Always Tired

binky2017

Cathlete
For a few months now I have always felt very tired. I use to be very active with exercise and other activities. Now I can't seem to get moving and need help. I have gone to the doctor and had my blood work done (which everything is fine), and I've also switched my birth control thinking that this may have been the problem. It has become very frustrating and I have run out of things to do to help wake me up. I'm gaining weight that I don't want!! I have gotten my DH to help by walking with me in the mornings and I have been trying to get back into some kind of exercise routine. Most of the time, this makes me more tired. Do anyone have any suggestions???
 
Do you take a multi vitamin? Perhaps your diet needs tweaking? Maybe you are simply not getting enough sleep at night?

Just a few thoughts....Hope you find more energy soon! :)
 
Some thoughts: Do you have kids or extra stress in your life right now? Do you notice more fatigue in the winter when there is less sunlight? (Could be Seasonal Affective Disorder.) Have you recently had a sinus or other infection? Are you sensitive to sugar?

Another thought- it is good that your blood-work came back normal, but the fact you are gaining weight could suggest a thyroid problem. Is your hair thinning and/or do you often feel cold? If so, you may want to see a specialist... I have heard that some people have low levels of thyroid hormones and it doesn't always show up on basic blood-work. I am sure some ladies here with thyroid problems can give you advice if you suspect this.
 
I am always tired too

I have been to my Dr over and over again about this and had my blood work done and everything comes back good. I worked out consistantly until April of this year when it seemed like I hit a wall. I had barley enough energy to work. I work two jobs and have two kids but I have worked two jobs for ten years now and never had a problem. My mom keeps telling me that I am getting old-I don't buy that. I hope you get to feeling better soon and keep us posted as to what you find out.

Happy Holidays,
Shannon
 
This is going to sound very random, but.... I used to be tired all the time then I incorporated chia seeds into my diet. Within a week or so I felt much better. Now I am about 6 weeks in and my life is vastly different. I didn't change anything else so I attribute it to the chia seeds. DM added them to her diet at the same time and she says the same thing.

Shayne
 
Another thought (although a little scarier)...how is your heart?
I had a family friend that was eperiencing more and more fatigue. Was a runner, bloodwork looked great, cholesterol was a little high.

He had a heart attack that almost killed him. His cholesterol was never outrageous, but it turned out that his arteries were almost completely blocked. He was fatigued all the time because there was very little oxygen getting through to his body. A quadruple bipass later, he felt terrific. He said that he had no idea how bad he'd felt until after the surgery.

So, just one other thing to explore as you look at health issues. Although I'm not sure where to start with that one...
 
Shayne,

Where do you get Chia seeds? At this point I am willing to try anything.

Thanks,
Shannon

This is funny, because I'm eating a chia seed pudding with bananas right now.

I got a small container at a health-food store but they were quite pricy. So I ordered some from Amazon http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00313L62Y/ref=ox_ya_os_product. I haven't tried the ones from Amazon yet, but they look just like the ones I got at the health-food store.

I was struggling with lack of energy and with constant soreness/lack of sufficient recovery after workouts. When my joints started aching and I was feeling like I constantly had a cold, it brought me up short. I had been letting sugar and refined foods creep into my diet (occasionally) over the past few months. I really can't handle the stuff, but it had been coming on so gradually that I didn't pinpoint the problem until it got really bad. I kept rationalizing that with the workouts I was doing, I could handle some ice cream or Clif bars if I snuck them in around my workouts and used sugar to fuel my long runs--big mistake (for me)!

So . . . I'm a week into a clean-eating overhaul. I've cleaned up my diet, started making green smoothies, and tried some new things like chia seeds, maca, and hemp. It has make a HUGE difference for me. But I did feel yucky for the first couple of days: I think I was having something of a healing crisis.

By the way, I found hemp seeds to be very delicious. Hemp protein, on the other hand, was hard for me to like. I was loving green smoothies until I added hemp protein--yuck! But I made a green smoothie this morning with hemp and maca (1 Tablespoon each) and added some fresh ginger--YUM! The ginger makes the hemp protein taste really good.
 
I got my chia seeds at getchia.com. DM and I split 12 pounds of chia seeds and we each have 2-3 Tbsp each day . I put them in my oatmeal as well as my smoothies and sometime I mix them in my smooth peanut butter. Actually I have sort of a powerhouse oatmeal recipe. I mix:

1/2 cup of quick oats
1 Tbsp ground flax
1 Tbsp wheat germ
2 Tbsp walnuts
2 Tbsp chia seeds
2 Tbsp raisins
1/2 Tbsp cinnamon
2 packet Truvia

I am thinking of adding a bit of vanilla protein powder to up the protein content and to make it taste more like a cinnamon bun. I boil water and pour it into the mix which I let steep the minute or two it takes to eat my eggs. I figure I get a ton of nutrients to start my day with this recipe.

