that you are affected. The books also then go into diets that won't feed the yeast and natural anti-fungal remedies to help kill them. It's worth checking out, I'm going to try it and see if it helps me since I have many of its symptoms.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I had candida problems about twelve years ago - really badly. Got over it, but it's quite posssible the current fatigue has the same cause, and I should be more careful about my diet. But the anti-candida diet is so difficult - I was on it for a long time - off and on, you can't stay on it for a long time. But it might be a good idea to try it for, say, a week, to see if I feel better.

[tigress35.livejournal.com]

Oh, and many people who are allergic to wheat, wheat gluten and grains also feel very tired all the time. It also could be worth cutting those out of your diet completely (have to be careful though, since many processed food products have hidden wheat even if it's not labeled) and seeing if your energy levels improve. This applies for other food allergies as well, but wheat is a very common one and I hear many people say that they are tired for hours after eating wheat. People can also develop food allergies/intolerances at any time in their life, so don't count it out immediately if you know that you weren't allergic/intolerant in the past.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

many people who are allergic to wheat, wheat gluten and grains also feel very tired all the time.

I fear this may be a problem - because gluten encourages candida. I don't mind giving up wheat - though it's difficult because wheat products are put in so many foods - but giving up oatmeal is painful!

I try not to eat processed foods. But one can't control what's served in restaurants to much.

People can also develop food allergies/intolerances at any time in their life, so don't count it out immediately if you know that you weren't allergic/intolerant in the past.

I found that with candida problems, I could be allergic to a food one week and fine with it the next. It was hard to keep up with the flow.

[walkingowl.livejournal.com]

People with very good thoughts.

Keep in mind that vitamins and other supplements often have hidden ingredients. For instance, many are packed with soy. Soy will give many people the same symptoms as thyroid problems do, and no allopathic doctor (in my experience) has the brains to ask about that; sorry, bitter here, but I had to diagnose my own soy intolerance, because my physician never even asks if I've eaten well or had a full night's sleep before just handing me a test to take to measure how depressed I am! This, when I have to get up too early, drive too far, and then risk sitting in a cold room for 45 minutes anyway even if I am on time, and yes by god I'm going to be sullen, unresponsive, and cranky when you finally step in!!!

I recommend Chinese medicine. Really. This will see immediately what your energy is doing, and give solutions. Honest.

But think about hidden food intolerances, too. It did wonders for me to cut soy; in fact, it cleared things up enough that now I am finding that I have minor but significant sensitivities to several other things, too, and as I cut back on them I keep feeling more and more in balance.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I recommend Chinese medicine. Really. This will see immediately what your energy is doing, and give solutions. Honest.

Yeah. I'll save up a little.

I recommend Chinese medicine. Really. This will see immediately what your energy is doing, and give solutions. Honest.

Quite possibly wheat.

[wijsgeer.livejournal.com]

not many good tips not yet mentioned. I second the 'enjoy!!!' try not to have a too fixed idea about how many hours sleep you need, healing and bone mending do cost energy.
Do something new. If only get a cookbook from a foreign cuisine and make unusual recipes or bake bread. (thinking of stuff you can do indoors). Getting sunlight is good!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Oooh, Dalek cookies! Can I have one?

You're quite right about the advice to 'enjoy', and I know I shouldn't fret about my lack of pep. I'll take it easy and slowly.... And get sunlight.

And I really to feel like doing something new. Unusual recipes - good idea.

They say a change is as good as a rest, and I really feel like a change.