Q: I am a 38-year-old brain-tumor survivor who takes seizure and thyroid medication. I have two kids, so combating fatigue is a daily struggle. Are there any strategies that would benefit me and others in my situation?
– Liz Holzemer, Highlands Ranch
A: The “trifecta” for a healthy life is diet, exercise and sleep. The National Center on Physical Activity and Disability Health Promotion (NCPAD, ncpad.org) has some excellent recommendations in all of these areas.
It is a fact that some foods will provide a good source of sustained energy while others can knock you flat.
In the diet department, the NCPAD recommends all the “usual suspects” for good health: breakfast every morning, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean meats and fish, beans, nuts and seeds, peanut butter, low-fat dairy, a multivitamin, and six to eight glasses of water a day.
Try to avoid fried and high- fat or processed foods (candy, chips, etc.), caffeine, alcohol and tobacco. Eating five to six small meals throughout the day will keep your energy at a more even keel than the energy-depleting fullness that is often the result of three large meals.
Exercise can both decrease fatigue and improve the ability to sleep soundly, but you should start with light exercise and increase in small steps.
The HealthBanks Patient Education Network (healthbanks.com) recommends something called “graded exercise” for those who are chronically fatigued. This means starting slowly and increasing activity in measured, small steps.
They recommend making a specific plan for exercise each day and then sticking to that plan even on those days when you feel fabulous and want to do more.
Their example is to start by walking for five minutes every other day for two weeks. Then add another two to five minutes for another two weeks. The reason to stick with a plan like this (even on days when feeling great) is because too much exercise too soon can cause an extended relapse into exhaustion. Keep a calendar or log book so you can stay on track.
Because you have small children, these exercise suggestions may be either impossible or unnecessary. Instead pick up some basic or beginner tapes or DVDs on yoga or mat Pilates from the library or bookstore and treat yourself to a few minutes of stretching, light strengthening and gentle core exercises when the kids are sleeping.
Paradoxically, quality sleep can be a problem for those who constantly combat fatigue.
Some tips for good sleep from NCPAD are to keep a regular sleep schedule, wake up at the same time each day (avoid the temptation to “sleep in”), use earplugs or “white noise” (such as a small fan or a special machine designed for that purpose) in the bedroom to drown out exterior disturbances, keep the temperature in the room even, and eat a small snack before bedtime. Limiting caffeinated drinks after 2 o’clock in the afternoon also will help.
Linda Buch, ACE-certified exercise specialist, will respond to fitness questions only in her weekly column. Send questions to: Body Language, The Denver Post, 1560 Broadway, Denver, CO 80202 or LJBalance@aol.com.