I hope you begin to feel better. I have been where you are and it is so frustrating. When the doctors tell you everything is fine because your bloodwork is fine can leave you very lost, frustrated and often angry. You are right to be searching for your own solution to the problem and I hope you find it.

Shayne
 
Hey Elsie

Dr. Oz recommended maca for a menopausal woman who had no libido! Is the liquid as good as the powder? Do you have any preference? Thanks
 
Dr. Oz recommended maca for a menopausal woman who had no libido! Is the liquid as good as the powder? Do you have any preference? Thanks
Not Elsie, but ...
I don't think there is a liquid available, at least I haven't seen any.
The powder is fairly bland tasting (a mild malt flavor), and is easily disguised in chocolate smoothies! You can also add it to truffles, for example. There are also pills available, but IMO, why take the extra ingredients (in the coating) if you don't need to? Maca is a food.

I've used both Sunfood's Maca Extreme (which they don't seem to carry anymore, though they do have various other macas, including this one http://www.sunfood.com/food/maca/maca-16-oz-1lb-raw-organic.html as well as info on maca ) and Healthforce Nutritionals' Maca Force (it comes in carob mint--now called 'dark mint'--and a spice flavor): http://www.healthforce.com/

I've also read that, as an adaptogen (a food that has overall benefits), you get the most benefit from it by taking it for a few weeks, then taking a week off.
 
Dr. Oz recommended maca for a menopausal woman who had no libido! Is the liquid as good as the powder? Do you have any preference? Thanks

I'm glad Kathryn replied, because she is much more knowledgeable than I am about these things. I have the maca powder, and I really like the taste. I got mine on Amazon, but I'll check out Kathryn's sources. I wanted to try it because I need all the hormonal help I can get.:p

By the way, I wanted to mention that 1 1/2 weeks into my nutritional overhaul I feel much better--and I've also lost 5 of the pounds that had piled on at an alarming rate.
 
I'm glad Kathryn replied, because she is much more knowledgeable than I am about these things. I have the maca powder, and I really like the taste. I got mine on Amazon, but I'll check out Kathryn's sources. I wanted to try it because I need all the hormonal help I can get.:p

By the way, I wanted to mention that 1 1/2 weeks into my nutritional overhaul I feel much better--and I've also lost 5 of the pounds that had piled on at an alarming rate.



Elsie,

Would you be willing to share your green smoothie recipe? I have been wanting try incorporating one into my eating routine (I hate the word "diet") but there are so many different versions out there....as a fellow Catheite, I'd like to try yours! :eek:
 
Elsie,

Would you be willing to share your green smoothie recipe? I have been wanting try incorporating one into my eating routine (I hate the word "diet") but there are so many different versions out there....as a fellow Catheite, I'd like to try yours! :eek:

Sure! I just mixed together things I wanted to consume.

1 C Plain Yogurt (If you don't do dairy, you can substitute water, almond milk, juice, etc.
1 T Hemp Protein Powder
1 T Maca Powder
1 T Flax seeds
3 packets Stevia (or to taste)
peeled fresh ginger
2 carrots
1 large handful spinich leaves
2 Kale leaves (center stem removed)
1 small (or 1/2 large) apple
2 celery stalks (I use the celery to push the other ingredients down to the blade)
water (about 1/2 cup to thin to desired consistency)

This makes a blender full. I like it best fresh, but sometimes I'll save half for later.

If I have some sprouts, I'll throw them in--but broccoli sprouts were way too peppery for my taste (much better left for the salad). Also, I'll skip the flax seeds if I'm using them with something else that day. When I tried the fresh ginger, I broke off a round nodule about the size of a nickel. It was a good amount for my taste, so I've been cutting off pieces about that big.

Check out Kathryn's blog. She has some yummy looking recipes.

Okay, I paid more attention this morning when making my smoothie. I used probably 1 1/2 cups water (about 1/2 cup at first) and then added more at the end to thin out a bit. Also, I like the taste better if I blend in about 4 ice cubes.
 
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I've always thought I was born tired. I also am frequently cold. I think I'll go to a doctor and investigate a bit more.

In the meantime..... Elsie, would you be willing to share a little bit more about your nutritional overhaul. What does your nutrition look like over a day or over a week? And I am going to have to try both that oatmeal recipe and that smoothie recipe. They look yummy to me. And to think I threw out the rest of my hemp protein because I just couldn't stomach the taste :rolleyes:

Thanks a bunch! :)
 

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