Pharmacentre Limited > Blog > Fatigue
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 Essential Vitamins to Combat Fatigue

In today’s fast-paced world, it’s not uncommon to feel constantly fatigued and drained of energy. While factors like stress, inadequate sleep, and poor lifestyle choices can contribute to low energy levels, it’s essential to recognize the role that vitamins and nutrients play in combating fatigue. In this blog post, the team at Panacea Online will explore some key vitamins that can help boost your energy levels and keep you feeling revitalized throughout the day.

  1. Vitamin B Complex: The Energy Dynamo

The B-vitamins, including B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6 (pyridoxine), B7 (biotin), B9 (folate), and B12 (cobalamin), are essential for converting food into energy. They play a crucial role in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, providing the body with the fuel it needs. A B-complex supplement can be an excellent way to ensure you’re getting an adequate dose of all these essential vitamins.

  1. Vitamin C: Immune Support and Energy Boost

Vitamin C is not only known for its immune-boosting properties but also for its role in energy production. This powerful antioxidant helps the body absorb iron, a mineral necessary for the transportation of oxygen to cells. Improved oxygen circulation contributes to increased energy levels and reduced feelings of fatigue.

  1. Iron: Oxygenate Your Cells

Iron is a crucial mineral that plays a vital role in the formation of hemoglobin, the substance in red blood cells responsible for transporting oxygen. Low iron levels can lead to anemia, characterized by fatigue and weakness. Ensure you’re getting enough iron from dietary sources like lean meats, beans, and leafy greens or consider an iron supplement if needed.

  1. Vitamin D: The Sunshine Vitamin

Vitamin D is often associated with bone health, but it also plays a role in energy levels. Low levels of vitamin D have been linked to symptoms of fatigue and lethargy. While sunlight is a natural source of vitamin D, supplements can be beneficial, especially during the winter months or for those with limited sun exposure.

  1. Magnesium: Energy Metabolism and Muscle Function

Magnesium is involved in over 300 biochemical reactions in the body, including energy metabolism and muscle function. It helps convert food into energy and plays a role in the synthesis of ATP, the primary energy currency of cells. A magnesium supplement or magnesium-rich foods like nuts, seeds, and whole grains can support your energy levels.

If you find yourself battling fatigue and low energy, it’s crucial to address the underlying nutritional factors that may be contributing to your symptoms.  Remember that lifestyle factors such as regular exercise, adequate sleep, and stress management also play a significant role in maintaining overall vitality. Take charge of your well-being by nourishing your body with the essential vitamins it needs to thrive.

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Viridian 7 Day Sugar Detox

Say Goodbye to Sugar and Hello to Better Health, Better Sleep and Better Vitality

Sugar is addictive. There is no doubt about that. It comes in various disguises and it seems impossible to give up. it is human nature to respond positively to rewards. When you eat sugar your brain “rewards” you by producing Dopamine  – a chemical that is responsible for feeling pleasure. Good? You would think so, but in actual fact the body becomes less responsive to the dopamine and you therefore eat more sugar to get the reward feeling and this becomes a vicious cycle of highs and blood sugar crashes leaving you feeling absolutely rubbish. Sound familiar?

But we need sugar!

True. Sugar is digested and turned into glucose – one of the main fuel sources for the body. Again you would think that’s good but our body’s aren’t meant to cope with the quantities of sugar the average first world person consumes, and this is what happens:

Once your food is digested, the glucose is absorbed through the intestine, you produce insulin which acts as a transportation for the glucose to various parts of the body to be used as energy. The more simple the sugar, the faster this happens.

Once you’ve got enough energy in the cells, the leftover glucose is stored in the liver, muscles and fat cells to be used in between meals. Your body won’t waste energy and it has an endless storage supply in fat cells, so when you eat more sugars than you use, you grow more fat cells to store it.

Eventually your body develops an insulin resistance which is the pancreas producing less insulin. This leaves the body with too much glucose in the blood and nothing to transport, it and you’re left with a good chance of getting type 2 diabetes if you do not get the sugar consumption under control.

Sugar affects your immune system

Glucose is a food source for our cells but also for Candida yeast,  bacterias, and even cancer cells. This is not to say that the consumption of sugar causes these problems, only that it fuels them. Sugar is also seen to reduce the effectiveness of your immune system. A study done in the 1970’s found that eating simple sugars decreases the immune system’s effectiveness to kill bacteria and viruses it finds in the body.

Sugar affects our sleep.

Blood sugar levels that are too high or too low cause our sleep to be interrupted. Lack of a good night sleep then also causes problems with our blood sugar. Tiredness leads to the body dumping glucose into the blood stream, insulin having to transport it, and you get a cycle of cravings, mood highs and lows, and energy and exhaustion.

