What Can You Take For Fatigue

Not Eating Enough Calories

Consuming too few calories can cause feelings of exhaustion.

Calories are units of energy found in food. Your body uses them to move and fuel processes like breathing and maintaining a constant body temperature.

When you eat too few calories, your metabolism slows down in order to conserve energy, potentially causing fatigue.

Your body can function within a range of calories depending on your weight, height, age and other factors.

However, most people require a minimum of 1,200 calories per day to prevent a metabolic slowdown.

Experts on aging believe that although metabolism decreases with age, older people may need to eat at the top of their calorie range in order to perform normal functions without becoming fatigued .

In addition, its difficult to meet your vitamin and mineral needs when calorie intake is too low. Not getting enough vitamin D, iron and other important nutrients can also lead to fatigue.

In order to keep your energy levels up, avoid drastic cuts in calorie intake, even if your goal is weight loss. You can calculate your calorie needs using the calorie calculator in this article.

SUMMARY:

Your body requires a minimum number of calories in order to perform daily functions. Consuming too few calories can lead to fatigue and make it difficult to meet nutrient needs.

Organise Your Living And Work Spaces

You might find there are practical changes that can be made to the places you work and live. Maybe re-organising desks or cupboards, or adjusting the temperature or lighting to suit you better.

Sometimes, the simplest of changes can make the workplace or home more energy efficient for you.

An occupational therapist can help you assess the spaces you use at work and at home – and may suggest adaptations or equipment that could help. For more information about the support that occupational therapists can offer, and how to find one, download or order our leaflet Occupational therapy and MS.

Make Your Own Energy Drink

Dont turn to store-bought energy drinks. They are, I think, one of the most ridiculous marketing schemes to take over in recent years. Youre paying an absurd amount for something that is doing you more harm than good-and its really not going to wake you up in the long run. It will, in all reality, probably make things worse. So make your own instead-theyre delicious, satisfying, good for you, and will give you the wonderful long lasting energy youre looking for.

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What The Patient Can Do

• Rest, but not too much. Plan your day so you have time to rest. Take short naps or rest breaks , rather than one long nap during the day. Too much rest can lower your energy level and make it harder to sleep at night.
• Certain drugs used to treat pain, nausea, or depression can make a person feel tired and sleepy. Talk with your cancer care team about this. Sometimes adjusting the doses or changing to a different drug can help.
• Talk to your health care team about any problems with your nutritional intake
• Regular moderate exercise especially walking is a good way to ease fatigue. Talk to your doctor about the right exercise plan for you.
• Ask your family or friends to help with the things you find tiring or too hard to do.
• Try to sleep 7 to 8 hours each night. Sleep experts tell us that having regular times to go to bed and get up helps us keep a healthy sleep routine.
• Each day, prioritize decide which things are most important to you and focus on those tasks. Then plan ahead. Spread activities throughout the day and take breaks. Do things slowly, so that you wont use too much energy at once
• Avoid caffeine
• Avoid exercising too late in the evening.

Natural Supplements And Herbs For Adrenal Support

Chronic stress and fatigue are important signs your adrenals are overworked and in need of repair. If you’ve ever attempted to fix your symptoms with caffeine and sugar or even sleeping pills, you already know theres a big problem with that approach any momentary relief you get is followed by feeling even worse. Theres got to be a better way, and there is!

According to a growing body of research, key vitamins, minerals and herbs and other plant-based compounds offer powerful help to restore underlying adrenal function and protect the body from stress.

Some of these natural substances nourish adrenal glands and provide raw materials for healthy cortisol production. Others go a step further, interacting with the central nervous system and immune system to balance the bodys fight-or-flight response and make it easier to return to equilibrium and calm after a stress challenge.

Lets take a closer look at these compounds and how natural adrenal supplements can help.

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A Natural Energy Booster

Some people say its counter-productive to take an energy-boosting supplement when youre already stressed and tired, but we know you live in the real world. If youre knackered from a day at work but need to go and train legs, what option do you have? There are a few all-natural supplements you could use to boost energy but lets look at our powder.

Forget cans of fizzy energy drink. is one of the best energy supplements to sip on when you need a boost. It will hydrate you, give you those all-important BCAAs, and support your energy too without over-stimulating you.

This is a branched-chain amino acid formula with a boost! It actually contains BCAAs in a 3:1:1 ratio. We also added guarana and green coffee extract, two effective natural energy sources which give you 100mg natural caffeine. Enough for a good boost without jitters or a crash.

What are your favourite supplements for combating fatigue, tiredness and stress? Let us know on socials by tagging #TeamBulk.

About the Author:

Nicola Joyce has been writing for sport, fitness, nutrition and healthy living since 2004. Shes also a keen sportswoman: her background is in endurance sport but she now competes as a natural bodybuilder. Most recently, she won a world title with the INBF. When shes not writing content, she can be found blogging. Follow her here www.nicolajoyce.co.uk and on & Twitter too.

General Suggestions For Exercise

• Regular, light exercise such as walking has been shown to reduce fatigue as well as nausea and vomiting, and can help some people to sleep better
• Plan some activity or light exercise into your day
• If exercise is impossible, try to stay active in your daily routine
• Pay attention to how your body reacts to exercise: how did you sleep? How did you feel the next day?
• Drink plenty of fluids before, during and after exercise
• Perhaps keep a record of your activities to share with your doctor or nurse, so they can help monitor your progress
• It’s important to find a balance between activity and rest, and to exercise in a way that allows the muscles to recover after activity
• Dont exercise if you feel unwell, are in pain or have any other symptoms that worry you, such as feeling breathless. Let your doctor know if you feel unwell or have worrying symptoms

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Psychological Causes Of Tiredness

Psychological tiredness is much more common than tiredness caused by a physical problem. Both anxiety and depression can make you feel very tired. Eating disorders can make you feel tired, particularly if you are underweight or overweight. Any cause of a sleep problem will also cause tiredness during the day.

Stress is a common cause of tiredness, either because it interferes with sleep, or because of the effect of having a worry on your mind all the time.

Other possible causes include:

Being Overweight Or Underweight

Overweight increases the risk of fatigue by increasing the risk of conditions that have fatigue as a common symptom, such as diabetes or sleep apnea.

Carrying more weight and experiencing joint or muscle pain can lead to or exacerbate fatigue.

Similarly, people with underweight may tire easily, depending on the cause of their condition. Eating disorders, cancer, chronic diseases, and an overactive thyroid can all cause weight loss, as well as excessive tiredness and fatigue.

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What Medical Conditions Cause Fatigue

Hundreds of conditions and disorders lead to fatigue. Some of the most common causes of fatigue include:

• Disease and infection: Cancer, kidney disease and multiple sclerosis are just a few diseases that cause fatigue. Fatigue can also be a sign of infections such as mononucleosis, HIV and flu.
• Mental health conditions: Fatigue from depression or anxiety may make it difficult or impossible to perform daily activities.
• Autoimmune disorders: Fatigue is a symptom of many autoimmune diseases, including diabetes, lupus and rheumatoid arthritis.
• Hormonal imbalances: Problems with your endocrine system can lead to exhaustion. Hypothyroidism is a common cause of fatigue.
• Chronic conditions:Chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia cause severe, long-lasting fatigue.
• Heart and lung problems: Fatigue is a common symptom of cardiovascular conditions such as heart disease, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome , chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , emphysema and congestive heart failure.
• Deficiencies:Anemia and other vitamin deficiencies are often responsible for fatigue. Dehydration can cause fatigue because the body needs plenty of fluids to function.
• Weight problems and eating disorders:Anorexia, bulimia, obesity or being underweight can lead to fatigue and a range of other symptoms.

What Medications Are Used To Treat Fatigue

There is no cure for chronic fatigue syndrome. However, many over-the-counter and prescription medications, as well as alternative therapies, can help to ease the symptoms of this disorder.

Every patient with chronic fatigue syndrome is different. The symptoms of CFS can vary significantly from person to person. A health care provider will usually tackle the worst symptoms first that are interfering with daily life. This could mean treatment of sleep disorders in one person, muscle aches in someone else, and memory problems in yet another person. Some of the medications used to treat chronic fatigue syndrome are described below.

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Take Rest When You Need It

For some people, rest helps relieve fatigue and is an important part of fatigue management. Resting can prevent you getting to a point of complete exhaustion and coming to a sudden halt, mid task.

A few small breaks are best for some people or you might feel better after just one longer rest at a particular time.

For example:

• try taking a few short rests or power naps,
• through the day try just one longer rest,
• at the same time each day take a break between coming home from work and getting ready for an evening out

When you rest, try to make your rest as complete as possible. Doing smaller jobs around the house, talking to the family or watching TV might be more relaxing than work or chores, but it is not really resting. It can be tricky, but the aim should be to switch off both the mind and the body.

You might want to have a short sleep, or use relaxing music to help you clear your mind. Some people find yoga, mindfulness or meditation useful.

If worries disturb time set aside for rest, try writing down these concerns and ‘shelving’ them while you are resting. You will have more energy to tackle them once your energy levels are up again.

If resting helps you manage your fatigue, it is important that other people realise how valuable this quiet, undisturbed time is.

Above all don’t feel guilty about taking rest when you need it. If this is something you find challenging our online fatigue management course can help you think it through.

Go Easy On Foods High In Refined Carbohydrates

Bread, spaghetti, and cake are not your best choices. These foods make your blood sugar rise rapidly, then crash quickly. Youll end up feeling weak and tired. Eat more high-fibre foods that are rich in complex carbohydrates, such as whole-grain cereals, whole-wheat bread, and vegetables. These help stabilize blood sugar.

