Morning tiredness
How can I wake up feeling full of energy and vitality? At the moment, I fight my way to consciousness after nine hours sleep. I stumble downstairs and first drink a cup of fruit tea and then a coffee. It takes an hour for me to feel really alive. I’ve tried exercising as soon as I get up but it only makes me feel sick.
Morning tiredness can be a sign of any one of a number of nutritional problems, from a straightforward deficiency in one or more nutrients to poor digestion, an overburdened liver, food intolerance or a blood sugar imbalance.
The latter, according to the nutritionist, Frank McGowan, is the most common cause of morning fatigue and problems with waking up. It is caused, he says, by a diet too high in refined, processed foods and in too many stimulants such as tea, coffee and alcohol.
Your tiredness could also be the result of a deficiency in any of the vitamins and minerals which are crucial for the production of glucose which is then converted to energy in the cell. These include the B vitamins, especially B12 which you may be lacking if you have not eaten meat for more than five years, magnesium, chromium, zinc, vitamin C, iron and Coenzyme Q10.
The solution, says McGowan, is to start a supplementation regime taking a good quality multivitamin and mineral with 200mcg of chromium and 50mg of coenzyme Q10. Cut out refined foods, tea, coffee, alcohol and sugar and introduce more fibre into your diet from natural sources such as whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, raw fruits and vegetables.
If these changes do not produce a significant improvement, he suggestions a consultation with a qualified nutritionist who can determine if you suffer food intolerances, poor digestion and or poor liver functioning and treat you accordingly.