We know that: Eating five or six small meals a day can help your blood-sugar level and give you the constant fuel you need. After Pamela Alexander, a 36-year-old massage therapist in Portland, Oregon, went to a nutritionist for energy advice, she began eating more-regular meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and two small snacks) to give her body the right mix of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. “There were no highs or lows anymore,” she says. “I felt balanced.”
This style of eating might seem contrary to all the dieting strategies you’ve probably heard and tried. But noshing on minimeals can actually be a good thing if you limit your calories (for many women, 1,800 a day will maintain weight; 1,300 a day will help drop about a pound a week). Be careful with those snacks, though: A slice of low-fat cheese and a few whole grain crackers or a handful of almonds and an apple are just enough.
But did you know: Taking vitamin B can give you a boost. Many of the eight B’s help convert the food you eat into energy, says Cindy Moore, MS, RD, the Cleveland Clinic’s director of nutrition therapy. “It’s like oil in a car. If your body doesn’t have the oil—the B vitamins that do the con-versions—it doesn’t run well.” Get your B’s from lean beef, pork, poultry, or fish, as well as from bananas, nuts, whole grains, and seeds. In a pinch, use a multivitamin with B’s, which, while they help with energy conversion, lack the disease-fighting antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids found in so many foods.
Instant-energy blast: Eat an apple, pear, or orange. These fruits (as well as veggies like beans or peas) are also packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. And they give you a dose of fiber, which keeps you regular and at a healthy, less-taxing-to-your-body weight.
Sometimes fatigue is more than just fatigue. Read this chart to see if any of these symptoms sound familiar, and see your doctor right away to determine any health issues you may have.
