Your Energy And Your Diet

LIKE everyone else, you probably want more energy. Even young people complain that they are not absolutely tireless, and the rest of us wish we could regain the vigour we once had, so naturally we are receptive to almost any theory that promises to help us avoid fatigue. Though we may be too intelligent nowadays to be taken in by preposterous claims for fancy tonics and nostrums, it is not unreasonable to hope that a better diet can give us more vivacity and endurance. Vitamin tablets, in fact, and periodic doses of sugars are poor substitutes for a good diet. You must not expect miracles, nor be overly impressed by all the propaganda about "hidden hunger" and the virtues of "quick energy".

The science of nutrition can produce miracles. Nothing could be more spectacular than the transformation of the weak and apathetic victims of severe thiamine (vitamin B1) deficiency within a few days, or even hours, after the administration of the vitamin they lack. Nothing is more striking than to compare a severely malnourished infant with a well-fed baby. But very few of us are in such a deplorable state of nutrition that we resemble the beriberi patient, who is not often seen nowadays in America except among severe alcoholics on strange diets and never in Great Britain. In any case, if you really feel wretched and think you are far below par in energy, you should consult a competent doctor to check for undiscovered disease as well as the remote possibility that you are suffering from serious nutritional deficiencies.

Now, presuming that you are not specifically ill but are simply, like many of us, tired as the busy day wears on and perhaps unable to muster energy to be the life and soul of the party in the evening, then what can be done about it? More particularly, what can your diet do about it?

Fatigue And Nutritional Faults

In modern urban life the fatigue many of us feel is probably more often of psychological than of physiological origin. Hurry, frustration, worry, and boredom steal our energy and leave us tired. On the physiological side, bad posture, ill-fitting shoes and lack of fresh air and physical exercise probably contribute to tired feelings at least as often as dietary faults.

For the moment we are concerned with what dietary faults may be involved. Fatigue and lack of energy are common complaints of people who are badly nourished from lack of food, from overeating, or from specific dietary deficiencies. Are you in one of these categories?

Temporary Food Shortage or Surplus Let us consider first the most obvious dietary cause of lack of energy - lack of food. Everyone knows that missing a meal or eating very little for a few meals robs you of energy at the time unless you happen to be very excited. Part of this temporary reduction in energy is due to a shortage of sugar in the blood, sugar that is a ready fuel to be used by the working muscles. The body has plenty of stored fuel but the cash in hand, so to speak, is depleted, although there is an ample reserve in the bank. When you get excited the reserves are mobilized, the blood sugar rises, and you do not observe the same fatigue.

You can temporarily correct, in part, the result of missing a proper meal by eating almost any kind of a snack; even such enemies of balanced diets as a sweet drink or a chocolate bar will do. Although such a "shot in the arm" may give a quick response, it also tends to be followed by a quick let-down. It is much better to eat proper foods and to adjust your eating habits to avoid these low periods. If in need of a snack, take a glass of milk, an apple, a sandwich, a bowl of soup, or a cup of tea and some real food, even though it is only a small portion. The fact that such snacks take a little more time than eating a chocolate bar as you work is all to the good. Much of the refreshment from the "pause that refreshes" comes from the pause itself.

Finally, you should remember that a very low sugar point during DIET AND HEALTH the day usually reflects a bad meal habit, a breakfast or lunch that is simply inadequate, without enough calories or with too large a proportion of calories in free sugars and simple starches so that your blood sugar shoots way up and then, naturally, overshoots the mark coming down. A hurried cup of tea for breakfast is not enough. If time or appetite prevents your taking more, plan on having a more substantial second breakfast later.

Excessively large meals also rob you of energy. Too much of your blood supply is busy trying to digest and absorb your food, blood is diverted from the brain, and you are sleepy and sluggish. There is also the danger of an excessive rise in the blood sugar and a secondary overcompensatory fall, especially if the meal is high in free sugars and simple starches.