Maybe it's the same story every day. You wake up tired, drag yourself through the day, and collapse on the couch exhausted in the evening. Does that sound familiar? You're not alone. Many people struggle with fatigue, and often we look for the solution in more coffee or energy drinks. But what if the answer is right on your plate?
What causes tiredness and fatigue?
Fatigue has various causes. Too little or poor sleep naturally makes you feel listless. Stress, lack of exercise, and even the weather can also make you feel tired.
But there is one factor that is often forgotten: what you eat and drink. If your body receives the wrong nutrients (or has deficiencies), you will notice it immediately in your energy levels. Just compare it to a car given the wrong fuel: eventually, it won't run properly either.
What does food do for your energy?
Food is literally the fuel for your body. Everything that happens in your body—from your heart beating to your brain thinking, from your muscles moving to small wounds healing—requires energy. And that energy? You get it largely from what you eat and drink.
Power supply for direct energy
You need carbohydrates for quick energy. Your brain uses a lot of energy and constantly demands fuel. Carbohydrates contribute to the maintenance of normal brain function.* Here are some healthy choices for quick energy:
- Banana: natural sugars with fiber, so your energy doesn't drop immediately.
- Dates: give you quick energy without causing a slump later.
- Apple with nuts: the apple provides quick energy, the nuts keep you full longer.
- Oatmeal cookie: complex carbohydrates that your body can easily use.
- Drink enough water: water contributes to the maintenance of normal physical and cognitive functions.* Try to drink about 2 liters per day.
Nutrition for sustained energy
For energy that lasts all day, you need more than just carbohydrates. Your body needs various vitamins and minerals to extract energy from food. These nutrients help you with that:
- Iron: contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism* and contributes to the reduction of fatigue and tiredness.* Iron is found in foods such as: meat, fish, legumes, green leafy vegetables.
- Magnesium: contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism* and contributes to the reduction of fatigue and tiredness.* Magnesium can be found in: nuts, seeds, whole grains, green vegetables, among others.
- Vitamin B: vitamin B12, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin B6 and pantothenic acid contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism.* You can find these B vitamins in: meat, fish, dairy, eggs, whole grain products.
- Vitamin C: contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism* and increases iron absorption.*
Which nutrients and substances are better to avoid?
Some things actually make you tired rather than energetic. Alcohol, for example, disrupts your sleep and dehydrates you. Too much sugar causes your energy to spike at first, but then it comes crashing down. Too much caffeine also works against you and disrupts your sleep.
Heavy, fatty meals are also not a good idea when you are tired. Your body has to work so hard to digest them that you feel even sluggisher than before. Therefore, opt for lighter meals with vegetables, lean proteins, and whole-grain products. That way, your body gets energy without becoming overloaded.
Do supplements help with fatigue?
It can be difficult to obtain all the necessary nutrients through diet alone. Iron supplements can help if you need extra (have this checked by your doctor), a vitamin B complex is useful if you eat little meat, and vitamin D contributes to normal muscle function.*
Omega-3 fatty acids are also popular. EPA and DHA contribute to the normal functioning of the heart* and DHA is good for the brain* and helps maintain sharp vision.*
Remember: supplements are a complement, not a replacement for a healthy diet. Are you chronically tired? Talk to your GP, as there is sometimes a medical cause behind it. But often, you can help yourself enormously simply by eating and drinking better.
EFSA-approved health claims. The beneficial effect on heart and brain function is obtained with a daily intake of 250 mg EPA and DHA. For vision, 250 mg DHA per day applies. For brain function, you need 130 grams of carbohydrates per day.
