Lack of Energy during Wintertime (diet, sleep, supplements, naturally)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Location: Fort Bend County, TX/USA/Mississauga, ON/Canada
2,702 posts, read 6,025,144 times
Reputation: 2304
Advertisements
It's the last week of classes & I'm in my senior year of university. It is super cold now & the winter always tends to get me extremely tired much faster. I'm not overweight, I'm healthy but I do not exercise regularly (especially NOT in cold weather)...I feel like I may be experiencing low blood sugar & because it is generally high pressure during this time, I have a knack for pulling all nighters & resting very little...
How can I spurn this lack of energy & where is it coming from??
It's the last week of classes & I'm in my senior year of university. It is super cold now & the winter always tends to get me extremely tired much faster. I'm not overweight, I'm healthy but I do not exercise regularly (especially NOT in cold weather)...I feel like I may be experiencing low blood sugar & because it is generally high pressure during this time, I have a knack for pulling all nighters & resting very little...
How can I spurn this lack of energy & where is it coming from??
probably due to not enough exercise. Even though it's cold you need exercise to feel more energetic.
It's the last week of classes & I'm in my senior year of university. It is super cold now & the winter always tends to get me extremely tired much faster. I'm not overweight, I'm healthy but I do not exercise regularly (especially NOT in cold weather)...I feel like I may be experiencing low blood sugar & because it is generally high pressure during this time, I have a knack for pulling all nighters & resting very little...
How can I spurn this lack of energy & where is it coming from??
It's actually natural.
Winter, if you're in a cold climate, is a dormant time and a time to rest.
But the world doesn't allow that so you have to find the best way to maintain balance while you continue to take care of your responsibilities.
"Pullin all-nighters" is not the best way to maintain a balanced system.
I won't go so far as to label it "seasonal affective disorder" but the lack of sunlight does effect mood and health so you might try supplementing with Vit D, drinking green drinks (I use something called Vita-Mineral Green) installing some full spectrum light bulbs in your room and trying to get as much natural sunlight, despite the weather.
Green Tea is a good way to get a lift without the jitters of coffee.
Eating warming foods with sufficient spice is good ... helps to keeps your digestive fire strong.
And rest as much as possible without thinking something is wrong with your for doing so.
People are too stressed and driven at all times of the year but winter is a time to "chill" as much as possible.
Last edited by coyoteskye; 12-03-2009 at 11:01 AM..
Yes it is probably the seasons, whether or not it is as extreme as Seasonal Affective Disorder. But more importantly, what can you do about it?
Take Vitamin D supplements. Vitamin D is the chemical your body naturally produces when your skin exposed to the sun. It is what gives you energy and muscle and bone strength. Obviously with fewer daylit hours in the wintertime, and the likelyhood that your skin is covered with coats and hats and scarves and gloves, your Vitamin D production is diminished in the wintertime. You can buy Vitamin D supplements in the vitamin aisle at your superstore or drugstore for about $5. Also boost your Vitamin D intake by drinking fortified milk.
I have also found great benefit from having a lamp turned on by a timer in my bedroom. I bought a timer at the hardware store for about $5. It looks like this:
Appliance Timer. I plugged it in to a lamp in my bedroom (not the one on my nightstand, since I still wanted to be able to turn that one on and off separately from the timer) and set the timer to go off about 5 minutes before my alarm goes off. This way when my alarm goes off and I reach for the snooze button, my bedroom isn't completely dark, and I have less desire to close my eyes and go back to sleep. The timer also makes a slight 'click' when it turns on the lamp, which I think helps bring me out of my deep sleep so when my alarm goes off, I'm not in the middle of a deep REM cycle.
Avoid caffeinated sugary drinks. The caffeine will give you an immediate rush but the sugar will bring you down. If you need a pick-me-up, drink black coffee or tea, no sugar added.
You might also want to try melatonin supplements, which help you fall asleep. Taken about thirty minutes before going to bed, they will help you fall asleep quicker and obtain a more restful sleep. I take these occasionally when I have trouble falling asleep and no matter how long I end up sleeping for, I always wake up more rested than I would otherwise. If you aren't sleeping much, make sure what sleep you do get is most effective.
Research chia seeds and coconut oil. One consumption option is blending with sugar-free chocolate or vanilla pudding. Coconut oil becomes solid below 76°F . . microwave will liquefy it.
2½-3 cups water (depending on thickness preference)
3 tablespoons chia seeds
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 pk Jello sugar free pudding (usually less sodium than store brands)
6 ounces Kroger CarbMaster vanilla yogurt
Peanuts, cinnamon, multivitamin and other nutritional supplement tablets can also be blended in. The mix can also be poured into popsicle molds.
It sounds as though your body is feeling your stress. My chiropractor gave me a take home adrenal stress test, because I showed all the classic signs of adrenal issues (which included fatigue). My numbers were way low. After some diet changes (getting rid of gluten as I showed some intolerance on the test), more exercise, and adrenal supplements (which only need to be taken for 2 months), and regular chiropractic adjustments, I am feeling SO much better. I only started going to my chiropractor 3 weeks ago and started taking the supplements 2 weeks ago. My energy levels are WAY up and I'm feeling great. You mentioned feeling like your blood sugar was low. My blood sugar and insulin levels were also very low before I started treatment. I don't experience that at all any more. I encourage you to seek help if simply allowing yourself more sleep and rest doesn't help. You have received many other great tips here. Take care of your body and it will take care of you.
By nature, we are supposed to be done with the harvest and the hunting and spending these dark days sitting around the fire in the cave telling stories and taking long naps.
However, the modern world is cruel and makes us work and go to school.
It's the last week of classes & I'm in my senior year of university. It is super cold now & the winter always tends to get me extremely tired much faster. I'm not overweight, I'm healthy but I do not exercise regularly (especially NOT in cold weather)...I feel like I may be experiencing low blood sugar & because it is generally high pressure during this time, I have a knack for pulling all nighters & resting very little...
How can I spurn this lack of energy & where is it coming from??
Lots of natural easy remedies on Earthclinic.com-more energy, better sleep....
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
