By Carmen Cameron
for BlackDoctor.com
Do you feel tired all of the time even though you’re getting enough sleep? While there are other possible contributors to that “sluggish” feeling, a likely culprit is your diet. It is widely known in the world of health and science that three types of foods cause fatigue or “sluggishness”. If you eat a fair amount of fatty foods, sugary foods or highly processed foods, your body may not have enough nutrients to perform efficiently: hence feeling tired all day.
Let’s start with fatty foods. Sorry _________ lovers! I’m not going to sit here and name which foods are fatty because you already know! Yes, that includes your favorite dish. Fatty foods have been hated and loved at the same time since forever. But it’s not just the “unhealthiness” that turns people off. It makes you want to stay right where you’re at. Have you ever heard of a food coma? Eat enough of this and you’ll see what I’m talking about. Our bodies find it more difficult to break down fatty foods than other types. Your body goes through a more complex process to do so, using up more energy than normal. That’s where your energy is going. Just go to sleep why don’t ya’?
Okay sugar, it’s your turn. I remember at daycare there were about 30 other kids. We would have snacks everyday, but we were only allowed to have the “fun” stuff or sugary foods on Fridays. The reason? The staff didn’t want us “bouncing off the walls”. That’s when I first found out that sugar can make you hyper. As an adult, I worked at the same daycare and the same rule applied. Sure enough, many of the kids had a noticeable spike in their energy, as some ran around inside (a big no no).
But then something else happened. I never timed it, but after a short period of time, their energy levels seemingly crashed. On a scientific level, consumption of sugary foods increases the blood sugar. In some cases it shoots it through the roof. As a result, the body produces insulin to lower the sugar. Well it does so at a rapid rate and that is the sudden sluggish feel.
Finally, highly processed foods have a deficiency in nutrients – many packed with sodium and sugar to keep them preserved for a longer shelf life. These foods are little to no value to your body, for they don’t translate to energy. They slow you down because now they’re just taking up space. Let’s not mention how they lead to weight gain, also slowing you down.
