Napoleon Bonaparte once said that courage is only
the second virtue in a soldier; the most important one
is endurance of fatigue. Nowadays, fighting fatigue
has become equally important for a growing army of
people too busy or stressed to get adequate rest. In
fact, according to a 2007 survey by the National Sleep
Foundation (NSF), more than half of American women
report getting inadequate sleep. And when too sleepy
to function, 66 percent choose to “accept it and keep
going.”1
Other cultures approach the problem a little differently.
Many countries actively practice siesta—a 15- to
30- minute afternoon nap. Several recent studies support
the beneficial effect of 10- to 30-minute naps on
alertness, performance and learning ability.2-4
Caffeine Quick Fix
In the United States, however, it is caffeine—not
naps—that helps 78 percent of people cope with their
responsibilities.5 The benefits of caffeine are real: It
improves mood and cognitive performance,6-9 and
coffee consumption can potentially decrease insulin
secretion10 and liver cancer risk.11 On the negative
side, regularly consumed caffeine can increase anxiety,
12 risk of headaches13 and the inflammation
process.14 Cola beverages, but not coffee, also have
been associated with an increased risk of hypertension.
15
Caffeine is considered toxic—causing arrhythmia,
tachycardia, vomiting, convulsions, coma or even
death—only in amounts exceeding 5g. While the risk
of toxicity is rare, the pervasiveness of caffeine warrants
some caution. Many soft drinks, for example,
contain only between 20 mg and 40 mg of caffeine per
an 8-oz can;16 however, today’s specialty coffees can
be very potent—ranging from 58 mg to 259 mg, and
even up to 564 mg, per dose.17
Food for Energy
Instead of using caffeine to push ourselves to perform
despite fatigue, preventing energy drops is a wiser
approach, health experts advise. Aside from sleep,
our performance—and even our mood—depends on
balanced blood sugar levels.18-20
While cautioning against seeking quick blood-sugar
boosts, experts recommend juices, such as pomegranate,
instead of caffeine or sugar, for those in
urgent need of re-energizing.
The key to properly preventing blood-glucose
slumps— which can lead to fatigue, headaches, craving
sweets, depression, irritability and a host of other
symptoms—is the old-fashioned basics of proper
nutrition. In one study, a breakfast rich in fiber and carbohydrates
caused higher alertness, while high-fat
meals led to lower alertness and higher caloric intake
throughout the day.21 Another study showed that protein-
rich or balanced meals, which cause less variation
in blood glucose levels, improved cognitive performance.
22
Moving the Body
Even with adequate sleep and nutrition, our lack of
motion can regularly put us to sleep. To prevent
mental fatigue, try starting the day with exercise, taking
frequent 5- to 15-second micro-breaks (shoulder
rolls or stretching) throughout the day, getting up and
walking every two hours, and, of course, taking
advantage of the lunch break to “do the opposite” of
what your job entails. For people with mentally challenging
occupations, experts suggest a walk or other
physical exercise; for those doing physically taxing
work, some brain-stimulating activities, like puzzles.
Imbalanced body postures, such as slouching, also
require the body to consume more energy. In addition
to adopting an “energy-efficient” standing position,
with feet shoulder-width apart, and sitting
straight, which helps improve circulation, take frequent
60-second “Stand up, Perk up” breaks that
combine relaxation, breathing and stretching.
To those in urgent need of quick re-energizing, consider
aerobic exercise instead of coffee. It’s quick
and easy—and it stimulates brain chemicals that
give us a lift.
The above information has been reprinted with permission from acatoday.com
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