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Considering intermittent fasting? If daytime sleepiness, low energy and fatigue are affecting your performance – Intermittent Fasting might not be right for you.

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Whether it’s the OG 5:2 – restricting calories on certain days of the week or the more recent trending approach of Time Restricted Eating – restricting energy (caloric) intake on certain hours of the day, Intermittent Fasting (IF) has been a popular approach for the past decade adopted by many for its purported health benefits, such as for weight management and boosting metabolic health


But IF is not necessarily good practice for high performing mid-lifers with fatigue issues and here’s why…

A common symptom presented to me by high performing clients is fatigue which manifests as daytime sleepiness and the so-called afternoon slump affecting performance.  Fatigue can be described as a prolonged state of low energy accompanied by physical and / or mental exhaustion.    This level of fatigue is not relieved by a good nights sleep, rather clients find they are not waking feeling refreshed, dragging themselves out of bed in the morning but struggling to get off to sleep at night – that tired but wired feeling. 


Fatigue can be symptomatic of imbalance or dysregulation in the body.  Such drivers of daytime sleepiness can include adrenal fatigue, nutritional deficiency, poor blood glucose control and/or poor nutrient absorption in the gut.  All of which can be identified through simple testing. 


Clients with daytime sleepiness and fatigue issues are often already dealing with energy production issues and imbalanced blood sugar levels, making them more vulnerable to energy slumps. 

 

How does fasting affect energy levels?

Fasting is actually a mild stressor on the body triggering the release of stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, important hormones in maintaining blood sugar levels. 

People experiencing afternoon slumps often have poor blood sugar control and fasting can make it harder to maintain stable energy, potentially worsening symptoms of fatigue.


For many high performing midlife clients, daily stress from their work, family life and financial commitments etc places huge demands on the adrenals – fasting has the potential to place even more demands on already overtaxed individuals – exacerbating symptoms of adrenal fatigue.

 

Nutrient requirements for energy

Whilst it can be difficult pinpointing the cause of fatigue, what we do know is that the biochemical processes involved in energy production is very nutrient demanding – and the demand for nutrients only increases as the stress from our demanding work and homelife increases. 


Every day, our body produces stress hormones, mainly adrenaline and cortisol, to keep us functioning.  These hormones are important for waking us up, focus on work, regulate blood pressure, and perform daily activities.  I often see nutrient deficiencies in essential nutrients like B vitamins, iron and magnesium important nutrients in our body’s energy mechanism.  The problem with fasting in a client with nutrient deficiencies is that fasting potentially limits nutrient intake further – worsening deficiencies and fatigue over time.

 

Importance of consistent energy supply

Our mitochondria are the power houses to our energy supply.  They are like the battery packs in each and every cell in our body.  These cells need a steady supply of fuel to maintain function for energy production.  For clients struggling with fatigue and daytime sleepiness, Intermittent Fasting can worsen fatigue symptoms driving energy slumps – making daily functioning and performance so much harder.  

 

My top 3 tips as an alternative to fasting for people with fatigue

1.      Eat regularly and avoid restrictive eating patterns with meals evenly spaced apart roughly 3-4 hours.  Avoiding skipping breakfast.

2.      Ensure your meals are well balanced with protein, complex carbs (eg fresh veggies, lentils, beans, chickpeas, quinoa and buckwheat) and healthy fats (eg avocados, nuts and seeds and extra virgin olive oil) at every meal. 

3.      Focus on eating a variety of nutrient dense foods, from fresh vegetables and fruit, lean cuts of meat, eggs, fish – cooking from fresh and avoiding processed foods ensures you are maximising nutrient intake to replenish depleted energy stores. 


Whilst fasting is beneficial for some, like everything in the world of nutrition – there is no one-size fits all approach.  For those struggling with fatigue, day-time sleepiness and lacking in energy to perform at your best, focusing on a well-balanced, nutrient-rich diet with regular meals is often supportive of energy and overall wellness. 


If your performance is being affected by low energy and fatigue, working with a Nutritional Therapist may help identify the root cause informing a bespoke nutrition and lifestyle plan crafted to suit your specific needs.

 

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