I feel exhausted all the time, what should I do?

Feeling under the weather? Not in the mood to lift even a finger? Like you’re just so tired out that you can’t get yourself to work more efficiently? And no matter how you try to keep yourself more awake and fresh, nothing seems to work?

Now, you could be just sleep deprived and just need some extra rest, or you might have a mild infection somewhere that’s affecting your energy levels. It could be an underlying health issue, if you were to look at the worst situation immediately. Or, it could be something to do with your lifestyle, which if you make some changes to, can drastically improve how you feel. Here are some things you could do that might elevate your mood and alleviate some of that exhaustion.

1. Check your iron levels

One of the common symptoms of iron deficiency is fatigue. The thing with low iron levels is that it is not a sudden occurrence. It happens gradually, so, often people do not realise what the problem is. The reasons why you might have an iron deficiency are numerous, such as anaemia, pregnancy, recent childbirth, recent blood donation, heavy menstrual flows, heavy bleeding and insufficient iron dietary intakes.

All these can contribute to low iron levels, but the only way to find out if you do in fact have this deficiency is by taking a blood test. After you’ve confirmed your diagnosis, your doctor will be able to advise you further, perhaps arranging a change in your diet or prescribing supplements.

2. Have regular meals

Having three meals a day is the norm, and for good reason. Having regular meals every day is crucial to keep your body going with sufficient energy and nutrition. Skipping meals or eating irregularly can cause a spike in fatigue, and this was proven in a mini study done on medical students. Why it happens is due to a drop in blood sugar levels which leads to feeling tired. In fact, you should not go too long without eating something in order to maintain a normal blood sugar level and to prevent getting too hungry as it can lead to overeating after.

3. Snack

Relating to the point before is why snacks are a good addition to your daily meals. It is recommended to eat something every 3 to 4 hours. As you can’t be eating huge meals at each interval, a good alternative to a full meal is snacks, healthy ones, like almonds, sunflower seeds, yoghurt, salad, and even just a glass of milk. A little goes a long way, and these little snacks can keep you satiated till your next meal and your energy and blood sugar levels up.

4. Limit your sugar intake

You may be thinking, if I need to keep my blood sugar levels up, wouldn’t the answer just be consuming more sugar? It should be so simple, but no it isn’t.

When someone consumes too much sugar from simple sugars like carbohydrates from desserts and sweet drinks, he or she may experience something we call a sugar crash. Sugar crash is the experience of symptoms that causes a drop in productivity and energy levels due to overproduction of insulin to stabilise blood sugar levels

So, no, do not take too much of these foods, and instead, try to reduce your sugar intake by swapping out your refined carbohydrates with complex ones. For example:

White rice → brown rice

White bread → wholemeal bread

Sweet drinks → less sugar option/ plain water/ plain tea or coffee

Fruit juice → whole fruits

5. Hydrate yourself

Dehydration is yet another cause of fatigue. There is a reason why parents are always reminding children to drink more water. With replenished water intake, the body is energised and enables the kidney to filter out toxins to keep the body working at the optimal level. But this is not to say that any drink will do, definitely not with sugary drinks, coffee, or the like. Water should be your best friend, and you should drink at least 2 litres every day.

Do you know when especially you could be feeling exhausted all the time? After giving birth.  

A good pick-me-up would be confinement snacks, which are healthy choices that are nutritious while giving you satisfaction. In preparation for confinement, Tian Wei Signature just might be your best bet when it comes to a traditional Chinese confinement diet. However, that is not all we offer. In fact, we have fusion meals, herbal soups, warm desserts and even confinement snacks like lactation cookies. Just take a look at our menu and you’ll be sure to be blown away.