The key to success is NOT to rely on will power, because each time you do, you always lose. Since most of diets concentrate on eating certain foods, you always end up giving up, since you are deprived of foods that you love.

The low Carbohydrates diet we prescribe, is to jump start your metabolism and not for the rest of your lives. But many of our patients have been on this diet for years and they have lost anywhere from 25 lbs to 110 pounds and kept it off.

After 3 months of being on this diet, you will start using portion control, specially on carbohydrate. Here are the rules that you should follow to maintain the weight loss. Read more »

This works great with low carb diet. This diet has great anti oxident effect. This not only protects your heart, it also reduces chances of Cancer and stroke. It is also great for sexual health.

1) When you eat salad you should add Flex seed oil or Olive oil. Atleast 2-3 Tbs of it.

2) Eat 3 to 4 fish oil capsules a day. We recomend Omega Max which can be found at our website www.alliancefamilycare.com and click on nutritional support.

3) For menyou can drink upto 2 glasses of wine at night. For womwen 1 glass only. If you do more the benifit is gone and risk increase. Weekend binge drinking is the worst.

4) Add soy milk or 2% milk with frozen berries (blue berries are the best) and use a blender to mix them. Drink at least 8 oz a day.

5) Add nuts as a snack at night. Not more than a handfull. We recomend walnuts and almonds.

6) Cardio plus or Niacin 500 mg with Asprin 81 mg should be taken with dinner to reduce cholestrol naturally. It may cause a hot flush but after a while it subsides.

Good effort, at least you’re started, try and make it to the end!

If you get tired reading this, go back to bed, as on average we need to have 8.1 hours of sleep to re-charge our bodies.
People who have less than 6 hours sleep a night have a 70 % higher mortality rate, according to Californian studies.

When sleeping in your own, or someone else’s bed, make sure the mattress is firm enough to support your body weight. With sufficient material, within the mattress that will act as a cushion to allow for the contours of the body to be supported.

Have a glass of water by your bed, and attempt to drink eight 8 oz glasses of water a day. At breakfast mix fruit juices with 50% water, to aid absorption, prevent rapid sugar levels in the blood, and to save money.

Make sure you don’t skip breakfast, unless you get out of bed after 12 o’clock, then go straight for lunch.

Spend time at breakfast to plan out your day, take each day one day at a time, but make the most of them, planning is the key to success.

Take a good quality multi-vitamin / mineral supplement each morning. A recent survey by the American National Food Council revealed that not one person from 21,500 consumed their optimum RDA of vitamins.

If you feel tired just after eating lunch, (the 2 o’clock slump), you are probably eating too much refined/processed carbohydrates, and your body has become carbohydrate sensitive. Try and eat more complex carbs, and add more protein and fiber to your meals. Oh yeah, don’t forget to drink that water.

Remember every gram of alcohol has 7 calories, so if your aim is to have a flat stomach or lose weight, practice acting drunk or simply cut back on your alcohol intake.

Alcohol is a depressant, if feeling depressed don’t take a drink, try and make yourself laugh, invite your friends round, and watch them get drunk, and fall all over the place.

When managing your weight avoid anything that is not in a measurable quantities.

Remember low fat foods, are often laced with sugar, which also has calories, just look at a low fat yogurt.

Eat a balanced diet, lower in fat, lower in sugar salt and processed foods, eat more fiber and whole food products.

Diets usually don’t work. Long term health and weight management should include healthy life style changes such as exercise and healthier whole foods.

When trying to lose fat, aim for a maximum of 1 1/2 pounds a week.

Crash dieting, over exercising and fasting will slow down your metabolism.

It’s easy to lose weight. Keeping it off, is the hard part, exercise works.

When you exercise, remind yourself, “I’m building a better body to live in”.

The best aerobic exercise is the one you’ll do, the best time to exercise is when you will do it.

Exercise is one of the best ways to reduce stress, ask yourself how you feel, after working out.

Exercise for the older age group, helps to keep you young, by maintaining muscle tissue and bone density, the older you are, the more important it is that you exercise.

