NUTRITION FOR LOW ENERGY

Exhaustion - Fatigue – Energy slumps – Tiredness!  

However you describe it, low energy is a key symptom that affects nearly all my clients. 

For a large majority, key drivers behind symptoms of fatigue are: - 

• Stress, (both emotional and physical). 
• Poor diet 
• Iron deficiency 
• Underactive thyroid function 

My first recommendation is always to have blood tests to check iron levels and thyroid markers, to rule out common conditions such as anaemia and underactive thyroid function. 

Second, make time for relaxing activities and get support for stressors. Long term or chronic stress may lead to adrenal dysfunction or adrenal fatigue where the body is unable to produce sufficient levels of cortisol. 

Cortisol helps us to wake up in the morning, reduces inflammation and fuels our cells with energy to respond to challenging situations. 

Symptoms of chronic stress and adrenal dysfunction include: - 

• Extreme fatigue, low energy and motivation. 
• Difficulty getting to sleep and waking up,  
• Craving salt or relying on stimulants such as  sugar, caffeine and nicotine 
• Suppressed immune function 
• Insulin resistance 
• Underactive thyroid 
• Hormonal imbalances 

Balancing your blood sugar levels is important to support our adrenal function, avoiding blood sugar highs and lows can be managed with diet. 

Raised blood sugar may result in insulin resistance and increased body fat storage (particularly around the middle).  

Low blood sugar puts demands on our adrenals to produce cortisol and results in symptoms of fatigue, nausea and irritability. 

So, what changes can you make to support your adrenal function and increase your energy levels?  

My top nutrition tips for preventing fluctuations in blood sugar include: - 

• Ensure you include a source of protein with every meal and snack 
• Avoid sugars and refined carbohydrates that spike your blood sugar. 
• Limit fruits to servings per day and stick to low sugar fruits such as berries, apples, pears and kiwifruit. 
• Avoid high intensity or excessive exercise. 

Finally, avoid gaps of more than four hours between meals. Fasting or calorie restrictive diets will only worsen symptoms of fatigue if your adrenals are struggling to keep up with demand. 

Over the coming months in the Pause and Unite Members Area, I will be picking key ingredients and explaining how they can have an impact on your Pausal Journey, Delilah Fine Foods are also providing recipe cards to complement my information as a way of inspiring you to incorporate them into your diet.

To find out more about nutrition and the menopause from Rebecca Wakefield - Click on the image below: