Author: Tracey McAlpine Category: Health, Men's Health, Supplements & Vitamins, Well-being, Women's Health
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Registered Nutritionist Rob Hobson explains why you might be lacking in energy and suffering from TATT

Feeling tired or lacking in energy is such a common compliant that it’s even been given the acronym ‘TATT’, which stands for “tired all the time”.  Everyone has moments of low energy and tiredness that can last as little as a few hours during certain times of the day (commonly around 2pm -3pm) but a more prolonged tiredness or exhaustion is not normal and could be something that needs investigating.
 
A recent survey commissioned by Healthspan UK* showed that 43% of Brits have days when they feel tired from the moment they wake up until they go to bed.  Forty percent also felt as though they were running on empty as energy levels were so low.  Monday appears to be the day people feel at their most tired and the greatest reasons for tiredness included a sleepless night (54%), having to get up early (35%), late night (34%), long working hours (19%) and a busy work schedule (18%).  More than 60% also said that they complained about being tired more than once a day.
 
Unexplained tiredness and low energy is one of the most common reasons for people to visit their GP and around 40% of people questioned in the Healthspan survey said that their tiredness had caused them to either pull a sickie, take a day of annual leave or asked to go home once at work.  When it comes to tiredness and low energy levels people often look for reasons that exist beyond the most obvious.  Working out how you became tired in the first instance is a helpful place to start when trying to fix the problem.  Late nights, long working hours, lack of sleep and a poor diet are all common factors that zap you of energy and are reflected in findings from the survey.
 
Psychological reasons such as depression and stress can also cause tiredness and low energy levels whilst also being risk factors for insomnia (chronic lack of sleep).  Physical causes involve underlying health conditions such as diabetes, chronic fatigue syndrome, underactive thyroid or sleep apnoea but these are less likely to be the case in most instances.  Your weight can also impact on energy levels; being underweight can lead to muscle weakness making you tire more easily and conversely, being overweight makes your body work harder to do everyday activities.

Six reasons why you might be feeling tired all the time

Lack of sleep

According to the Healthspan survey, forty four percent of Brits said that they had an early night to try and boost energy levels but if you don’t manage to get to sleep then this can be a fruitless exercise.  Whilst you sleep, your brain processes information, muscles and joints recover from constant use during the day, growth hormone production is increased, and protein is replenished in all parts of the body.  Research has also shown that there are long term implications to the lack of sleep that may result in weight gain or diseases such as those relating to the heart and brain.
 
Brits don’t get enough sleep and the Sleep Foundation has shown that 74% get less than seven hours per night, whilst only 33% manage five to six nightly hours.  A lack of sleep is the greatest reason for tiredness and worry is what keeps most people awake.  To help tackle worry and stress a useful strategy is to download your thoughts at the end of the day.  Keep a pen and paper next to your bed and before you go to sleep, write down your thought and worries, create a to-do list for the following day or jot down solutions and ideas that relate to work and life challenges.  Try switching off all your devices close to   bedtime as the blue light emitted can interfere with the production of light-sensitive melatonin that induces drowsiness.  When you eat can be a problem too explains Rob Hobson registered nutritionist, “don’t eat less than two hours before bed and avoid excessively spicy or rich food as this may encourage indigestion or bloating that may keep you awake”.

Not eating enough

This may seem a weird one in a nation of overeaters but If you have a demanding job, busy social life and like to exercise more than most, then you need to provide your body with the fuel it needs to support your energy demands.  Burning the candle at both ends may lead to erratic eating patterns and the effect of adrenaline, caffeine and ‘feel good’ hormones released during exercise will only get you so far.  Dieting can also take its toll on energy levels and is one of the main reasons people quit in their attempts to lose weight.  It may be that you need to take a look at the way you live your life and free up some space in your diary for proper rest and recovery, which includes eating well.  Rob Hobson says, “try to make sure you eat three meals daily.  Including a source of protein (meat, fish, beans), fibre (wholegrains, vegetables, beans), healthy fats (oils, nuts, seeds, avocado) and plenty of vegetables will help to fill you up and provide a sustained release of energy between meals”. 

Micronutrients 

Nutrient deficiencies usually occur for whatever reason as a result of not eating enough food.  Eating too little to support a hectic lifestyle or heavily restrictive dieting can take their toll.  Age can also affect the absorption of nutrients and as the enzymes required to break food down become less over the age of 50.   The Healthspan survey showed that 34% of Brits felt that always being on a diet impacted on tiredness.  Nutrients that are directly associated with energy metabolism (conversion of food into energy used by cells) are the B vitamins and magnesium.  Rob Hobson says, “the B group of vitamins occur in many foods and you can keep your levels topped up by eating a wide variety of natural foods including fresh vegetables, fish, meat, beans, pulses and wholegrains whilst magnesium is found in nuts, seeds, green vegetables, avocado, beans, pulses and wholegrains such as brown rice”.

Both B vitamins and magnesium are also required for a healthy nervous system and can be depleted more quickly with stress.  Low iron is also a leading cause of tiredness and is more prevalent in women.  Rob Hobson added, “the National Diet and Nutrition Survey has shown that almost a quarter of adult women have very low intakes.  You can maintain good iron stores with foods such as meat, green vegetables, beans, lentils, dried fruit, dried spices, nuts and seeds”. 

Lack of sunshine and vitamin D

 

Lack of sunshine and Vitamin D can make you tired

Getting outdoors as much as possible is invigorating and helps to improve vitality and according to the Healthspan survey, forty two percent of Brits do this to try and boost energy levels.  Sunshine is the main source of vitamin D as UV light is absorbed by the skin and converted to this nutrient in the body.  During the winter months we can spend between 7 and 8 months unable to produce it naturally.  Plus, as we age our bodies ability to absorb what we need from food also reduces, coupled with the fact that it is difficult to get vitamin D from our food alone. 

One of the symptoms commonly observed in people with vitamin D deficiency is muscle fatigue.  It’s thought that this may be down to problems in the mitochondria of cells, which are the ‘power stations’ that use glucose and oxygen to produce a form of energy called ATP that’s used by cells in the body.  Research published in the journal Medicine showed that vitamin D supplements improved fatigue in otherwise healthy people with vitamin D deficiency.
 
Rob Hobson says, “findings from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey has shown from blood analysis that 23% of adults aged 19-64 years and 22% of children aged 11-18 years, have low vitamin D over the whole year and that this increases to 40% amongst adults and children during the winter months.  For these people, supplements are a very useful way to bridge the nutrient gap in your diet”.
 
Recommendations given by Public Health England state that we should all be getting 10mcg of vitamin D per day.  You can’t get enough vitamin D from food, so the guidance advises getting out in the sunshine during the summer months and that during the winter, supplements should be considered.  When choosing a vitamin D supplement, you should opt for vitamin D3, which is available in many forms including tablets, sprays and gummies.  Most supplements contain 25mcg of vitamin D3, which is perfectly safe.  Try Healthspan Super Strength Vitamin D3* £3.95 for 60 tablets, and if you don’t want to take supplements or tablets there are many other ways now to take vitamin D in spray’s, and the first vitamin D3 gummy by Healthspan.     Healthspan Super Vitamin D3 50 Plus Spray* £5.95.

Quick fixing tiredness

If you’re flagging during the day or have skipped a meal, then reaching for a quick fix energy solution may seem like a good idea but these often involve sugar.  The energy boosting effects of sugar are short lived especially when served alone as a snack.  It can leave you feeling more zapped of energy and craving more of the same foods shortly after eating given their rapid impact on your blood sugar levels.  Healthy snacks can help if you have a very active life or unpredictable work schedule and need more energy.  Rob Hobson says, “keeping healthy snacks to hand such as bananas, nuts, seeds, protein balls or dried fruit and nut bars are useful in case you get caught short between meals or need an energy boost”.

Digestion and how it effects tiredness

Seventeen percent of Brits felt their diet was having an impact on tiredness according to the Healthspan survey.  A healthy functioning digestive system is bedrock to good health and it’s in your gut where food is broken down, nutrients are distributed, and waste is removed.  Disruption to this process can affect the absorption of nutrients and lead to bloating and digestive upset such as diarrhoea or constipation.  Whilst these factors may not be directly associated with energy levels, they can affect mood and vitality, which can leave you feeling sluggish and uncomfortable.

A poor-quality diet that relies heavily on junk food rich in sugar and bad fats, whilst lacking the nutritional density of more wholesome natural foods can impact on the diversity of your gut bacteria.  Rob Hobson says, “a microbiota (bacteria in the gut) that is overrun with bad bacteria can cause bloating and other digestive complaints that will leave you feeling sluggish and slow”.  You can increase your intake of fibre by including more vegetables, dried fruits, beans, pulses and wholegrains in your diet.  You can re-balance the diversity of bacteria in your gut by taking a daily probiotic supplement.
 
In most cases the root of your tiredness is most likely to be the result of your diet and lifestyle habits.  An underlying health condition may possibly be a cause of long term tiredness, but you should give yourself a good two or three weeks to make the necessary lifestyle and dietary changes you need to get yourself back on track before you decide to visit your GP. 

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