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Should I Invest In Supplements

Before I suggest a list of the types of supplements you should take, this is what you should bear in mind. Supplements are just an aid to a healthy eating lifestyle. In other words, you should always aim to eat healthier, vary your plate, and have enough whole foods in your diet. That is crucial to ensure that you are meeting at least the minimum nutrient requirements.

You shouldnt invest in supplements to get your main nutrition. Always focus on quality foods before you supplement your diet. Now, supplements can reinforce what youre lacking in your eating lifestyle. Because of that, I love to always have some sort of multivitamin complex.

In general, if you have a proper eating lifestyle, its not mandatory to invest in supplements. However, there are specific cases, for example, pregnant women, in which we recommend taking supplements. Always make sure that you check with your doctor or nutritionist before taking any form of supplement.

What If I Am Not Improving

Seek advice

• If after building up the pacing of your daily activities, you dont see any improvement in what you can do, then you should seek medical advice by speaking to your GP.
• Find out more about pacing your daily activities in the ‘How to conserve your energy’ guide.
• If you continue to feel extremely fatigued, then specialist fatigue services may be available to provide further guidance. Ask your GP about referral options.

If you have any doubts, please seek medical advice via current routes.

• Post viral fatigue practical advice for people who have recovered at home

This guide is produced by the Critical Care Forum, Royal College of Occupational Therapists Specialist Section Trauma and Musculoskeletal Health in partnership with the Yorkshire Fatigue Clinic. It is published by the Royal College of Occupational Therapists and is endorsed by the Intensive Care Society.

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Feeling Tired Because Of Low Red Blood Cells

You might have a blood transfusion if you are feeling tired because you are anaemic.

A drug called epoetin can help reduce anaemia for some people. EPO is a manmade copy of a hormone called erythropoietin made by your kidneys. It stimulates the body to make more red blood cells and can reduce fatigue.

This drug is not suitable for everyone. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence suggests EPO for women with ovarian cancer. This is if they have had treatment with platinum drugs such as carboplatin or cisplatin.

NICE also says that people with other cancers, who have severe anaemia due to cancer treatment and who can’t have blood transfusions, can have EPO.

• Find out more about blood, bone marrow and cancer drugs

Is Covid Fatigue Different Than Fatigue Caused By Other Viruses

Even a relatively mild case of COVID-19 can wipe you out. A lot of people who have had COVID-19 describe the fatigue they feel as worse than they have experienced at any time in their lives, says McClelland. Its certainly a unique feature of the illness.

The amount of fatigue may be related to the extent and type of inflammation triggered by the viral infection. COVID-19 is a systemic illness it affects many parts of the body, such as the whole respiratory mucosa, the kidneys, fat cells, parts of the brain. The illness causes a remarkable amount of inflammation that, as it is resolving, is likely to leave people feeling fatigued, says McClelland.

COVID-19s mental toll can make fatigue worse. The mental gymnastics of contact tracing, guilt and fear about possibly infecting others, self-blame for exposing yourself to infection all of this triggers a stress response in the body and leads to fatigue, says Mucci-Elliott.

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High Dose Vitamin B Complex For Energy And Strong Nerves

Ultra B Complex combines all 8 B vitamins plus inositol in high doses into a unique formula. The special thing about Ultra B Complex is that vitamins B2, B6, and B12 are each in their active form, as well as folic acid as active folate. These have the highest possible bioavailability and bioactivity. The combination of all B vitamins in one capsule makes optimal care very simple and effective.

B vitamins are particularly important for our health. They are crucial for normal cell development, nerve and brain function, physical and mental energy, beautiful skin, strong hair, and a healthy cardiovascular system. Research shows that B vitamins are also very important for long life.

Remedies For Fatigue & When Youre Feeling Tired

Our existences are anything but simple, and most of us will find ourselves overworked and exhausted from time to time-or all the time. Fatigue, true fatigue, is much more than feeling overworked and just being sleepy, although it can make you want to curl up in bed and forget the rest of the world. It creeps into everyday life and effects your physical and mental well-being making it very difficult, if not impossible, to get things done. My own personal struggles with fatigue at point strained relationships-it is hard for people to understand that horrible exhaustion unless they experience it themselves. To the outside world, you just look lazy when all you want to do is lie in bed.

Fatigue is a difficult thing to manage, as it is such a vague symptom or condition. Theres physical fatigue, emotional fatigue, fatigue as a symptom or as a disease in and of itself. There is a good chance theres an underlying medical condition causing fatigue, for example depression or low blood sugar, and this must be addressed before you can hope to get rid of the exhaustion. But if you havent been able to pinpoint the cause of your fatigue it can often times be traced back to a number of habits and lifestyles that seem to have a tendency to develop in the modern world. If you find it dogging your footsteps and dragging you down, dont sink into despair, there are plenty of changes you can make and natural remedies you can utilize to fight the feeling effectively.

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