Upper body weight training will help you maintain a total lean body mass; more muscle equals a higher resting metabolic rate.

If you get out of breath when you exercise, you’re probably going too fast.

Training too hard, may lower your fitness, resting your body, allows it to recover and rebuild itself properly. Don’t over train, you’ll just burn-up or melt.

After eating the last slice of cake, all overweight people will decide to go on the tomorrow diet, why don’t they decide to exercise it off, as the tomorrow diet never comes?

If you are always surrounded by food, and can’t stop picking, chew gum. Every time you put the food in your mouth you will ruin the gum.

Researchers have suggested that people who are deficient in various vitamins and minerals may overeat in an attempt to obtain the missing nutrients. Obesity is the unfortunate outcome.

Performing cardiovascular type activities (i.e. running, cycling, swimming, etc.) five times a week decreases your risk of type II diabetes by 45%.

Exercising two to four times a week reduces your risk by 40%; once a week, 25%. Exercise decreases your risk by reducing fat tissue in the body and making cells more responsive to insulin.

If you smoke, why don’t you give up? I’m not going to lecture you on all the bad points that smoking has, as I’m sure you know it’s a great provider of deaths in the family.

Stress lowers the immune system and exercise helps to counter stress. Over exercising puts pressure on the immune system, make sure you take those vitamins and minerals, and remember get fit to play sport, not play sport to get fit.

If you get a painful blister, studies have shown that piercing it within the first three hours can be effective. Aim to lance the blister in two places at opposite sides, taking care, as the fluid can spray out up to eleven feet. Check and clean regularly, don’t use dirty needles, as this can lead to amputation.

Garlic rich diets, may be bad for your breath, but garlic causes your body to release nitric oxide, which keeps your arteries more pliable, resulting in a increase in circulation.

Diesel fumes have been found to contain 41 dangerous substances, they can give you more miles to the gallon, as well as cancer.

Chewing sugar free gum increases saliva flow which helps to neutralize plaque acidity.

Avoid eye strain by looking away from the screen and focus on something in the distance, then focus on something close to you, do this now and whilst at work.

Relax with a glass or two of wine. The antioxidants it contains can give protection against heart disease.

Heart disease, cancers etc. can run in the family. Check your family history and aim to get yourself checked out for any hereditary problems.

Buy, rent, borrow a dog. One of the best aerobic exercises for any fitness level is plain old walking. Remember to take the dog with you.

There are currently around 100,000 cases of food poisoning resulting in up to 200 deaths a year in the U.K. Make sure you wash and prepare food properly, check the sell buy dates, and if you get ill, drink plenty of fluid and stay in the bedroom closest to the bathroom.

Mobile phones increase your blood pressure if used for prolonged periods. Thought to be caused by blood vessels being constricted by radio frequency electromagnetic fields. My monthly phone bill raises my blood pressure.

Zinc gluconate lozenge’s sucked every two hours have been found to help cold sufferers reduce the time of their symptoms. Unfortunately zinc causes more nausea and doesn’t taste too good.

Dyslexics could improve their reading by wearing different colored lenses. Contact lenses help by noticeably reducing visual distortion.

Put more tomato sauce on your chips and other foods, it may not be good for your diet, but 3 to 4 serving a week can cut your risk of prostate cancer by a third.

Forget an apple a day keeps the doctor away; try a raw carrot and a banana. The beta-carotene and potassium can reduce your risk of heart disease by preventing plaque build up on the artery walls.

Do those sit ups, it is estimated that strengthening the abdominals can prevent 75% of lower back problems.

When training out in the dark, shutting one eye when a car’s head lights are on you, will help prevent sudden night blindness.

Pressing a wet tea bag against a cold sore acts as an antiseptic. The tannin from the tea will help reduce the condition.

Improve your posture, by answering the phone whilst standing. If standing against a wall, push your shoulders and buttocks into the wall, then aim to eliminate any gaps, by pushing the lower back into the wall. Hold for 20 seconds, and then carry on a normal conversation. Avoid breathing heavily during the exercise.