The average person in large cities has the following daily routine:

  • A bad night sleep leaves you slow to start, running late and grabbing a cup of coffee and chocolate muffin for breakfast – Sugar high.
  • You then have a sugar crash, so it’s a cup of tea and a biscuit to boost you, giving you another sugar high.
  • Another crash comes just in time for lunch, so you have meal deal with a chocolate bar and fruit smoothie (hidden sugars)
  • Another low in the late afternoon, so it’s another tea and biscuit
  • You get home feeling exhausted so you warm up a ready meal containing as much as 10 teaspoons of sugar.
  • Another sugar crash before bed and you’re on your way to another restless night sleep to do it all over again the next day.

Had enough?

We have too, so our product of the month is the new Viridian Sugar Detox Kit.

Start your Sugar detox

Once you decide to quite sugar. Viridian have developed a 7 day Sugar detox program supporting you with supplements and a 7 day plan to help you get over your sugar cravings for good!

The 7 Day Sugar Detox pack supplement contains Chromium, Cinnamon and Alpha Lipoic acid.

Chromium is an important mineral that contributes to the maintenance of normal blood glucose levels. Cinnamon, also known as “sweet wood,” has been well studied clinically and has a long history of traditional use. Alpha lipoic acid is found in all cells and is in this formula as it has a balancing effect on blood sugar levels in the body.

You can also download the app, get free meal plans, recipes and even a shopping list to help you through program on their 7 day sugar detox website

It’s time for a better you, so give up refined sugars and have a healthier summer and future.

 

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Are you TATT (Tired all the Time)?

Are You Tired All The Time? If you are, you’re not alone. Far from it, in fact. It’s one of the common most reasons people go and see their doctor. The trouble is, most doctors can’t do much to help. That’s hardly surprising given they don’t learn much about non-specific conditions like fatigue during their medical training.

When someone suffers from persistent fatigue, many aspects of their life suffer. The quality of their work, the nature of their relationships or family life, their ability to go out, have fun, holiday, exercise – or even party – are often affected dramatically. Depression and anxiety may be triggers for fatigue, or they may be causes. The bottom line is that all kinds of events in life – ones that any healthy person would find manageable or even enjoyable – become a matter of trepidation. A doctor confronted with someone who exhibits symptoms of depression or anxiety often prescribes SSRI drugs (antidepressants). In the US, up to 10% of the population is taking an antidepressant at any one time. Things aren’t much different in most other industrialised countries.

You may also experience fatigue at certain times, and not others. OK, if you haven’t managed to get enough sleep, you’ve got good reason. But if you’re sleeping, or trying to sleep, and you just can’t seem to recover and feel energised, or you lose all your energy at particular times of day, such as after you’ve eaten, or when you’ve taken a limited amount of exercise, you’re starting to feel your fatigue and malaise a real problem.

There are always underlying reasons for fatigue-related conditions, but these can’t always be identified. In some cases, fatigue can be related to serious underlying diseases, which yet have been diagnosed, such as heart disease, thyroid diseases, type 2 diabetes, kidney or liver disease, or various infectious diseases, such as upper respiratory tract infections, gastric or duodenal ulcers, Lyme disease, pneumonia or periodontal disease. That’s why it’s always important to see a doctor or other qualified or experienced health professional to check for any possible, serious underlying causes.

While any of these conditions may be a cause of the fatigue, they may not be the sole cause and they may not have been the trigger that led to the disease in the first place. It may also be that the body struggles to resume normal, healthy function because of on-going mediators or perpetuators such as stressful life events (e.g. relationship or work-related challenges, financial difficulties, loss of a loved one), a poor diet or a particular nutrient deficiency, insufficient physical activity or relaxation, poor sleep quality, smoking, too much drink or other unhealthy habits.

Oftentimes however, the reasons for someone’s fatigue are complex, unclear and non-specific. Doctors and health professionals increasingly refer to this as ‘tired all the time’ syndrome, or TATT. Not for a lack of trying, the fatigue simply can’t be traced to a particular underlying disease. This is the case for over half the people who present to their doctors with fatigue — and the millions who don’t. Knowing there are some key things we can all do to help our bodies can be a lifesaver. We’ll give you more detail in upcoming blogs, but three key processes stand out as among the most important.

The first involves supporting the energy-producing ‘factories’ in our cells, the mitochondria. The second is about managing the amount of oxidative stress within the body. Both of these are strongly dependent on eating pattern and the quality of the nutrients you eat and absorb. It’s also about how you move, rest and sleep. The third key process is about providing the best possible environment for your body, one that nurtures it and allows it to function optimally. This means learning to be good to yourself, including eating as well as you can, taking particular supplementary nutrients, resting right and sleeping well, through to finding appropriate ways of being physically active and finding the best ways of transforming stress.

Article written by: Robert Verkerk – BSc MSc DIC PhD | Scientific Director, ANH Consultancy Ltd on behalf of Nuzest

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