FitSugar

Foggy Brain Quick Fixes

Heather Dale — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 09:40:13 PDT

Do you ever get the feeling that your brain has a thick layer of fog surrounding it? You feel extra tired and unable to focus? I refer to this sensation as "foggy brain" because it feels like something is interfering with my mental clarity.

Possible main culprits for that fogged over feeling include lack of sleep, eating fried foods, drinking too much caffeine and soda, stress, and a possible food intolerance or allergy. The good news? There are some quick fixes to make your brain feel better so you can get back to work . . . and play!

Alter Your Diet - March is National Nutrition Month so try to be extra mindful of what you're putting into your body. Steer clear of processed and sugar-filled foods and eat lots of brightly colored fruits and veggies. Eating nutrient-rich food is important because as soon we eat, our bodies need to break down the food so that these nutrients can be absorbed by our blood and used to refuel our body (and brain!) to function optimally. If you consume sweets, your blood sugar level will spike and the drop, causing fatigue and moodiness. When it comes to carbs, it's best to stick with whole grains since your body slowly utilizes them as a source of energy, while keeping your blood sugar levels stable.

Find out what else you can do to make your brain feel better.

Your Natural Body Clock and Your Exercise Routine

Leta Shy — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 08:00:54 PST

If you're having trouble sticking to an exercise routine, it may be time to pay attention to your circadian rhythm. Everyone's clock differs, and although getting in a run in the morning can improve your body's performance and fat-burning capabilities, if you can't get yourself to get out of bed in time, then all that benefit, of course, is lost.

Determining your internal body clock will help you be more aware of when you are most productive, which you can use to your advantage for exercising as well as in other areas of your life. If your energy levels peak in the afternoon, try going for a brisk walk or hit the gym on your lunch break. If you are an evening person, change into your gym clothes at work, so you can be sure to take advantage of your unspent energy.

Sticking to a set time to exercise every day is beneficial; it'll help you to start making exercise a habit. This questionnaire can help you be aware of your natural circadian rhythm, although when I took it I was not surprised to find that I am a borderline evening person! With the end of Daylight Saving Time already making us more tired than usual, figuring out when you'll be most motivated for fitness can help you maintain a fitness habit.

When is your best time to exercise?

Source: Flickr User lululemon athletica

Why Didn't Anybody Tell Me: Pregnancy Is Exhausting

babysugar — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 10:00:08 PST

In my first trimester of pregnancy, I sat at work in the middle of the afternoon with heavy eyelids and low energy. I had heard that expectant women were more lethargic, but it was like I was drugged for three straight months.

To find out more about my lazy days,

read more. I escaped morning sickness, but every afternoon when I came home from work, I fell asleep. I would wake up three hours later, cook dinner, eat, and go straight to bed for another twelve hours. After the 13th week, luckily I was back to my energetic self. Apparently cultivating a child involves some hibernation on mama's part. And looking back, I envy that sleep pattern. If I am fortunate to have more babies, I don't know how I'll juggle a toddler when sleepy eyes strike again. I guess (and hope) that Wonder Woman powers will kick in and get me through it. Source

Favorite Excuse for Not Working Out: I'm Too Tired

FitSugar — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 12:30:00 PDT

We all have a favorite excuse for not working out. If yours is "I am just too tired," I have something to tell you. Exercise will give you energy. For reals!

When you are tired, it is difficult to remember how great you felt at the end of your last workout. Chances are really high you felt better post exercise than you did before, and you probably felt more relaxed too. Exercise promotes oxygen exchange, out with the stale air and in with the fresh. Motivate yourself with the carrot of the post exercise euphoria!

Exercise can help you sleep better, and a night of restful sleep will help you stay more energized the next day.

When I am feeling weary and therefore wary of exercise, I have to work through the mind games I play to talk myself out of exercising. Once I finally get moving, I find my energy is there and I am for a full workout. So fight the "too tired" excuse with the mantra "exercise to energize." It may be a little cheesy, but sometimes all it takes is two words to get me off the couch.

