What's Causing Your Energy Drain?

This is such a busy time of year, isn't it?  Whether it's school or after-school commitments, social or philanthropic organizations that start meeting again after the summer, end of the year plans at work, or all of the above, fall activities are demanding!  If you're like me, you know you plan too much, but you still want to be efficient, accomplish everything, and do it well.  There is no time in the schedule for running out of energy or getting sick, and "Collapse From Exhaustion" is not on the TO DO list.  But your body will stop you if you don't stop it first.  How will you know if you are running on empty?  The number one warning sign is fatigue. 

Abnormal fatigue can be a sign from your body that you are overworking, overthinking, underresting, or undereating.  (I don't know if all those are words, but they should be.)  A variety of illnesses and medical conditions can cause fatigue, including hormone disorders, depression, and pregnancy, so if you notice a dramatic or persistent change in your energy level, it's wise to consult your physician.  The good news is that if it's your hectic agenda that's leaving you drained, you can give yourself the best chance of staying well by looking at a few key areas - sleep, nutrition, hydration, and relaxation. 

As with many beneficial life habits, these four staples of health do not have catchy slogans or expensive promotional campaigns.  Bottled water brands and sleep number beds are starting to change that, but they're based on the premise that you need a very extravagant bed or water purification system, rather than the idea that you need sleep and water to be healthy.  (Common sense, you say?  How long has it been since you got eight hours of sleep and drank two liters of water in the same day?)  Most nutrition-related marketing promotes one food or food group over another, rather than the guiding principle that you faithful readers know by now: eating frequent, small amounts of a variety of foods. 

On the other hand, I'm sure you've seen and heard multiple advertisements for energy bars, energy drinks, and energy boosting supplements, promising more energy if you eat or drink the magical concoction of chemicals.  Remember what you learned in Nutrition 101: Your body can only make energy from three things: carbohydrates, proteins, and fats.  ONLY.  Other nutrients help your body USE energy, including iron and B vitamins, but nothing you get in a pill can actually give you more energy than eating actual food.  Caffeine, ginseng, guarana, ma huang, ephedra, and xenedrine are all stimulants that make your heart beat faster, so your brain gets more oxygen, so you FEEL like you have more energy?but it's a trap.  When the effects wear off, you will be more tired than you were before.  If you use the chemicals again, you perpetuate the cycle, or in other words, you're hooked!
 
Quick Tip: Real energy means calories.  If a product contains 0 calories, it's a fake. 

The good news (yes, there's more!) is that although no supplement can make up for poor habits, changing habits can eliminate the need for these potentially harmful chemicals in your body.  Easier said than done, I agree.  But start in one area, and experiment with a small change.  If you see results, you will have proved to yourself that the change is worth it!  In the coming weeks, we'll look at each of the key areas, sleep, nutrition, hydration, and relaxation, with the goal of maintaining exceptional energy throughout your day.

If you need an energy makeover, why not keep an energy log?  On 2 weekdays and 2 weekend days write down the following: What time it is each time you eat (you don't have to write down WHAT you eat); what time it is when you go to sleep and when you wake up; what beverages you drink throughout the day; any relaxing activities you did that day; and a description of your energy (highs or lows) throughout the day.  In two weeks we'll meet back and see what your results mean and where to improve!  To be continued?

Jessica Setnick is a registered dietitian in Dallas, Texas who travels the world spreading nutrition wisdom. As an accomplished speaker and writer, Jessica's passion is promoting a positive relationship with food and eating as a key component of a healthy and happy life. Find out more or contact Jessica to speak at your event by visiting her website at www.understandingnutrition.com.
© 2004 Permission is granted to reprint this article in print or on your web site so long as the paragraph above is included and contact information is provided to www.understandingnutrition.com.

Breeding the Nutrition Out of Our Food New York Times WE like the idea that food can be the answer to our ills, that if we eat nutritious foods we won't need medicine or supplements. We have valued this notion for a long, long time. The Greek physician Hippocrates proclaimed nearly 2,500 years ago: “Let ...

Gruel today, gruel tomorrow The Economist (blog) Adam Drewnowski, director of the Centre for Public Health Nutrition at the University of Washington, will not be among them. “To some extent, Soylent is an expensive glass of milk,� he says. While Soylent's $65 weekly price-tag is certainly cheaper ...

One-Size Nutrition Profession Doesn't Fit All Huffington Post But astonishingly, health professionals with nutrition tools to reverse chronic health conditions are gagged in many states. In those states, nutrition counseling is essentially permitted only by credentials of a private trade association big and well ...

Hammond schools staff gets a lesson in good nutrition nwitimes.com Julie Boettger, director of food and nutrition for the School City of Hammond, invited Story to not only give the students a treat, but to improve the school kitchens and brush up on staff skills. "The initiatives we're undertaking is not only to ... and more »

Senior nutrition, 5/26 San Angelo Standard Times SAN ANGELO, Texas — The Santa Fe Crossing Senior Center, 702 S. Chadbourne St., serves lunch from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Monday through Friday for a suggested donation of $3 for participants age 60 or older with scan card. $5 without scan card. Guests ...

In defense of dietitians: How best to deal with America's fast food addiction? Baltimore Brew At the recent Maryland Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics annual meeting, a McDonald's spokesperson presented their new, healthy menu options and offered nutrition-related advice on fast foods. Soon after, The Brew published an opinion piece by Dr. and more »

Budget cuts hit senior nutrition Worcester Telegram Erika Kelly, assistant vice president for policy and legislation for the Meals on Wheels Association of America, said the more than 5,000 senior nutrition programs across the country are expected to lose more than $48 million by Sept. 30, the end of ... and more »

U.S. Catholic magazine

Food Bank decries cuts to nutrition program, 'is not capable' of filling gap The Coloradoan To the United States House Committee on Agriculture, it's the dent it could make in the several-trillion-dollar national deficit by scaling back funding to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (more commonly known as food stamps). To more than ... GOP senator: Food stamp spending to remain double pre-recession levelsDaily Caller Roberts: I Vow to Restore Integrity to the Food Stamp Programhays Post Food insecurity in America: Can you be obese and malnourished at the same ...NutraIngredients-usa.com Kennebec Journal -Los Angeles Times -PW-Philadelphia Weekly (blog) all 45 news articles »

Raw Story

9-year-old girl lectures McDonald's CEO about children's nutrition Raw Story Nine-year-old Hannah Robertson put McDonald's CEO Don Thompson on the spot on Thursday at the corporation's annual shareholders' meeting. According to USA Today, the girl was attending the meeting with her mother, Kia, designer of a “Today I Ate a ... At annual meeting, McDonald's CEO fields questions on nutrition, wagesChicago Tribune 9-year-old girl lectures McDonald's CEO on nutritionNews10.net McDonald's faces nutrition critics at shareholder meetingTheNewsTribune.com Lewiston Morning Tribune (subscription) -brandchannel.com -allvoices all 61 news articles »

Opening doors to sustainable food: Westside Orchard Garden grows natural ... Great Falls Tribune Lori Eckhardt, left, and her daughter Hannah look through tomato plants Saturday during the grand opening of the Westside Orchard Garden. The plants were donated by the Flower Farm for the fostered tomato program. / Tribune Photo/Tim Goessman ...