Best Diet for Energy: 10 Foods to Fight Fatigue

Many people experience fatigue here and there. This overwhelming sense of tiredness minimizes productivity and can make the easiest of tasks seem impossible. The foods we eat have a direct correlation to how our bodies perform. ‘Fueling‘ ourselves with the right type of foods can help increase our energy levels and maintain our alertness and focus throughout the day. Here are ten foods that you can include in your diet to beat fatigue.

Why Do We Feel Fatigue in the First Place?

Before we rank our picks for our favorite foods for fighting fatigue, let’s first uncover what’s making you tired in the first place. With a deeper understanding of the underlying causes of your chronic tiredness, you’ll be able to make meaningful changes that can positively impact energy levels that last through the day.

Below are some of the primary factors that might make you feel excessively tired and fatigued.

Low-Quality Sleep Makes You Feel Exhausted During the Day

When it comes to restful sleep, quality matters just as much as quantity, if not more. The sleep that restores your energy levels the most are deep sleep and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, which allows your mind and body to recharge and prepare for the day to come.

Getting restorative sleep can be tough if your bedroom isn’t conducive to high-quality rest. Optimizing your sleep environment by keeping the room dim, minimizing noise, and setting the temperature right around 65 degrees Fahrenheit may help you get more of the deep sleep that you need to feel recharged in the morning.

Stress Makes You Tired – Even When You Sleep Enough

Finally, let’s talk about stress. It’s an unavoidable part of life, but it can have a major impact on your energy levels when it’s left unchecked. Unmanaged stress can turn chronic, leading to a host of problematic symptoms – including fatigue.

When you’re under chronic stress, you’re likely to never feel fully rested, no matter how much sleep you get. That’s because constant stress wears out several key systems within your body, including your endocrine system, immune system, and nervous system.

In addition to getting plenty of high-quality sleep and eating healthy food, stress management is essential for less fatigue and more feelings of energy.

Practices like meditation, regular exercise, habitual gratitude and thankfulness, and more can all help you conquer stress and restore your energy levels.

A Poor Diet Can Lead to Fatigue

What you eat has a profound effect on your energy levels, which is why we’ve ranked our favorite energy-boosting foods in the paragraphs below. The nutrients that you get from healthy food really do impact how you feel, even though you might not sense an immediate difference between a nutrient-dense lunch and a fast food dinner.

Processed food, which often contains very few nutrients and plenty of unhealthy ingredients, can make you feel lethargic and exhausted in several different ways.

First, highly processed food rarely provides the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that your body needs to generate energy.

Second, eating lots of nutrient-absent, sugar-rich foods can dramatically affect your blood sugar, leading to glucose spikes and crashes that don’t provide the steady energy that whole foods, like fruits and veggies, can.

For these reasons and more, it’s essential to moderate your consumption of junk food and focus primarily on whole, fresh meals that contain plenty of essential nutrients.

Below we’ll give you some helpful inspiration for an energy-boosting diet. Here is our list of top foods for fighting fatigue.

1. Bananas

Bananas are a great source of potassium. Potassium is one of the most important minerals in the body. It helps regulate bodily fluids and muscle functions, such as muscle contractions, while also balancing and regulating nerve signals. Potassium also helps the body retain water which is vital to staying hydrated and feeling energized.

2. Spinach

Spinach is a leafy green vegetable that is high in iron, magnesium, and potassium. Iron is an important mineral that promotes the healthy transportation of oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. This efficient transportation can help your body maintain higher levels of energy and concentration. Most people do not realize the benefits of iron until they are not getting enough.

3. Eggs

There’s a reason why eggs are considered a ‘superfood.’ Eggs are a fantastic source of protein, B-vitamins, and healthy fats. Vitamin B-complex is mostly responsible for this added energy and is why eggs are the perfect way to start your day.

4. Fish

Certain fish like salmon, sardines, and mackerel are an excellent source of protein, B vitamins, and Vitamin D. They help the mitochondria—the powerhouse of the cell—use oxygen to help power different parts of the body.

5. Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are rich in various vitamins and minerals like iron, magnesium, and vitamin C. Vitamin C is important for transporting fats into the cells of the body, where they are burned off to give your body energy.

6. Fruits

Fruits are a great way of getting that ‘candy sugar high’ without the crash later on. This is because fruits are high in natural sugars, whereas candy contains nothing but refined sugars. These natural sugars are absorbed by the body and processed into the bloodstream, then processed into energy.

7. Soybeans

Soybeans are an excellent source of protein, B-Vitamins, copper, and phosphorus. Copper and phosphorus are heavily involved in the processes of converting food into energy and dispersing it into cells where the body can use it.

8. Oatmeal

Oatmeal is one of the best sources of slow-releasing energy. This is because it is high in carbohydrates that are metabolized slowly by the GI tract. Low GI complex carbohydrates are carbs that release energy much slower than high GI complex carbohydrates. Foods such as soy products, beans, fruits, and oats, are all considered to have low GI complex carbohydrates. Oatmeal is an efficient and tasty meal to include in your diet to beat fatigue.

9. Brown Rice

Brown rice is another one of those ‘superfoods.’ One cup of rice will satisfy your body’s need for manganese: a trace mineral found in several foods like nuts, legumes, whole grains, and leafy greens. Manganese helps the body prevent free radicals causing illness and aging and helps regulate the energy produced by the mitochondria. Brown rice is a food that can be easily incorporated into a variety of dishes to help give added energy.

10. Water

Yes, we know this is not food, but water is one of—if not the most—important things we can give our bodies. Water is responsible for keeping our whole body hydrated, including our muscles. Staying hydrated helps maintain energy levels by keeping muscles energized. Dehydration can cause fatigue or low energy levels.

On top of drinking plenty of water everyday, IV hydration at home is an easy, convenient way to get your body the fluids it needs to support healthy energy levels and function at its best.

Conclusion

Fatigue can set you back both physically and mentally. When we experience fatigue, there is a noticeable drop off in productivity as well. A poor diet can cause chronic fatigue. This diet lacks the necessary vitamins and minerals and is high in unhealthy fats and mindless eating. A good rule of thumb is to make your plate as colorful as possible. Along with staying hydrated, this variety in your diet will ultimately help raise your energy levels as tastefully as possible.

Looking to get extra support in reaching your own lifestyle goals? Book a free consultation with ivee’s team to see how our wellness services can help support you through the process!

Sources:

Blood Sugar | Medline Plus

Sleep Basics: REM & NREM, Sleep Stages, Good Sleep Habits & More | Cleveland Clinic

How to Manage Stress with Mindfulness and Meditation | Mindful