Eating a balanced diet can help ensure your vitamin and mineral needs are met. But if you still find yourself lacking energy, you could have a slight magnesium deficiency. This mineral is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body, including breaking down glucose into energy. So when levels are even a little low, energy can drop. Women with magnesium deficiencies have higher heart rates and require more oxygen to do physical tasks. In essence, the body is working harder which, over time, can leave you feeling depleted. The recommended daily intake of magnesium is around 300 mg for women and 350 mg for men. To make sure you're getting enough:

Add a handful of almonds, hazelnuts or cashews to your daily diet.

Increase your intake of whole grains, particularly bran cereal.

Eat plenty of leafy green vegetables.

Eat more fish, especially halibut.

Take a bath with a 1/2 cup of Epsom Bath Salts.

While it may seem as if moving about when you feel exhausted is the quickest route to feeling more exhausted, the opposite is true. Increasing physical activity, particularly walking, increases energy. Walking is accessible, easy to do, doesn't need training or equipment and you can do it anywhere. A brisk 10-minute walk not only increases energy, but the effects lasted up to two hours. And when the daily 10-minute walks continued for three weeks, overall energy levels and mood are lifted.

 

Information overload and pushing our brains too hard can zap energy.

A 60-minute "power nap" can refresh the system and it may also help us to better retain what we have learned.  

People who eat breakfast are in a better mood, and have more energy throughout the day.

Eating soon after rising supplies your body with a jolt of fuel that sets the tone for the whole day. Missing any meal during the day can lead to an overall greater feeling of fatigue by day's end.

One of the biggest energy zappers is stress. Stress is the result of anxiety, and anxiety uses up a whole lot of our energy. Like worry or fear, stress can leave you mentally and physically exhausted, even if you've spent the day in bed. More commonly, low but chronic levels of stress erode energy levels, so over time you find yourself doing less and feeling it more. In much the same way, unexpressed anger can also deplete your energy levels. The reason: We're expending all our energy trying to contain our angry feelings, and that can be exhausting.

The good news is that we can counter these energy killers by programming more relaxation activities into our day. While for many folks, increasing exercise burns off the chemical effects of stress and anger, others find relief in quiet pursuits: listening to music, reading a steamy romance novel, or even just talking on the phone. Whatever is relaxing for you will reduce tension and that will help increase energy.

You may already know that it's easy to confuse signals of hunger with thirst (we think we need food when we really need water). But did you know that thirst can also masquerade as fatigue? Sometimes, even slight dehydration can leave you feeling tired and lethargic. The solution is simple: a tall, cool glass of water.

If you find yourself frequently fatigued even after a good night's sleep try cutting down on alcohol during the evening hours. While alcohol initially helps you fall asleep, it also interferes with deep sleep, so you're not getting the rest you think you are, even if you sleep a full eight hours. By cutting down on alcohol before bedtime, you'll get a better night's rest, which is bound to result in more energy the next day.

The key here is keeping blood sugar balanced so energy is constant.

When you're eating a sweet food, you get a spike in blood sugar, which gives you an initial burst of energy, but that's followed by a rapid drop in blood sugar, which in turn can leave you feeling very wiped out. Do that enough times a day, and by evening you're feeling exhausted.

If you are not gluten sensitive, incorporating whole grains throughout the day will also provide a slow and steady release of fuel and your energy will be consistent and balanced, so by day's end you'll feel less tired.

Power snacking is more than just eating between meals. It's a treat that combines protein, a little fat and some fiber. Power snacks will help to keep your blood sugar level balanced. The carbs offer a quick pick-me-up, the protein keeps your energy up, and the fat makes the energy last, such as;

Nut butter or mackerel on a rice cracker

Yogurt with a handful of nuts

Organic turkey slices with wholegrain bread

Carrot/celery sticks with hummus

Avocado on rice cracker

 

Thyroid can be a particular problem for women, it often develops after childbirth and frequently during the perimenopause, but a simple blood test can verify if this is your problem. 

In anemia, a reduction in red blood cells can mean your body isn't getting the level of oxygen necessary to sustain energy. So, you tire easily. This can sometimes occur during a woman's reproductive years, particularly if she has a very heavy menstrual cycle. 

If you have constant fatigue; feeling sluggish even after a good night's rest, there are numerous possible causes for your condition. There are various diagnostic tests recommended that may help discover the root cause of your condition if the above strateges to do resolve the issue completely. Together we can develop a lifestyle-modification program to help you get back on the road to good health.