Source

How to Help a Friend With Depression

DearSugar — Tue, 04 Sep 2007 11:00:00 PDT

Being depressed or upset about breaking up with your boyfriend or getting in a fight with your best friend is a totally normal response. We all feel sad sometimes, or have short periods of time when we're in a funk, but being clinically depressed is completely different.

This serious medical condition can make a person feel upset for no reason, or it can be triggered by an event, such as losing a loved one. What's different is the person doesn't just "get over it." They continue to feel down, and can even have physical symptoms such as lack of appetite, fatigue, and headaches.

What can you do if a close friend of yours is battling depression? Here are some ideas:

Learn all you can about depression. Research online, read books, or talk to professionals about it. Knowing the facts will make you feel more comfortable and able to offer them help.
Encourage your friend to see a psychiatrist and look into medication if necessary. If they are already seeing one, encourage your friend to keep their regular appointments.
Find out if there is a support group in your area for people with depression. Suggest it to your friend, and offer to go with them.
Call your sad friend often, visit them, exercise together, and make plans to go out. Keep up a relationship with them so they don't feel alone. Having something to be happy about, and to look forward to always helps.

There are other ways you can help. To find out how

Don't skirt around the issue. It may help your friend tremendously if they feel like they can talk to you about how they are feeling, and to know that you are really listening, and that you care.
They may find household chores and errands to be too overwhelming, so offer to help with them or anything else.
If you are worried that your friend might hurt herself or himself, try not to let them be alone. Contact their family or the police and communicate your concerns. You can also call a 24-hour suicide hotline such as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to get help or important info.

Consoling and supporting a friend in need is an awesome thing, but it can be overwhelming for you so make sure to take care of yourself as well. Get mutual friends or family members to help out so you're not carrying all the weight on your own. Realize that it's not your "job" to cure them, and that being a friend is the best help you can offer. Source

You Asked: Why am I So Tired?

DearSugar — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 06:00:00 PDT

Dear Sugar--
I'm beginning to notice that I'm feeling tired all the time. I can never be bothered doing anything. Do I need to eat less or more? Exercise more regularly? I'm not nodding off to sleep like Sleeping Beauty, but I just feel, lazy and lethargic. Thanks for your help! -- Lifeless Leslie

To see DEARSUGAR's answer

read more Dear Lifeless Leslie-- There could be a multitude of reasons why you are feeling lethargic and tired all the time. One main thing that comes to mind is that you are missing something in your diet. You could be deficient in Iron -- one symptom of anemia is weakness and feeling lightheaded. Are you dieting? Eating enough protein? If you aren't giving your body enough fuel to do its job, it's not surprising that you feel so drained of energy. Are you getting enough sleep at night? If you drink alcohol regularly, you might not be getting as good of a night's sleep as you thought. Alcohol is a major culprit of disrupting sleeping patterns so try to cut it out of your diet for a week and see if that helps. Exercise does rejuvenate you, it gets your blood pumping, so if you're feeling tired, try going for a walk or hitting the gym and see if you get a burst of energy. Are you emotionally struggling right now? Feeling blue can effect your energy level too and make you not want to do much of anything, so talk to a friend, a family member, even a therapist if you have a lot on your mind. Since I don't know your daily routine or what your eating habits are, it's hard to put my finger on what's causing your exhaustion, so I advise you to see your doctor asap, just to be safe. Good luck! Source

Soak Those Tired Muscles, They Deserve It

FitSugar — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 14:30:00 PDT

Since reading FitSugar, you've probably experienced a few days of muscle soreness (hopefully you have). I am thinking that since I've given you all these ways to get those muscles sore, I should also give you ways to help make that soreness easier to bear.