If embarking on jogging or running for the first time since your school days, invest in a good pair of sneakers to avoid physiotherapy bills. Shorter strides may help lesson the impact, if you have to use your old gym gear.

Wear socks when out running – this will help prevent blisters, and also soak up sweat.

Eating fat is not a problem; the problem lies in the type of fat you’re eating. Aim to eat the essential fatty acids (EFA’s) such as those found in oily fish, and avoid the so called healthier margarine’s made from hydrogenated vegetable fats.

Some 25 % of adults have bad breath, normally brought on by smoking or bad foods. Avoid this by brushing your teeth twice a day, using a tongue scraper, as a significant amount of bacteria live on the tongue. Flossing between your teeth to remove food debris, and seeing a hygienist every three months is also advised.

Consult your doctor or fitness instructor if you have any concerns about your health before embarking on any exercise routine.

After each work out, remember to stretch to help your body repair and recover. When doing this, keep yourself warm, and wipe away any sweat.

The common cold is the biggest reason for taking time off work. Dress well, exercise regularly, and above all take in those vitamins, especially vitamin C. The RDA is 60m.g. This will prevent you from catching scurvy but won’t help you against a cold. Increase your dosage to bowel tolerance, normally between 1 and 3 grams.

Avoid negative thoughts, and don’t put yourself down. Work on making your mind and body strong, remember its you inside that says you can’t do something, challenge those negative thoughts and make them positive.

Breasts cancer studies have shown that fish oil and olive oil may keep breasts healthier. Linoleic acid found in sunflower or corn oil may increase the risk of tumors. What is certain is that obesity and a high alcohol level in older women are linked to a higher risk of developing breast cancer.

When flying, drink plenty of water and fruit juice. The high altitude and dry pressurized air, sucks the moisture from your body, causing your mucous membranes to dry out, making you more prone to viruses.

Don’t think you can smoke and exercise. Exercise increases your lung capacity, giving carcinogenic contaminates more lung space to give you lung cancer.

Missed your workout, then think again. Research has shown that mental exercise can increase your physical strength.

Put your head back and daydream, scientists have shown it is a positive source of creativity – unlocking answers to your problems leading to better emotional and physical health. Daydreams can work in another practical way, as a form of motivation, encouraging us to try new experiences.

Exercise performance is improved by increasing your body’s water content – so for once drink more. Put poor performance down to being dehydrated, just a 3% loss in body fluid, can result in a 7% loss in physical performance.

Being alone is good for your health. So instead of seeing time spent alone as a punishment see it as a time to refuel yourself, a time to recover from the overload of life.

Organize yourself, set some time aside for yourself to complete all the paper work, at both home and work, remember take care of your admin – a little a day keeps the stress at bay.

Eat right with mood enhancing foods such as milk, yogurt, tuna and chicken, which contain high levels of brain food tryptophan.

Restrict your car usage anything 10 minutes or less walk – think of the savings in parking tickets.

Good effort, at least you’re started, try and make it to the end!

If you get tired reading this, go back to bed, as on average we need to have 8.1 hours of sleep to re-charge our bodies.
People who have less than 6 hours sleep a night have a 70 % higher mortality rate, according to Californian studies.

When sleeping in your own, or someone else’s bed, make sure the mattress is firm enough to support your body weight. With sufficient material, within the mattress that will act as a cushion to allow for the contours of the body to be supported.

Have a glass of water by your bed, and attempt to drink eight 8 oz glasses of water a day. At breakfast mix fruit juices with 50% water, to aid absorption, prevent rapid sugar levels in the blood, and to save money.

Make sure you don’t skip breakfast, unless you get out of bed after 12 o’clock, then go straight for lunch.

Spend time at breakfast to plan out your day, take each day one day at a time, but make the most of them, planning is the key to success.

Take a good quality multi-vitamin / mineral supplement each morning. A recent survey by the American National Food Council revealed that not one person from 21,500 consumed their optimum RDA of vitamins.

If you feel tired just after eating lunch, (the 2 o’clock slump), you are probably eating too much refined/processed carbohydrates, and your body has become carbohydrate sensitive. Try and eat more complex carbs, and add more protein and fiber to your meals. Oh yeah, don’t forget to drink that water.

