Leona West-Fox<\/a>. \u201cBut persistent fatigue is your body\u2019s way of communicating that something needs attention.\u201d<\/p>\nThe good news? Many of the everyday habits that quietly drain your energy are also the easiest to change once you know what to look for.<\/p>\n
Here are the first areas Leona assesses with her patients.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s talk about blood sugar instability<\/p>\n
Most people don\u2019t connect their afternoon mood crash to what they ate for lunch \u2026 or didn\u2019t eat, as is often the case. Blood sugar instability is one of the most common and least recognized drivers of low energy, and it has a very specific signature.<\/p>\n
\u201cDay to day, it can feel like being fine one minute and suddenly starving, shaky, irritable, anxious, scattered, or exhausted the next,\u201d Leona explains. \u201cIt can also look like intense sugar cravings or feeling like you absolutely need coffee to keep going.\u201d<\/p>\n
The fix is less complicated than most people expect.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the simplest things people can do is eat enough food and build meals around protein, carbohydrates, fat, and, ideally, some fiber. A lot of people try to function on coffee and a tiny salad and then wonder why their energy is terrible by 3:00 p.m.\u201d<\/p>\n
What happens during that 3:00 p.m. crash we\u2019re always talking about?<\/p>\n
That mid-afternoon wall may be biological.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cOur body undergoes a natural transition in our circadian rhythm where cortisol levels come down pretty significantly from the morning,\u201d Leona explains. \u201cWhen we\u2019ve had enough sleep and enough food, that shift can feel subtle. When we\u2019re sleep deprived and haven\u2019t properly fueled ourselves, it can feel like being hit over the head.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chronic stress can physically exhaust you.<\/p>\n
Even when you feel like you have everything on your to-do list under control, you may still be overscheduled, overstimulated, and overdoing it.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can mentally feel like you\u2019re handling it while your body is still showing signs that the total stress load is too high,\u201d Leona says.<\/p>\n
Part of what makes this tricky is how broadly stress is defined.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cStress isn\u2019t just emotional stress. Undereating, overexercising, poor sleep, blood sugar swings, and even constant stimulation are all forms of stress on the body. Sometimes people have great coping tools, but they\u2019re still asking their body to manage too many stressors at once.\u201d<\/p>\n
You can actually exercise too much.<\/p>\n
You don\u2019t want to overdo it, despite your fitness goals, especially when your body is already stretched.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cExercise is still a stressor on the body,\u201d Leona says. \u201cIf someone is chronically underslept, underfed, and already stressed, more intense exercise isn\u2019t always better.\u201d<\/p>\n
Some signs you might be overdoing it are feeling super wiped after workouts, worsening sleep, flat motivation, increased cravings, or declining performance. If you\u2019re massively sleep deprived, choose sleep over the 6:00 a.m. class. And if you\u2019re training hard, eat accordingly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf you\u2019re training hard and then eating very little afterward, you\u2019re making it harder for the body to rebuild and restore energy,\u201d Leona tells us.<\/p>\n
Some morning habits set you up for fatigue.<\/p>\n
Caffeine on an empty stomach, skipping breakfast, going straight to screens before getting natural light\u2014these all send the wrong signals to the brain.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe body loves signals, and our morning habits are giving the body information about what time of day it is and what resources are available,\u201d Leona says.<\/p>\n
Instead, she tells us that \u201ccoffee with breakfast instead of before it will not set off a blood sugar crash or cortisol spike. Going straight from bed to your phone, drinking two coffees, and not eating until noon may feel productive, but for a lot of people, it is setting them up to feel anxious, scattered, and exhausted later in the day.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gut health is connected to energy. <\/p>\n
Digestion is energy-intensive work.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf someone is constantly bloated, constipated, or struggling to digest food, that can absolutely contribute to feeling tired and depleted,\u201d Leona says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
You can also be eating a great diet and still not absorbing everything you need if digestion is compromised. Her advice for supporting gut health without overcomplicating it is to eat enough, get a variety of plants and fiber you tolerate, stay hydrated, and actually sit down and chew your food.<\/p>\n
Check for these nutrient deficiencies. <\/p>\n
If fatigue is persistent and lifestyle factors don\u2019t explain it, Leona points to a few specific nutrients. Iron is at the top of her list, especially for menstruating women, with proper assessment of both iron and ferritin levels before supplementing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are certain nutrient deficiencies that can absolutely contribute to fatigue,\u201d Leona says.<\/p>\n
Some of the most common include:<\/p>\n
Iron, particularly for menstruating women. Rather than supplementing on your own, ask your healthcare provider about checking both iron and ferritin levels.
\nVitamin B12, especially for people who eat little or no animal products.
\nVitamin D, which many people don\u2019t get enough of.
\nMagnesium, zinc, and B vitamins, all of which play important roles in energy production.<\/p>\n
Make sure you are clocking enough hours.
<\/p>\n
Persistent fatigue does not always look dramatic. Sometimes it is rereading the same sentence three times, losing your train of thought mid-conversation, or counting the hours until you can get back into bed.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing will fix chronic low energy faster and more effectively than getting enough sleep,\u201d she says. \u201cIf someone is consistently sleeping five or six hours a night, I would start there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her recommendation is eight to nine hours of actual time in bed, without devices, in order to get seven to eight hours of sleep. \u201cIf they shaved 30 to 90 minutes off their screen time, many people would easily find that time.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
If you feel called out, you\u2019re not alone. It\u2019s the (slightly embarrassing) truth.<\/p>\n
Small changes that can help bring back your energy.<\/p>\n
Before overhauling your entire routine, Leona recommends getting consistent with the basics that have the biggest impact:<\/p>\n
Build meals that can carry you. Include protein, carbohydrates, fat, and fiber instead of expecting coffee and snacks to do the job.
\nTake the 3:00 p.m. crash as a clue. Check your sleep, lunch, hydration, and stress before ordering another coffee.
\nMatch your workouts to your capacity. A hard class may not be the move when you are underslept, underfed, or already depleted.
\nGet outside before getting lost in your phone. Morning light helps cue your body that the day has started.
\nLeave some room in the calendar. Unscheduled time gives your nervous system a chance to come down from constant input.
\nGive sleep a real time slot. Get 7 \u2013 8 hours of sleep, instead of getting in bed and scrolling.
\nPay attention to patterns. If fatigue sticks around despite solid sleep and regular meals, talk to your provider about possible deficiencies or other causes.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe tend to make self-care another complicated task when, sometimes, the body really needs sunlight, a good meal, connection, and a reason to laugh,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
We have become very good at overriding tiredness with caffeine, adrenaline, and a packed calendar. That may work for a few hours, but it does not restore energy. The good news is that small, consistent changes can help your energy come back online.<\/p>\n
The content provided in this article is provided for information purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice and consultation, including professional medical advice and consultation; it is provided with the understanding that Poosh, LLC (\u201cPoosh\u201d) is not engaged in the provision or rendering of medical advice or services. The opinions and content included in the article are the views of the author only, and Poosh does not endorse or recommend any such content or information, or any product or service mentioned in the article. You understand and agree that Poosh shall not be liable for any claim, loss, or damage arising out of the use of, or reliance upon any content or information in the article.<\/p>\n
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