How about a good soak? Not just any average soak though, an effervescent muscle soak. The Apres Sport Muscle Soak ($18.00), by Jane Inc., is muscle therapy in a jar. Naturally fizzing sodium bicarbonate relaxes muscles and refreshes the skin while epsom salts ease muscle tension. The soak also has wintergreen to soothe and stimulate muscles. Ahhhhh....

So go ahead and hit the gym hard today and keep that bath as motivation to really work those muscles. Buy it from Kitson online.

Favorite Excuse for Not Working Out: I'm Too Tired After Work

FitSugar — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 16:30:00 PST

We all have our favorite excuses for not working out but if yours is, "I'm just too darn tired after work to go to the gym," then here are some tips for you:

Go straight to the gym after work. Stops at home or anywhere else (where people are not working out) may lessen your chances of making it to the gym.
If you workout at home then don't sit down. Whether it's working out with a video or hopping on your at home elliptical, get right to it.
Change before you leave. I know it sounds weird, but duck into the bathroom and change before leaving the office. This way you're armed and ready to go.
Strength in numbers. Convince a co-worker to do it with you, for whatever reason we are less inclined to let others down (while we have no problem letting ourselves down).
Get to work earlier (if possible) so you can leave earlier. This only works if your job is a bit flexible but leaving even 15 minutes earlier may motivate you because you'll be done sooner.
Eat a late afternoon snack with lean protein and complex carbs. Whole-grain crackers with cheese, for example, will give you a little boost of energy.
Get enough sleep. This one is pretty self explanatory.
Don't go every single day after work. This way going to the gym won't feel like a life sentence.
If all else fails, workout sometime other than after work. Maybe you're better suited to workout before work, or maybe you're a lunch workout warrior. You'll never know until you try.

Is this not your excuse? Check out my other tips on getting over excuses for not working out.

The Skinny On: Sleep Needs

FitSugar — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 17:32:56 PST

I've heard I need 8 hours, 7 hours, 10 hours, take naps, don't take naps, sleep in, go to be early - so what's the deal sleep?

The answer is unfortunately a little vague - individual needs vary. There are short-sleepers and long sleepers. Some people can function on 5 hours of sleep a night, while others need at least 9 or they're useless. How much sleep you need depends on a few things:

Genetics
What you do during the day - Do you drink coffee or alcohol? Do you smoke? Do you exercise?
The quality of your sleep - Do you toss and turn all night? Does it take you a long time to fall asleep? Are you a light or deep sleeper?
Your personal circadian rhythm (your inner clock)

You should get enough sleep each night so you wake up feeling rested and have enough energy to last until bedtime.

Not getting enough good quality sheet time reduces daytime alertness and could impair memory as well as the ability to think and process information. Think about the possible accidents that could occur by being too sleepy to function - if it gets to this point, be sure to catch a quick nap or get to bed a couple of hours earlier to catch up on your sleep.

Fit's Tips: If you have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep, and have tried every insomnia remedy in the book, you may want to see your doctor to find out what you can do to help get your zzzzzz's.

Are Yawns Contagious?

FitSugar — Tue, 05 Dec 2006 07:30:00 PST

Why is it that when I yawn, without a doubt, the people around me yawn too?

It's a tough question because the reason why we yawn in the first place is a bit of a mystery. Not much research has been put into answering this question because yawning isn't really considered a problem.

There are many theories though. You yawn because you're tired, or when you're bored. And many people think you yawn because you need oxygen. But in 1987, Dr. Provine tested this theory and the results showed that yawning has nothing to do with needing more air.

Contagious yawning is a visual response. But not everyone catches the yawn bug. People who are more self-aware and empathetic tend to be more likely to catch yawns. You see them yawn, and subconsciously want to let them know you understand how they're feeling.

Another theory is that yawning is a way to stretch our lungs. Stretching and yawning often go hand-in-hand, and together help to flex our muscles and joints, increase our heart rate, and make us feel more awake.

Yawning is not a learned behavior - babies in the womb spontaneously yawn too. Want to see the video?

read more This is a 3-D ultrasound of a baby yawning in the womb.