Remember every gram of alcohol has 7 calories, so if your aim is to have a flat stomach or lose weight, practice acting drunk or simply cut back on your alcohol intake.

Alcohol is a depressant, if feeling depressed don’t take a drink, try and make yourself laugh, invite your friends round, and watch them get drunk, and fall all over the place.

When managing your weight avoid anything that is not in a measurable quantities.

Remember low fat foods, are often laced with sugar, which also has calories, just look at a low fat yogurt.

Eat a balanced diet, lower in fat, lower in sugar salt and processed foods, eat more fiber and whole food products.

Diets usually don’t work. Long term health and weight management should include healthy life style changes such as exercise and healthier whole foods.

When trying to lose fat, aim for a maximum of 1 1/2 pounds a week.

Crash dieting, over exercising and fasting will slow down your metabolism.

It’s easy to lose weight. Keeping it off, is the hard part, exercise works.

When you exercise, remind yourself, “I’m building a better body to live in”.

The best aerobic exercise is the one you’ll do, the best time to exercise is when you will do it.

Exercise is one of the best ways to reduce stress, ask yourself how you feel, after working out.

Exercise for the older age group, helps to keep you young, by maintaining muscle tissue and bone density, the older you are, the more important it is that you exercise.

Upper body weight training will help you maintain a total lean body mass; more muscle equals a higher resting metabolic rate.

If you get out of breath when you exercise, you’re probably going too fast.

Training too hard, may lower your fitness, resting your body, allows it to recover and rebuild itself properly. Don’t over train, you’ll just burn-up or melt.

After eating the last slice of cake, all overweight people will decide to go on the tomorrow diet, why don’t they decide to exercise it off, as the tomorrow diet never comes?

If you are always surrounded by food, and can’t stop picking, chew gum. Every time you put the food in your mouth you will ruin the gum.

Researchers have suggested that people who are deficient in various vitamins and minerals may overeat in an attempt to obtain the missing nutrients. Obesity is the unfortunate outcome.

Performing cardiovascular type activities (i.e. running, cycling, swimming, etc.) five times a week decreases your risk of type II diabetes by 45%.

Exercising two to four times a week reduces your risk by 40%; once a week, 25%. Exercise decreases your risk by reducing fat tissue in the body and making cells more responsive to insulin.

If you smoke, why don’t you give up? I’m not going to lecture you on all the bad points that smoking has, as I’m sure you know it’s a great provider of deaths in the family.

Stress lowers the immune system and exercise helps to counter stress. Over exercising puts pressure on the immune system, make sure you take those vitamins and minerals, and remember get fit to play sport, not play sport to get fit.

If you get a painful blister, studies have shown that piercing it within the first three hours can be effective. Aim to lance the blister in two places at opposite sides, taking care, as the fluid can spray out up to eleven feet. Check and clean regularly, don’t use dirty needles, as this can lead to amputation.

Garlic rich diets, may be bad for your breath, but garlic causes your body to release nitric oxide, which keeps your arteries more pliable, resulting in a increase in circulation.

Diesel fumes have been found to contain 41 dangerous substances, they can give you more miles to the gallon, as well as cancer.

Chewing sugar free gum increases saliva flow which helps to neutralize plaque acidity.

Avoid eye strain by looking away from the screen and focus on something in the distance, then focus on something close to you, do this now and whilst at work.

Relax with a glass or two of wine. The antioxidants it contains can give protection against heart disease.

Heart disease, cancers etc. can run in the family. Check your family history and aim to get yourself checked out for any hereditary problems.

Buy, rent, borrow a dog. One of the best aerobic exercises for any fitness level is plain old walking. Remember to take the dog with you.

There are currently around 100,000 cases of food poisoning resulting in up to 200 deaths a year in the U.K. Make sure you wash and prepare food properly, check the sell buy dates, and if you get ill, drink plenty of fluid and stay in the bedroom closest to the bathroom.

