Feeling tired & blurry? Here’s 5 nutrients that could be the cause

I know the scene - you're sitting in a meeting at 10am and struggling to concentrate on what those around you are saying because you're so tired, or you're struggling to catch your breath as you walk from your transport to the office, or battling with a killer headache that just won't go away! As common as these symptoms are, they're unfortunately not indications of a healthy, functioning body.

There's a multitude of reasons you could experience these symptoms, and it's important to seek professional advice if you're concerned about anything.

Here's 5 nutrients that can directly impact your cognitive ability and energy levels, and what you can do to combat your fatigue!

One: Iron Deficiency

This is more common in females, given we lose blood during our cycle each month, however if males have a low dietary intake of iron or absorption issues due to IBS or other gastrointestinal diseases (e.g. Coeliac), it's possible for men to become iron deficient too. Vegetarians are more at risk of becoming iron deficient if they are not consuming a balanced diet of adequate non-haeme iron with Vitamin C. Our bodies produce red blood cells from our bone marrow, and the red blood cells are responsible for carrying oxygen & nutrients through our blood stream around the body. Simply put, if you don't have enough iron, you won't receive enough oxygen! Symptoms of iron deficiency include fatigue, weakness, irritability, pale skin, headache, shortness of breath & brittle nails.

Importantly, caffeine decreases iron absorption, so if you're planning to enjoy a coffee, try spacing it out from your iron rich foods by an hour or two.

How can I find out if I'm iron deficient?

A blood test for Full Blood Count and Iron Studies is the most accurate way to check your red blood cell levels and this can be requested through your healthcare provider. The test looks at how much iron you have in circulation (haemoglobin) versus how much is in storage (Ferritin).

What can I do if I am iron deficiency? It’s important to note that too much iron for the body is not a good thing - it’s not like a second helping of dessert (which is always a good idea!). Diet should be your first port of call to improve your iron status, and for plant forms (non-haeme) of iron, absorption is enhanced when you consume with Vitamin C. Squeeze some lemon juice over your iron-rich veggies to increase absorption. Iron-rich foods include animal meats, green leafy vegetables, lentils, nuts & seeds, salmon & tuna.

Depending on the extent of your iron deficiency, you may need to consider an Iron supplement. There's a range of supplements available and some are better than others in not impacting your metabolism (some can make you constipated). This is something that should be done in partnership with a healthcare professional like an Accredited Nutritionist or Dietitian to ensure you get the right product and dosage for you as an individual. NEVER SELF-DIAGNOSE IRON DEFICIENCY.

Two: B-Vitamin Deficiency

B-Vitamins are involved in many biochemical reactions in the body, notably cell metabolism (energy) and production of red blood cells. The tricky part with B-Vitamins is they are water soluble, so are flushed easily from the body (with the exception of B12 which is stored in the GIT). For this reason its important to ensure you're obtaining adequate amounts of B-Vitamins on a daily basis. Symptoms of B-Vitamin deficiency range from weakness, insomnia, mental confusion and digestive upset.

How can I find out if I'm deficient in B-Vitamins?

There are blood tests that can be conducted to investigate B-Vitamin status, however you can quickly identify if you may be lacking by looking at your diet. Because the B-Vitamins are flushed easily from the body, daily intake through a range of dietary sources is important.

What can I do to improve my B-Vitamin status?

Beef liver is the best source of B-Vitamins, however if you're not into that or are vegetarian, you can obtain from a range of other food such as whole grains (rolled oats, brown rice, quinoa, wholemeal pasta), legumes, nuts & seeds, tuna, red meat, potatoes and fruit.

Three: Excess Caffeine

I know this might sound strange, as caffeine is meant to give us a burst of energy, but studies show that excess caffeine intake disturbs night time sleep and results in a caffeine 'hangover' which presents as fatigue and mental confusion during the day, kicking of a vicious cycle of needing more caffeine for energy, followed by interrupted sleep, and so on. Moderate intake of caffeine (up to 3 single-shot coffees per day) has been broadly accepted as ok for most people, but everyone digests it differently (some people are hypermetabolisers), so if you find coffee makes you jittery/anxious/gives you digestive upset it could be worth experimenting with a opting for decaf coffee or caffeine-free days to see what you notice. To substite your beloved coffee, there are so many delicious herbal teas on the market - these will help increase your water intake while not affecting your sleep and energy for the worse.

Four: Lack of Vitamin D

Vitamin D helps regulate our circadian rhythms to help our bodies know when it is time to sleep. The best source of Vitamin D is from the sun, if you're not exposing yourself to direct sunlight each day it's no wonder your body might struggle to respond when you want to sleep or wake up!  Almost 50% of the global population are deficient in Vitamin D, and despite Australia being a beautiful sunny country, Vitamin D deficient is prevelant here too.

How can I find out if I'm Vitamin D deficient? You can obtain a blood test to check your Vitamin D levels.

How can I improve my Vitamin D status? When I talk about sun exposure, I'm not talking about lying out in the sun without sun protection for 8hrs, all we need is approximately 15-30min (longer if you have a darker skin tone is this abosrbs less Vitamin D) in the daylight with our arms and face exposed to synthesise adequate Vitamin D.

For anyone stuck in an office this is not always possible, so we can also obtain some Vitamin D from our diets in fatty fish like salmon & tuna, mushrooms and egg yolks.

Fun fact! If you place your mushrooms in sunlight they absorb more Vitamin D for us to then absorb!

Five: Not Enough Water

There is a reason our bodies are made up of roughly 70% water - we need it to promote healthy digestion of food, regulation of kidney function, assist our blood to efficiently pump oxygen and nutrients around the body and keep our skin hydrated and supple. Even moderate dehydration can interfere with our cognitive function, energy levels and slow our digestion leaving us feeling sluggish.

What can I do to improve my hydration? A simple solution is to keep a water bottle with you at all times so you can sip throughout your day. If you're not so keen on plain water, try adding some mint, cucumber or lemon to it to pimp it up - these ingredients will help with detoxifying substances from your bodies as well as adding flavour to your drink.

I also love my sodastream - such a great way to encourage water consumption!

It sounds simple right? Eat some food, get some sunshine, drink some water… but if you’re struggling to fit new habits into your already busy lifestlye, please reach out via the contact form as I’d love to help.