There are so many reasons why a person can feel tired that are far beyond how many hours he or she slept. Stress, mental health, diet, and disease can all be contributors to chronic fatigue. One major risk factor, though, is diabetes. In fact, extreme tiredness and chronic fatigue are telltale signs of diabetes.
Fatigue and Diabetes
Diabetes can make many regular life stressors seem even more strenuous on the body. With diabetes, there are a lot of factors that can contribute to fatigue. High blood sugar levels, usually due to insulin resistance or the lack of the insulin hormone, can get in the way of fueling the body’s cells properly so that the whole body is exhausted a lot sooner than normally. Low blood glucose levels, a common side effect of strong diabetes medication, can equally be exhausting for a similar reason: the cells are not being properly fueled with glucose to meet the body’s needs.
Whatever the cause may be, a quick blood glucose test can help you understand where you’re at and how to treat the fatigue.
Signs of Fatigue
Everyone is different when it comes to experiencing diabetes and fatigue, but here are some universal signs of fatigue:
- A lack of energy
- Low mood, feeling depressed, or having lack of interest
- Difficulty concentrating or completing simple tasks
5 Ways to Beat Fatigue
Being tired all the time is definitely irritating. It can get in the way of your ability to enjoy basic life events that you usually enjoy. Here are 5 simple ways to help give your body the energy it needs.
- Exercise – Exercise is like nature’s boost of energy. It helps release endorphins, gets the blood moving, and floods your brain and body with fresh oxygen and energy-boosting neurotransmitters. You don’t need to join a gym to benefit from exercise, either. A simple 15-minute walk each evening will do the trick.
- Healthy Diet – Feed your body what it thrives on—vitamins and minerals—and it will indeed thrive. Be sure to include lots of plants, water, and animal products that are made by nature (you want to feed the body what it was designed to succeed on, right?). Ditch the sluggish food that comes in a wrapper and fill your body with proper fuel.
- Good Sleep – Every body is different so there is no one set number of hours needed each night. Find what your body likes and go with it. Six hours is a good place to start but don’t be afraid to take more time each night to rest if you feel that your body needs it. It’s also important to have good quality sleep, as well. Try using earplugs if you live in a noisy place, strategically placing a fan in your room if you have a muggy sleeping area, or drinking chamomile tea before bed to help relax.
- Mindfulness Meditation – Mindfulness is research based and easy to do. People that practice mindfulness are able to handle stress better, which allows them to use their energy more efficiently. Find a quick mindfulness meditation tutorial and start small, maybe 5 minutes at a time, and practice this technique in order to appropriately use your energy.
- Moringa – Moringa is the best green powder that you can find. Seriously! It has more vitamins and minerals than any other plant and is a natural mood enhancer, as well. By giving your body what it craves (see #2), you will help it use its energy more efficiently.
Try these tips for a week or so and see how your energy levels are affected. Let us know what works for you!
[expand title=”References“]
Diabetes.co.uk. URL Link. Accessed February 10, 2017.
Science Direct. URL Link. Accessed February 10, 2017.
Integrative Cancer Therapies. URL Link. Accessed February 10, 2017.
Science Daily. URL Link. Accessed February 10, 2017.
NHS. URL Link. Accessed February 10, 2017.
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