Mobile phones increase your blood pressure if used for prolonged periods. Thought to be caused by blood vessels being constricted by radio frequency electromagnetic fields. My monthly phone bill raises my blood pressure.

Zinc gluconate lozenge’s sucked every two hours have been found to help cold sufferers reduce the time of their symptoms. Unfortunately zinc causes more nausea and doesn’t taste too good.

Dyslexics could improve their reading by wearing different colored lenses. Contact lenses help by noticeably reducing visual distortion.

Put more tomato sauce on your chips and other foods, it may not be good for your diet, but 3 to 4 serving a week can cut your risk of prostate cancer by a third.

Forget an apple a day keeps the doctor away; try a raw carrot and a banana. The beta-carotene and potassium can reduce your risk of heart disease by preventing plaque build up on the artery walls.

Do those sit ups, it is estimated that strengthening the abdominals can prevent 75% of lower back problems.

When training out in the dark, shutting one eye when a car’s head lights are on you, will help prevent sudden night blindness.

Pressing a wet tea bag against a cold sore acts as an antiseptic. The tannin from the tea will help reduce the condition.

Improve your posture, by answering the phone whilst standing. If standing against a wall, push your shoulders and buttocks into the wall, then aim to eliminate any gaps, by pushing the lower back into the wall. Hold for 20 seconds, and then carry on a normal conversation. Avoid breathing heavily during the exercise.

If embarking on jogging or running for the first time since your school days, invest in a good pair of sneakers to avoid physiotherapy bills. Shorter strides may help lesson the impact, if you have to use your old gym gear.

Wear socks when out running – this will help prevent blisters, and also soak up sweat.

Eating fat is not a problem; the problem lies in the type of fat you’re eating. Aim to eat the essential fatty acids (EFA’s) such as those found in oily fish, and avoid the so called healthier margarine’s made from hydrogenated vegetable fats.

Some 25 % of adults have bad breath, normally brought on by smoking or bad foods. Avoid this by brushing your teeth twice a day, using a tongue scraper, as a significant amount of bacteria live on the tongue. Flossing between your teeth to remove food debris, and seeing a hygienist every three months is also advised.

Consult your doctor or fitness instructor if you have any concerns about your health before embarking on any exercise routine.

After each work out, remember to stretch to help your body repair and recover. When doing this, keep yourself warm, and wipe away any sweat.

The common cold is the biggest reason for taking time off work. Dress well, exercise regularly, and above all take in those vitamins, especially vitamin C. The RDA is 60m.g. This will prevent you from catching scurvy but won’t help you against a cold. Increase your dosage to bowel tolerance, normally between 1 and 3 grams.

Avoid negative thoughts, and don’t put yourself down. Work on making your mind and body strong, remember its you inside that says you can’t do something, challenge those negative thoughts and make them positive.

Breasts cancer studies have shown that fish oil and olive oil may keep breasts healthier. Linoleic acid found in sunflower or corn oil may increase the risk of tumors. What is certain is that obesity and a high alcohol level in older women are linked to a higher risk of developing breast cancer.

When flying, drink plenty of water and fruit juice. The high altitude and dry pressurized air, sucks the moisture from your body, causing your mucous membranes to dry out, making you more prone to viruses.

Don’t think you can smoke and exercise. Exercise increases your lung capacity, giving carcinogenic contaminates more lung space to give you lung cancer.

Missed your workout, then think again. Research has shown that mental exercise can increase your physical strength.

Put your head back and daydream, scientists have shown it is a positive source of creativity – unlocking answers to your problems leading to better emotional and physical health. Daydreams can work in another practical way, as a form of motivation, encouraging us to try new experiences.

Exercise performance is improved by increasing your body’s water content – so for once drink more. Put poor performance down to being dehydrated, just a 3% loss in body fluid, can result in a 7% loss in physical performance.

Being alone is good for your health. So instead of seeing time spent alone as a punishment see it as a time to refuel yourself, a time to recover from the overload of life.

Organize yourself, set some time aside for yourself to complete all the paper work, at both home and work, remember take care of your admin – a little a day keeps the stress at bay.

