Fatigue effects your ability to concentrate.

Fatigue occurs when the force behind your muscles’ movements decrease, causing you to feel weaker. Other symptoms may be soreness, localized pain, muscle twitching, trembling, a weak grip, cramps and more. Fatigue can come on at a moments notice and can be debilitating. Sometimes it is as simple as having a bad nights sleep.

In many cases fatigue will improve with rest and recovery. Staying hydrated and of course a healthy diet can also improve your recovery time, protect against fatigue and weakness, and ensure you have enough nutrients to promote healthy body function.

What a healthy diet is will be the subject of future discussions in this forum and the verdict is out. We are all different and genetics has a lot to do with what we should eat.

Back to our discussion about fatigue here are five of the age old suggestions that healers have touted throughout the ages as good remedies for this ancient malady.

Get up and  Move

Go up and down stairs. A short walk in the fresh air is even better. Remembering that external stimulus wakes up the brain. Dr. Peter Geisler, neurologist and sleep specialist at the Sleep Medicine Center of the Regensburg District Hospital stated that, “ Movement is just as stimulating for the brain as, for example, loud music or pinching the skin.”

2. Cold water revitalizes

A cold shower in the morning, sounds like hell for most of us but you can use the age old trick of ending your shower with cold water. Even the Roman baths were designed with this idea in mind. The splendid Roman bath house often had several pools of water at differing temperatures from 10 to 40 deg celcius was the most common. Put simply cold water is  invigorating – at least for a short time. “These stimuli challenge the brain and wake you up,” explains Geisler. Caution: Cold showers are not suitable for some chronic diseases. If in doubt, ask your naturopath beforehand.

3. Breathe in fresh air

Breathe, Breathe, Breathe. Ventilate your living spaces regularly. It is best to ventilate each room. Open the windows wide for a few minutes. If cooler air flows into the room, it is a cold stimulus for the body that encourages you.

If the room is closed off and stuffy you can have the feeling that the oxygen level is decreasing, but this is not due to a lack of oxygen. Even in a poorly ventilated room, the oxygen content does not change significantly. It is rather substances that accumulate in the room air, which make you tired and unfocused. Carbon dioxide is used as a guide. The gas in the room air mainly comes from our lungs. Because when we breathe in we take in oxygen and when we breathe out we give off carbon dioxide. Warmth also plays a role. A room appears poorly ventilated when it is too warm. That also makes you sleepy.

4. Drink coffee

Coffee has been the biggest thing on the planet for 100 years. Caffeine is a drug but it is a legal one. One could argue that sugar is a drug. It certainly has the same effect as coffee.

Caffeine works pretty quickly, after just 15 to 30 minutes. Then the effect wears off again. Those who drink coffee every day often react less intensively to the stimulant than someone who only takes a cup occasionally. Important to know: On average, caffeine has a half-life of three to five hours. This means that after this time, a good half of the ingredients are still in the body. The substance then no longer has a real awakening effect, but it can still affect body functions.

5. Grand Pa’s secret weapon – Take a short nap

“A short nap is the most effective measure against fatigue,”

I think back to every veranda I have ever seen there is always big chairs, lounge suites or even hammocks to insure nap time is comfortable. Napping is a most wonderous gift and can be done in micro stages. Just closing your eyes for a few minutes and drifting off into a meditative state can do wonders for your clarity, attitude and wellbeing.

When driving a car, such a mini sleep break in the parking lot can even be life-saving. You don’t have to step away completely, doze off is enough. “Limit your short sleep to a maximum of 30 minutes, so that you do not fall into deep sleep. According to Geisler, the invigorating effect of a nap lasts for about four to five hours.

If you are often tired during the day, you should consult your Naturopath. Even if you have difficulty falling asleep or sleep through the night.

Colon Hydrotherapy can support you in fighting fatigue, a clean colon equals a clear mind, which certainly helps.