Chronic fatigue syndrome leaves most patients with little energy, but many experts believe that what you eat can help. It can be especially useful in the upcoming hot summer season and during the time of the fast..
Eating a healthy diet and getting the best nutrition can help you manage many illnesses, and that doesn’t exclude the persistent tiredness and mental strain of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS).
By eating the right foods we all can give ourselves more natural energy.
For chronic fatigue patients, the No. 1 piece of advice is to avoid processed, refined carbohydrates, such as the sugar or white flour found in foods such as white bread, crackers, cookies, cakes, and soda. Sugar has multiple detrimental effects in CFS patients. It suppresses the immune system, increases inflammation, and stimulates yeast overgrowth in the intestines. The list of what you can eat to help restore natural energy is much larger — and much better — than what you have to avoid. And here again, these are foods most people should be eating anyway. Highly recommend a low-carb diet of unprocessed and organic foods. Focus on wild-caught fish, organic vegetables, grass-fed meats, organic eggs, and full-fat cheeses. Add dark-colored fruits, including berries, which are also recommended. It’s also important to increase water, salt, and your overall protein intake. Because of the adrenal hormone levels being inadequate, people become dehydrated and need increased salt and water. The exception would be for patients with high blood pressure or heart failure. Increasing protein intake tends to help maintain a stable blood sugar. However, different approaches help different people, remember that each person is different, and one should eat what overall leaves them feeling the best. Sugars may leave you feeling better immediately, but then leave you feeling horrible hours later. Take some time to see how foods affect your overall well-being.
Try this stay-awake strategy: Snack on perfectly portable, fatigue-fighting foods, like whole grain crackers, walnuts, dark chocolate, and watermelon. These nine picks will perk you up in no time.
Pumpkin seed (the fatigue-fighter: Magnesium)
If your 30-minute workout leaves you feeling like you just climbed Mt. Everest, you might be low on magnesium. Women with magnesium deficiencies required more oxygen uptake during physical activity, used more energy, and therefore tired more easily. Snack on 1/4 cup of pumpkin seeds and you’ll take care of about half of your recommended daily allowance, 310 mg for women (320 mg for ages 31+) and 400 mg for men (420 mg for ages 31+).
Yogurt (the fatigue-fighter: Probiotics)
A stomach ache could spell sleepiness, Because research suggests that an imbalance in microorganisms in the digestive tract is partially to blame for CFS, improvements in fatigue symptoms, physical health, or mental health can be recognized after regular yogurt intake for a couple of weeks.
Wheat Bran Cereal (the fatigue-fighter: Fiber)
You know that fiber can help you fight fat, and it turns out the nutrient can also help you feel more awake. People who eat high-fiber wheat bran cereal suffer less emotional distress, experience fewer cognitive difficulties and less fatigue. Scientists credited these improvements to better digestive health.
Whole Grains (the fatigue-fighter: Complex carbohydrates) They might be a diet taboo, but carbs are essential to boosting energy. To stay out of a slump, pick complex carbohydrates such as whole grain
crackers or a bowl of oatmeal over refined carbs, like foods made from white flour. The body digests and releases complex carbs slowly, keeping your blood sugar (and your mood) stable. Simple sugars, like those
found in sweets and processed foods, on the other hand, provide a quick burst of energy, but cause your blood sugar to plummet just as quickly as it spiked.
Nuts are some of the best foods to beat fatigue and fight hunger. Nuts that provide energy include almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, and walnuts. Eating raw, unsalted nuts provide the most energy because they contain the most nutrients. Walnuts (the fatigue-fighter: Omega-3 fatty acids) Patients with CFS had low levels of omega-3 fatty acids. The alpha-linolenic acid & the omega-3 fatty acid found in walnuts may help relieve depression symptoms, which commonly contribute to CFS.
Dark Chocolate (the fatigue-fighter: Polyphenols) If you’re going to spring for sweets, be smart about your selection. Scientists suggest that polyphenols in dark chocolate increase levels of the happiness-boosting brain chemical serotonin and thus reduce feelings of fatigue.
Green / Black Tea The fatigue-fighters: Caffeine and l-thiamine Coffee beats out tea when it comes to caffeine, but your cup of joy is missing an important fatigue-fighting ingredient: l-thiamine. When paired with
caffeine, the amino acid found naturally in tea improves cognition more effectively than caffeine alone. A combination of caffeine (150 mg) and l-thiamine (250 mg ) improve alertness, memory, and reaction time
as well as decreased mental fatigue.
Watermelon (the fatigue-fighter: Water) If you’re feeling fatigued on a hot day or after a sweaty workout, the cause may be as simple as dehydration, and the fix as easy as enjoying a delicious slice of summer
fruit. Hydrating with water-dense foods won’t pack on the pounds.
Red Bell Pepper (Paprika) - the fatigue-fighter: Vitamin C Vitamin C is more than a cold fighter—the antioxidant also helps reduce oxidative stress, the result of too many free radicals in the body, another contributor to CFS. To get your Vitamin C fix, enjoy 1 cup of sliced red bell pepper and you’ll squeeze in almost 200% of your daily recommended vitamin C—that’s more than the amount in an entire orange.
(Sources: Everydayhealth.com, Fitbie.com)