Eat right with mood enhancing foods such as milk, yogurt, tuna and chicken, which contain high levels of brain food tryptophan.

Restrict your car usage anything 10 minutes or less walk – think of the savings in parking tickets.

AS10 is a unique blend of 10 key fruits and vegetables that taste great. Featuring the next generation of Super Fruit from the Brazilian rainforest, Cupuacu, as well as the proven marketable and beneficial Acai, Acerola, Prickly Pear and Yum Berry, AS10 takes these, the best of Super Fruits, and combines them with the five top natural ingredients from Ameriscience’s join research with NASA/JSC. Together they form the perfect 10 in AS10.

Read more »

The howling scream echoes through the dimly lit hallway and sends a shiver down the spine of an innocent passerby. The shriek is from an unsuspecting adult stepping on the bathroom scale a few days after Halloween, the result of ghoulish calories and horrifying snacking habits creeping up like Freddy Krueger clutching a fresh bag of candy corn.

The frightening truth is that kids aren’t the only ones dipping into the treat bucket during October. It wouldn’t be so bad if the gobblin’ was limited to one night of indulgence. However, the reality is that Halloween has turned into a month-long festival that catches many children and adults clawing for devilish delights. If real life had a movie sound track, the scary music would start as soon as one took a second glance at the cupboard holding the secret stash of miniature Snickers(r) and Milky Way(r) bars reserved for Trick or Treat.

Some things just can’t be explained, especially around Halloween. How is it that ghostly sweets appear as if from nowhere and disappear almost as quickly? No one is watching when one of the candy-sprinkled donuts destined for the kid’s soccer practice mysteriously disappears on the way to field. There are no witnesses when the handful of Tootsie Rolls vanish from the office goodie jar.

Experts say the trick to good health is to not overdo the treats. “Letting your guard down a little to have some fun at Halloween is fine, as long as it is for a limited length of time,” said Sherry Iverson, R.N., executive director of the Idaho chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. “The important thing is to have a plan that includes a return to healthy habits, including healthy eating and exercise.”

Talk about scary. The cost of obesity in the U.S. was more than $117 billion in 2000, which is $175 for every man, woman and child. About 300,000 premature deaths in the U.S. can be attributed to poor nutrition and inadequate physical activity. While the statistics can be frightening, there is hope.

“The good news is that the a little education goes a long way in helping maintain a reasonable balance,” said Georganne Benjamin, Assistant Director of Strategic Communications for Regence BlueShield of Idaho. “Regence encourages Idahoans to take charge of their health by making smart decisions.”

Here are some common sense health tips for adults that even Dr. Frankenstein might appreciate.

Maintain a Healthy Diet–Since adults don’t have the metabolism of a ten year old, it’s probably best not to eat like one. Sometimes it’s tough to eat a well balanced diet, especially when faced with the seemingly endless temptations of Halloween party food. “A bowl of chili is the perfect fall meal because it’s packed with protein and low in fat,” said Iverson.

Snack Wisely. If the afternoon munchies turn you into a monster, be prepared with a healthy dose of cut-up vegetables or a low-fat yogurt. A caramel apple is a perfect pick-me-up, especially if you skip the caramel!

Drink Water. Halloween parties pack a lot of punch…and soda, too. Skip the sugary stuff and opt for good old H2O.

Exercise and keep moving. Your skeleton needs strong muscles to stay in shape. You’ll have more energy and feel better, too.

Plan Ahead. Zombies may zone out at Halloween parties, but you don’t have to. Think before you eat.

Be Reasonable. Go ahead, have a little spooky fun. Just remember that once the clock strikes midnight, the party is over…at least until Thanksgiving.

Benjamin, Georganne. Tricky halloween health tips for grown-up goblins. Blue Cross Blue Shield. 10/31/2009 http://www.bcbs.com/news/plans/tricky-halloween-health-tips.html.  .

Why Am I So Tired? 7 Causes of Fatigue

We are in the midst of a global energy crisis but it has nothing to do with oil. The problem is unexplained fatigue.

“I’m so tired; I just can’t do what I used to do.”

