Do you tire easily – like all our energy just dissipated into thin air? Especially at a time when we want to gallop like a thoroughbred horse, but instead feel stuck in the mud, which can be frustrating and dispiriting. Changes in the way you eat, drink and exercise may be needed – or there may be a serious underlying health problem such as myalgic encephalopathy (ME) and chronic fatigue syndrome.

But before we press the panic button, let’s start doing simple adjustment and remedies first, with our 14 simple tips to conquering fatique :

1. Combat Sluggishness

Try to do 10 minutes of low-level exercise whenever you feel sluggish. Usually people with fatigue have a decreased supply of adenosine diphosphate (ADP), an intracellular ‘messenger’ involved in energy metabolism. Translated in layman’s term, it means there is not enough ‘spark’ in one’s engine.

Almost any kind of activity, like for example, singing, walking, stretching will help.

2. Supplement Your Energy Stores

Take a multivitamin and multimineral supplement daily to ensure that your body is getting the minimum amount of nutrients that it requires. You can start with :

Ginseng – Ginseng extract has long been used to counteract that rundown feeling. Take 100 to 250mg of Panax ginseng or 300to 400mg Siberian ginseng once
or twice a day. It may stimulate your nervous syscem and help to protect your body from the consequences of stress.

Magnesium – Take 150mg of magnesium (preferably as magnesium citrate) twice a day. This mineral is involved in hundreds of chemical reactions in the body. It
plays a role in changing protein, fat and carbohydrates into energy sources.

Ginkgo – Ginkgo may improve bloodflow to thc brain, which could make you feel less fatigued. Take 15 drops of ginkgo tincture in the mornings.

3. Give Yourself A Pick-Me-Up

For a quick fix, put 2 drops of peppermint oil on a tissue or handkerchief, hold it to your nose and breathe deeply. If you have more time, try adding 2 drops of the oil to bathwater along with 4 drops of rosemary oil for invigorating soak.

4. Eat several small meals a day

Try to to limit the size of each meal to 1200kJ. This will keep your blood-glucose levels steady and and help to prevent your energy levels plunging.

5. Boost Bloodflow To The Brain

Lie on your back and use pillows to prop your feet at a level higher than your head or, better still, lie on an adjustable exercise bench or other surface that slants. In India, yogis fight fatique through such practices by encouraging bloodflow to the brain, which is thought to boost alertness.

6. Get Your Engine Moving

Try to doat least 30 minutes of aerobic exercise most days of the week. Not only does exercise help you to shed weight, it also gives you an energy boost. People who exercise regularly find that they also tend to sleep better.

Consider taking up yoga or tai chi. These ancient forms of exercise give you opportunities for physical activity and include relaxation components that can be reinvigorating.

7. Go Easy On Simple Carbohydrates

Foods high in simple carbohydrates make your blood glucose rise rapidly then crash just as quickly. If you indulge in too much white bread, pasta and cake, you’ll end up feeling weak and tired.

8. Eat more high-fibre foods

These are rich in complex carbohydrates and help to stabilise blood glucose. They include wholegrain cereals and wholemeal bread.

9. Cut down on fatty foods

To boost the function of your adrenal glands, which affect the way you metabolise nutrients, ensure that saturated fats make up no more than 10% of your diet.

10. Sip water all day long

Keep a bottle or jug of water handy and don’t wait until you are thirsty to take a sip, because your ‘thirst alarm’ is not always accurate. Even a little dehydration can make you feel tired.

11. Keep Caffeinated Drinks To A Minimum

The caffeine in coffee and some colas can give you a short-term burst of energy, but following that rush, there is usually a ‘crash’.

12. Limit Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol depresses your cenrral nervous system. It also reduces your blood-glucose level.

13. Always Get Up At The Same Time

Do this even at weekends. Your body will benefit from a regular sleep routine.

14. Clock Off Early

Go to bed earlier than normal if you need extra sleep. As long as you are getting up at the same time every morning, it is absolutely fine to a have a flexible going to bed time.