Can you eat foods that improve energy?  One of the most common complaints I see is fatigue, or feeling tired.  I see fatigue complaints at least 1-2 times weekly.

Fatigue is a nonspecific issue and there are many reasons for it.  The most common reasons include low vitamin B12, depression, medication side effects, sleep apnea, low testosterone, sleep disorders,  and substance abuse disorders.  I take a thorough history, examination,  check thyroid and vitamin B12 levels along with a basic set of labs.  However,  once the history, physical and bloodwork yield no diagnosis, I am done.

Before three years ago, I laid these issues to rest, but I made a few discoveries as I learned more about nutrition.  For one, there is frequently a correlation between your diet and your energy level.  I commonly encounter a tired man who eats once daily, usually dinner, but skips breakfast and/or lunch routinely.  Or,  he eats a  Chic-fil-A chicken biscuit, hash rounds with coffee or Krispy Kreme doughnut for breakfast.  .

The problem with any of the above foods is that they are dirty fuel, not clean fuel.  Dirty fuel is high in calories due to fat content, but nutritionally deficient  in comparison to clean fuel, fruits, and vegetables.  Krispy  Kreme doughnuts are processed foods that cause huge blood sugar increases with subsequent sugar crashes that leave you tired.  Doughnuts have a high glycemic index leading to rapid, massive sugar release into the bloodstream.  Bacon, eggs, and toast in combination or separate fails to provide much readily available “good sugar” to improve energy.  Sugar is the first and best  fuel your body wants to burn.  Fat and protein are not as easily accessible for energy when compared with sugar; therefore, many become tired when eating  low carbohydrate diets.

Clean fuel foods are significant because they are  slow-release   carbohydrates (low glycemic index) supplying a steady stream of sugar into your blood stream leading to better metabolism, improved appetite, increased energy,  and effective brain function.

So, instead of having a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit from McDonald’s, consider the oatmeal, or better yet, make  it at home and eat it at work the next day.

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