Alisa Herriman
  • Welcome
  • Wellness Blog
  • About Alisa
  • Nutrition Coaching
  • Professional Coaching
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Wellness Biz Blog
  • Whole Food Supplements
  • Contact Alisa
  • Health Care Workers

Why Are You So Tired All The Time?

2/10/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
It is so common for me to hear people sharing how physically and mentally exhausted they are. As a Nutritionist I feel like I am working front-line within a chronic fatigue epidemic. 

Most of the moms who seek out the guidance of a Nutritionist do so for two reasons: 
1.  They are exhausted all the time.
2.  They want to improve body composition. 

In order to help these women achieve their goals I have to create a solid foundation in their daily nutrition so that we can ensure their bodies are getting the nutrients they need to function optimally.  
Simply put, I am seeing a bunch of undernourished people, who are so depleted, their body is no longer producing enough energy, and it's impacting their quality of life!  
 
Fatigue not only impacts your quality of life, but it also reduces motivation, can significantly decrease productivity and can even harm a relationship!! (Just ask the spouse of a person who is suffering from chronic fatigue)
 
So what can we do to change it? Well the solution thankfully is often very simple! And it all starts with what you put into your body.
​

Stay tuned for part two of this series where I will share strategies on how to create more energy!!

​As we look at how to help you create more energy we have to first identify what the underlying causes may be. Here are common issues I see in people with fatigue issues.
 
Dehydration.  I see so many people who are walking around totally dehydrated.  When you are dehydrated there is a reduction in your blood volume.  Your heart as a result of this reduced blood volume, pumps less efficiently, which in turn reduces oxygenation and nutrients to your organs.  Chronic dehydration can make you feel tired!  Which we then often counteract with caffeinated beverages such as coffee and tea, hoping to increase our energy.  The problem is these caffeinated beverages are diuretics, which only worsens our dehydration.  
 
Most people I work with are simply not drinking enough water.  
If you are not sure if you are drinking enough water, carefully track your water intake for the next couple days.  You may be surprised by how much you are actually drinking vs. what you thought you were drinking.
 
There are many formulas to determine your daily water requirement that are based, on age, body weight, height, medications and activity level.  I generally encourage healthy adult clients to drink a minimum of 2 litres a day.  Now if you drink caffeinated beverages, which are diuretics, you may need to increase your water intake to make up for what you are losing as a result of your caffeinated drinks.  The good news is however, if you up your water intake, you just may find you need less caffeine!

Picture
Photo credit: www.ultimareplenisher.com/what-dehydration-does-to-your-body/
​Not eating enough whole foods and eating too much processed foods.  Our body requires a significant variety of micro nutrients (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and phytonutrients) every single day. 
 Check out this article I wrote on Keto where I explain what our body needs!  
The BEST and most efficient way to get naturally occurring nutrients into your blood stream daily is by eating a variety of unprocessed whole foods such as fruits, veggies, nuts seeds and legumes.  Whole foods should make up about 80% of your caloric intake.
 
Whole foods are the MOST nutrient dense foods in the world, and if we eat a variety of them, we not only provide the nutrition our body requires for healthy function, but we can reduce our risks for many diseases too!!  
 
Eating too many processed foods can lead to fatigue due to their lack of natural nutrition. Many processed foods are fortified with synthetic nutrients, which are poorly recognized and used by the body. In addition to that, processed foods are also full of what I like to call "Anti-Nutrition", which are chemicals, flavour enhancers, colourings, preservatives etc.  When these “anti-nutrition” chemicals are consumed, our body has to break these chemicals down and eliminate them. In order for our body to break down and eliminate these chemicals it is required to use its own stored nutrients to do so.  
 
If you are eating a high processed foods diet, you are limiting your nutrient intake, and frankly putting a great deal of toxic ingredients in that could be robbing your body of its own stored nutrition. This is a toxic cycle and in my opinion a major contributor to nutrient deficiencies, which can lead to energy metabolism issues such as chronic fatigue.

​Have a hard time eating enough plants every day?
Check out our favourite fruit and veggie concentrates to help you bridge the gap!

Click Here to Learn More!
Not eating enough iron and B-12.  Iron and B-12 are required to make healthy red blood cells, which carry oxygen to all of our cells.  Being deficient in these two nutrients can significantly reduce energy and increase feelings of fatigue (you can talk to your family physician about having your levels tested).  
 
There are many iron rich plants, which are great choices for dietary iron.  If you are a woman following a strict vegetarian or vegan diet, I recommend adding in a quality iron Supplement like Floradix and a sublingual B-12 a couple times a week.  If you are eating a plant strong diet that also includes limited amounts of animal protein you may only need to supplement outside your diet if you have a clinical deficiency that can be determined by blood work through your doctor. 
 
Comment below and let me know if you any of the above three might be impacting your energy levels.
 
In Part two coming up in a few days I will share my favourite energy building tips!!
Stay tuned and be sure to join my mailing list to have these healthy living articles sent right to your inbox every week!
Picture
I want to help Families eat healthy and live healthy. I know the challenges of a busy lifestyle and I know that our health as a whole suffers when we don't find the time to create realistic soltuions. I am the Nutritionist for REAL Families.  Thank you for Reading and sharing my articles!! Be Sure to follow me on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/livingwellwithAlisaHerriman/

Join My Mailing List for Tips Right to Your Inbox!
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Alisa Herriman has been researching and teaching Nutrition since 2003. Leaving her job in the health care industry to share her passion for healthy living, Alisa travels all over Canada sharing her mission and teaching communities how to prevent and fight disease with Nutrition and a healthy lifestyle.

    Alisa Teaches at Edision Institute of Nutrition, and is a very popular coporate speaker.  Join Alisa in her mission to change the health of families and share these holistic living articles!
    ​

    Join Alisa's Health Team!

    Archives

    November 2020
    October 2020
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    December 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    January 2017

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Privacy Policy Click Here

DISCLAIMER - It is not recommended that you make radical dietary changes without first consulting with your physician.  All Nutrition Programs are based on healthy eating schedules and the inclusion of whole food nutrition, including a clinically backed whole food supplement, Juice Plus.  None of our programs at Nutrinity Health Services are a treatment for any disease. It is well understood that a better nourished body is capable of healing from a variety of ailments, your individual result will vary.  If you require a diagnosis, we ask that you seek the guidance of a licensed physician.  All participants are offered ongoing support, but are participating at their own risk.
Photo used under Creative Commons from wuestenigel
  • Welcome
  • Wellness Blog
  • About Alisa
  • Nutrition Coaching
  • Professional Coaching
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Wellness Biz Blog
  • Whole Food Supplements
  • Contact Alisa
  • Health Care Workers