Fatigue getting you down? Feeling run down but you’re doing everything right?
You might not even realise that you’re using more energy than you need to.
Discussions on ways to reduce our energy consumption when it comes to turning off lights, extra clothing to reduce heating bills, shutting the blinds early in the day to keep the house cool and so on, it’s too common.
Can we think about our body in a similar way? That the energy we use doesn’t come from nowhere, it is made in our cells and to do so requires a lot of work.
Here are a few simple things you can do help reduce unnecessary consumptions of energy.
Drink warm/room temperature water
Our body sits at approximately a balmy 37 degrees, so when it comes to what we put in our body, keeping to that temperature is a great way to utilise less energy. Hear me out. If you consume fluids from the fridge or containing ice, your body will use energy to warm that fluid up once it has been consumed in order to keep your body sitting at that 37-degree state.
Consuming warm water or teas can reduce that unnecessary consumption of energy.
Eat cooked foods
To help you better understand this concept, it might be nice to think of your stomach like a little compost bin. If you put something in there that is uncooked, hard, or cold, it will take longer for that food to break down.
If we ingest something that is warm, cooked, and soft, it is easy for our gut to break down the food and extract the nutrients without having to use extra unnecessary energy to do so.
Add a layer
Blood circulates warmth around your body to keep you feeling comfortable in your own skin. When you are cold the body works harder to keep us feeling warm and this requires energy to do so.
Melbourne’s weather has a way of catching us out. When we leave the house, it is beautiful and warm, but two hours later it is cold and windy. Take a light layer or scarf with you if there is a chance the weather will change, or you think you might stay out after the sun goes down.
“But I run warm…” My recommendation is that you think of adding light layers, wearing a long sleeve t-shirt when it is cold and windy, instead of a jumper. Wear a hooded jumper instead of a scarf. Light pants instead of shorts.
Socks
Keeping your feet warm is important. You will always hear wise older members of our community telling you that “if your feet are cold, your whole body is cold.” Tiles and concrete are heat sinks; they stay cool because of the way they transfer heat away from the source.
we recommend wearing socks to avoid the heat being transferred away from your body easily.
Don’t like socks? Maybe treat yourself to some indoor slides which keep your feet breathing but covered on the bottom.
Chinese Medicine and acupuncture can be a great way to support your battle with fatigue.
If you have been curious to see how Acupuncture might help you on your health journey, have a search for a local Acupuncturist, or feel free to get in touch.