5 Reasons You May Be Feeling Fatigued

Not only can fatigue ruin your day, but it can become such a problem that your quality of life is impacted as well. You may have gotten used to feeling sluggish every day, but it's not a condition you have to accept. It's possible your fatigue can be attributed to your lifestyle habits. Here are five possible reasons you are fatigued.

1. You aren't drinking enough water

Water is crucial to being energized. If you're like many people, you reach for the coffee when you need a pick-me-up. Caffeine is dehydrating and will actually cause you to feel more tired. You might find yourself more alert for a short time, but your body will be as exhausted as it was before. To energize your body, you must hydrate it. When you are getting enough water, you urinate often, and it will be a light yellow to clear color. If you're feeling tired on a daily basis, drinking more water is a good place to start, to see if your energy picks up.

2. You aren't getting enough B12

If you are a vegetarian or vegan, you may not be getting the B12 that you need. B12 is found only in animal products such as milk, eggs, poultry, meat, and shellfish. Some foods and drinks are fortified with B12, so it's important to read labels to see how much you are getting. B12 is needed to help form healthy new red blood cells, which carry oxygen throughout the body and in turn gives you energy.

3. You don't exercise

People who aren't physically active often complain about how tired they are. There is a reason for this. Exercise produces chemicals that help to combat fatigue. If you don't exercise, getting up to go to the grocery store can seem like a struggle. When you begin working out, you'll be full of energy. If you're leading a sedentary lifestyle, this could be a perfect explanation for why you're feeling fatigued.

4. You skip breakfast

Food is fuel for your body, and if you don't eat something after a night of sleeping, you will be facing your day while running on nothing. It's important to give your body a good start each morning, which means feeding it healthy foods. While a doughnut may be better than nothing, it's far from the best choice of breakfast foods. Better choices are things that will supply your body with nutrients and energy. You don't want fuel that will wear off in an hour, so you want foods such as eggs, oatmeal, fruit, and yogurt.

5. You're not getting enough iron

Iron is another nutrient that carries oxygen throughout the body. Liver is high in iron, as are beef and lamb meat. Good plant sources of iron include spinach, kidney beans, lentils, and tofu. However, for plant-based iron to be absorbed into the body, it must be accompanied by vitamin C, as can be found in lemon or lime juice. Things that inhibit iron absorption include coffee, tea, soy products, and calcium supplements.

Your fatigue problem may be as simple as getting enough hydration and adequate nutrients. It's important to lead a healthy lifestyle so that you're always at your best.