A fairly young male in his 30’s, one day, approached Arbuza. His only complaint was that he was too tired to move, let alone do a nice jog (his words). Soon, we came across a lady in her mid-40’s and her major complaint was being tired all through the day. Next, we were approached by another individual by a young man who sadly mentioned that sometimes even making his bed seemed too much work (again, in his words).
Listening to all this, and a deep dive inquiry led us to realize that this probably wasn’t just laziness or because of not eating enough, neither was it due to the lockdown and lifestyle. So, what was it? I am sure we all have said this at least once in a while: “Gosh! I feel so tired! Wish there was something I could do about it.” But what about some of us feeling this for the whole day, every day?
When we went deeper into understanding this, of course, we approached our Systems Biologist at Arbuza (a Systems Biologist is someone who focuses on complex interactions within biological systems whilst using a holistic approach to biological research). We discussed these cases extensively; thanks to all the history we had collected from them.
Did you know that over one-third of healthy teens, adults and older individuals report feeling tired day-in and day-out? And both, their lifestyle and the way they feed are most probably very much unbalanced, which adds to their misery. At Arbuza, we are all about digging out the root causes and it so happens that “you most certainly can do A LOT about it!”
So, get your favorite warm beverage to humor the nip in the air, and let’s take a good close look at it all. First, what does “unbalanced lifestyle” mean? We all have heard a lot about that and many have abused the word “lifestyle change” a lot.
Sure, you are “on the go” most of the time… Sure, you have lots of worries you could very well do without… Sure, sleeping isn’t always that easy and waking-up can often be even worse, but let me ask you; how often do you do a bit of exercise? I don’t mean running around the block or climbing stairs until you’re out of breath. But just getting your body in motion so that you feel it moving, you feel how the energy flows in your muscles and from your muscles into your soul!
Your quality of life; are you happy doing what you do? Your relationships, environment at home, any mindfulness practice you do. All this together defines your lifestyle. An exercise routine might not help if the above areas are not doing great and vice versa.
Second, what does “unbalanced feeding” mean? Before you read further, stop and think why do you eat food? Really WHY?
Balanced feeding does not merely address what you put on your plate and how often. It also addresses the way you approach food. For food is much, much more than something you put in your mouth and swallow. Food is colors, flavors, smells, and variety. Food is touch. Good food is making the effort of buying fresh produce. Food is love. Good food is making the effort of cooking to please your palate and that of your loved ones. Food is enjoyment. Don’t be afraid to use your imagination and to experiment and improvise, for even failures can be fun!
But “good” food is also RESTRAINT. Never gorge on anything and never nibble between meals (especially when you have nothing to do). And finally, what does “balanced feeding” mean? It means having a variety on your plate. It is often highly deleterious, in the long run, to decide that one food group is morally higher than the other. Yet, we see people doing that all the time.
So, remember:
Carbohydrates– ARE NOT THE DEMON!
Your body needs carbohydrates (dal, pulses, rice, noodles, etc.). But feeding mainly on carbohydrates isn’t a good idea at all.
Fats– ARE NOT THE CULPRIT!
Your body needs fats (ghee, peanut oil, coconut oil, etc.). But feeding mainly on fatty or fried or deep-fried foods isn’t a good idea at all.
Greens– ARE NOT YOUR ONLY SAVIOUR!
Your body needs green vegetables, both cooked and raw. But feeding mainly on green vegetables isn’t a good idea at all.
Proteins– ARE NOT A MAGIC WAND!
Your body needs proteins, but not just any proteins. What your body needs is quality proteins, the type you find in fresh dairy products, eggs and fish. But feeding mainly on protein-rich food isn’t a good idea at all.
What your body needs is a little of ALL this, every day. Why? Because
- Carbohydrates provide your body with its primary energy source. But to utilize this energy source efficiently, your body also needs vitamins and minerals such as zinc, selenium, copper, iron, etc. in the proper balance and proportions. The best sources are found in fresh green vegetables, and certainly not in pills or in so-called “energy-foods or drinks”.
- Your body also needs to replace its cells and for that, it needs fats which provide the raw materials to build cells and cell membranes.
- And finally, your body needs quality proteins not only to build muscle and cells but most of all to keep its metabolic machinery in good repair.
Should any one of these components be missing, the short-term outcome will first be lack of motivation which will then become ever-increasing tiredness until one reaches the stage of “Gosh! I feel so tired, even after brushing my teeth! Wish there was something I could do about it…” (quoting a client again).
Should that state be perduring, it will have much more severe consequences, such as chronic anaemia, obesity, heart problems, etc. And once we have one or all of the above, we start running from pillar to post, attempting to find medicine and best multivitamins on a shelf.
The solution is rather simple: you cannot change diets without changing your relationship with food and your behavior around health.
Here are a few quick tools to get you started:
Step 1: Before you start eating, pause. Look in your plate, what do you see?
You should see colour, variety, love and a balance of nutrients (most days).
Step 2: After you’ve eaten, how do you feel?
You should feel: happy, satisfied and energetic but NOT full or even less, bloated!
Step 3: Where do you buy your food from? Is it local, seasonal, mostly organic and less processed?
You should know that a good fruit or a potato does not need a label that says ‘healthy’.
Step 4: When at the supermarket, before you go to the teller, check your basket. What do you see?
You should be able to identify and remove all those items whose ingredients you have never heard of and/or are difficult to spell.
Step 5: Just ask yourself how much you moved?
You should intentionally add a small amount of movement on most days.
Step 6: Take out some time to balance your life
With love, purpose and living intentionally and consciously.
So, yes! There is a lot you can do to finally put a stop to being tired of being tired and feel great. And it’s easy too! Just eat with intention, stop demonizing food, and stop giving hierarchy to food. All it takes is a few hours of your time each week; less time than most people spend pampering their car! Try it. As you shall discover, it’s not merely easy, it’s a lot of fun too! And most of all, you’ll feel great: full of “juice” and comfortable in your body and your soul.
Check out our latest worksheets to help you plan your meals and work on your pantry to get you started on this journey. Also, find our favourite Arbuza healthy plate attached below! Hopefully, it will remind you of the important components that make a fulfilling and healthy life. PS: stick it at a place where you can see it often (mine is always on the fridge). Click on the text below to download the PDF.