New Year is round the corner. It is time to prepare for champagne, fireworks and parties. It is also the time to assess the year gone by, and make resolutions for the new year. As you scrutinize your life and wonder if you are managing all your responsibilities well, take a moment and check if you are managing the factor that saps you of your enthusiasm, verve and energy and makes you a person that you are not. Yes, this new year, resolve to manage fatigue better!
It is true that fatigue can transform the quality of your life. Minus your inherent energy you lose your liveliness. Even the way you perceive life, work and relationships, changes for worse. Sadly, most people may take fatigue to be a part and parcel of life, a by-product of ageing. Even sadder is that they don’t realize that fatigue can be managed, and hence unnecessarily compromise their lives.
Actually, the human body is like a machine. It needs its share of fuel and rest. When it starts running out of fuel, or energy, it starts giving out signals and one of them may be in the form of fatigue. Proper rest and nourishment can help the body be ready for another phase of work.
Dr KV Nageshwara Rao, a general physician at Kotagiri Nursing Home, Visakhapatnam, says that fatigue can manifest in any or all of these ways – Continued tiredness or sleepiness; headache; dizziness; sore or aching muscles; slowed reflexes and responses; impaired decision making abilities; appetite loss; short term memory problems; lack of concentration and low motivation. If any of these symptoms have become a part of your daily life, wake up!
Dr Rao says, “Fatigue can affect life negatively.” He goes on to explain that fatigue, if unchecked, puts you in great danger of having accidents on road and at work. It can reduce your efficiency at the workplace and can also impact your personal life.
The stresses and strains of urban lifestyle are likely to make fatigue very common. High expectations at work, social commitments and the rush of the city life can become too much for the mind-body system to handle. Moreover, responsibilities just keep on increasing. It is but natural for the body to start slowing down with age. Though this change does not indicate lower vitality as compared to that in the teens and twenties, it does demand a more balanced lifestyle. Unfortunately, to a large extent urban life is akin to a race and those who slow down, may be forced to drop out.
However, all is not lost. Dr P Rathnam, a general practitioner in Upper Relli Street, Visakhapatnam, says that a regular sleeping pattern, exercise and a healthy diet go a long way in helping you reclaim the ‘real’ you. Actually, diet plays a crucial role in this aspect because it is the fuel that keeps the body working. Better the quality of fuel, the smoother your vehicle runs. The same rule applies to your body.
A healthy diet should include whole grains, pulses/ legumes, vegetables and lots of fruits. It is recommended to moderate your intake of fats, salt and sugar. Moreover, it is advisable to take four to five small and equally spaced meals instead of two big meals. Restrict your caffeine intake. Instead take lots of water and juice.
Long office hours combined with the time taken to commute to and fro from office can make it difficult to cook a proper meal everyday. At the end of the day when one is tired, the temptation to eat fast food is great, which may not be a healthy option. Dr Rathnam says, “It is necessary that you take a healthy diet to meet your daily nutritional requirements. A simple balanced home-cooked meal usually contains all the essential nutrients that your body requires. However, in today’s scenario where you may miss meals or opt for convenience foods due to lack of time or hectic schedules, it may be a good idea to add a nutritional supplement such as a health food drink, to your diet.”
When it comes to choosing a health food drink, you can choose something that is designed for the health conscious adult with all the essential vitamins and minerals, is high in protein and fibre but has zero added cholesterol and zero added sugar. Incorporating an HFD in your daily routine will help ensure that your body won’t miss its share of vitamins and minerals. This in turn will help strengthen your body’s immune system, protecting you from future infections. Taking a supplement, along with a healthy diet and lifestyle, can also help build your stamina in the long run, enabling you to cope with higher pressure.
We always welcome the New Year with hope for a happier and more prosperous future. But the celebrations have no meaning unless we act to make our wishes come true. Therefore, take the initiative, eat well and as the countdown begins, start managing fatigue!
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