Also See:

Depression is a serious disease that can be hard to understand and diagnose. Here’s what you need to know to recognize the symptoms of depression:

• Take A Vacation From Depression
• 9 Painful Symptoms That May Signal Depression
• Is It PMDD or Depression?
• 4 Ways to Manage Pain & Depression

Related to Depression

seasonal depression, depression medications, cognitive therapy, emotional symptoms, treating depression, depression causes, support, mood and hormones, summer depression, pets and depression

© 2009 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.

“I’d love to go but honestly, I just don’t have the energy.”

“Sex? You mean right now?”

If you’re like most women, these phrases have become mantras, the echo of our collective yawn growing louder every day.

“The single biggest complaint I hear from my patients, day in and day out, is fatigue,” says cardiologist Nieca Goldberg, MD, Director of the NYU Medical Center Women’s Heart Program and associate professor at the NYU School of Medicine.

Of course, for some of us the problem is simply multi-tasking to the max and not getting enough sleep, or good quality sleep. “If you’re continually logging in just 5 or 6 hours a night, it’s going to catch up with you, no matter your age,” says Rebecca Amaru, MD, clinical instructor of obstetrics and gynecology at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City.

But if you are getting a healthy 7 to 8 hours a night and you’re still tired, Goldberg says it’s time for a check-up to uncover the causes for fatigue.

“If your fatigue goes on for more than a week and there is no explanation for feeling tired, then yes, see your doctor,” says Goldberg.

While occasionally fatigue may be a sign of a serious illness, experts say most often it’s caused by a minor problem, with a relatively easy fix.

To help you zero in on why you can’t stop yawning, here are 7 hidden causes of fatigue — potential health problems you should discuss with your doctor.

Fatigue Cause # 1: Anemia

“If you are in your reproductive years, and particularly if you experience heavy menstrual cycles, have fibroid tumors or uterine polyps, or if you’ve recently given birth, the blood loss may have caused you to develop anemia — a leading cause of fatigue in women,” says Amaru.

Problems occur, she says, when the bleeding leads to a deficiency of hemoglobin, the iron-rich protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to other parts of your body. When your tissues and organs don’t get enough oxygen, she says, the result is fatigue.

Other causes of anemia include internal bleeding, or a deficiency of iron, folic acid, or vitamin B12. Anemia may also be caused by chronic diseases like kidney disease, for example. Symptoms can include dizziness, feeling cold, and irritability.

To confirm a diagnosis of anemia, your physician will give you a blood test. Treatment, she says, usually consists of iron supplements if iron deficiency is the cause, and adding iron-rich foods — such as spinach, broccoli, and red meat — to your diet.

Why Am I So Tired? 7 Causes of Fatigue

Getting plenty of sleep but still exhausted? Before you blame your multi-tasking, super-woman lifestyle, learn more about what might be at the root of your unexplained fatigue.

(continued)

continued…

The good news: With effective treatment, your fatigue should begin to lift in thirty days or less.

Fatigue Cause # 2: Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)

If you are generally sluggish, run down, and even a little depressed, Goldberg says the problem may be a slow thyroid, also known as hypothyroidism. The thyroid is a small, butterfly shaped gland that sits at the base of your neck and controls your metabolism, the speed at which your body operates.

“I believe that undiagnosed thyroid disorder is one of the major female health problems in this country. I think it is even more widespread than anyone realizes,” says Goldberg.

According to the American Thyroid Foundation, by age 60 approximately 17% of all women will have a thyroid disorder and most won’t know it. The most common cause, they say, is an autoimmune disorder known as Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. This condition causes the body to destroy the cells responsible for producing thyroxin and other hormones secreted by the thyroid gland. The result is hypothyroidism, or a slow metabolism.

Blood tests known as T3 and T4 will detect thyroid hormones. If these hormones are low, Goldberg says synthetic hormones can bring you up to speed and you should begin to feel better fairly rapidly.

Fatigue Cause # 3: Undiagnosed Urinary Tract Infection (UTI)

Although most women associate a urinary tract infection with symptoms such as burning or urgency, Goldberg says in some instances fatigue may be your only clue.

“Not every woman has obvious symptoms of a UTI. Some have no symptoms or mild symptoms that go unnoticed, except for the fatigue,” she says.

In most instances, a UTI is caused by bacteria in the urinary tract, often the result of improper bathroom hygiene (wiping back to front, for example). Sexual intercourse can increase the risk because it can push bacteria from the vagina into the urethra.

If your physician suspects that you have a UTI, your urine will be tested. Treatment is quick and easy, and usually involves an oral antibiotic medication. Goldberg says the fatigue will lift within a week or less.

If your symptoms return, get tested again, she says, because in some women, UTI’s are chronic. If this is the case, talk to your doctor about preventive care, including low dose antibiotics.

Fatigue Cause # 4: Caffeine Overload

Many of us grab a coffee or cola for a quick burst of energy, but for some women, caffeine can have the opposite effect.

In an article published in the journal US Pharmacist, author W. Stephen Pray, PhD, RPh, reports that caffeine is a stimulant, but if you take too much, the tables can turn.

“In some patients, continued abuse results in fatigue,” according to Pray. And if you think this means you simply require more caffeine to get the kick, this isn’t the case. “Any attempts to solve the problem by increasing caffeine intake causes the fatigue to worsen,” he says.

Why Am I So Tired? 7 Causes of Fatigue

continued…

The solution: Eliminate as much caffeine from your diet as possible. This means not only cutting out coffee. Chocolate, tea, soda and even some medications also contain caffeine and could be causing unexplained fatigue.

Fatigue Cause # 5: Food Intolerances

While food is supposed to give us energy, some doctors believe hidden food intolerances can do the opposite. According to Rudy Rivera, MD, author of Your Hidden Food Allergies Are Making You Fat, even mild food intolerance can leave you feeling sleepy. Eat the offending food long enough and you could find yourself feeling continually exhausted.

“Evidence indicates food intolerance as a cause of fatigue, and even suggests that fatigue may be an early warning sign of food intolerance,” he says.

If you suspect that food may be behind all that yawning, Rivera says to start with an elimination diet, cutting out foods that cause you to feel sleepy within 10 to 30 minutes of eating them. 

Fatigue Cause # 6: Sleep Apnea

If you’re not getting enough sleep, it stands to reason you’ll be tired. But what if you don’t know that you aren’t getting sufficient sleep? This is often the case with a condition called sleep apnea — a sleep disorder that causes you to momentarily stop breathing, often many times during the night. Each time you stop breathing, you awaken just long enough to disrupt your sleep cycle, usually without being aware of it. Your only clue, says Goldberg, is that you experience constant fatigue no matter how many hours you sleep each night.

According to Goldberg, sleep apnea, which is caused by an upper airway obstruction, often occurs in women who are overweight or obese. Snoring is often a sign of sleep apnea. Diagnosis requires a visit to a sleep lab, or to a doctor specializing in sleep apnea.

If you have sleep apnea, your physician will recommend lifestyle changes, including losing weight and quitting smoking. Medical treatment includes devices that keep airway passages open while you sleep. In extreme cases, surgery may be necessary to ensure proper airway flow. Left untreated, sleep apnea can increase your risk of stroke or heart attack.

Fatigue Cause # 7: Undiagnosed Heart Disease

If you find yourself becoming exhausted after activity that used to be easy, it may be time to talk to your doctor about the possibility of heart disease.

According to Goldberg, when overwhelming fatigue sets in after ordinary tasks — such as vacuuming the house, doing yard work, or commuting from work each day — your heart may be sending out an SOS that it needs medical attention.

“This doesn’t mean that you should panic every time you yawn,” says Goldberg. “Most of the time, fatigue is not the first sign of heart disease, and it’s usually linked to something far less serious.”

At the same time, Goldberg points out that heart disease is the leading cause of death in women. “If fatigue following activity is significant, and no other possible reason comes to mind, see your doctor for a check-up,” she advises. If your fatigue is related to your heart, medication or treatment procedures can usually help correct the problem, reduce the fatigue, and restore your energy.