Why Do I Feel Tired All the Time?

If you are one of the millions of Americans asking yourself this question, it’s time to find out why.  Fatigue can be related to improper digestion, which means that your body is unable to get the proper nutrition it needs to energize.  Proper digestion is necessary to break down the food we eat into smaller molecules, that can be absorbed by the blood stream and carried throughout our body.  These nutrients are essential for energy, and cell restoration.  If you are feeling constantly tired, it may be the result of your body’s reaction to a food intolerance, resulting in a digestive response that could lead to symptoms of chronic fatigue.   According to medical journals, two of the most common food intolerances include dairy and gluten.  If you have food intolerances, you do not have to feel tired all the time.  Read on to find out how.

Feel Tired? It could be:

1.  Dairy Intolerance

Lactose is a sugar found in milk and other dairy products.  Although symptoms may vary, individuals with a lactose intolerance who consume dairy products, may experience:

• Cramps
• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Gas
• Bloating

Lactose intolerance is very common, and develops naturally as people age.  The symptoms of lactose intolerance are both uncomfortable, and embarrassing.  One symptom, diarrhea, often produces fatigue because it causes the body to lose water, and become dehydrated.  If you are lactose intolerant, the symptoms will often be eradicated when milk and dairy products are eliminated from the diet.

2.  Gluten Intolerance

Wheat, barley, and rye all contain the protein, gluten.  When people eat these products, who are actually allergic to gluten, an immune response is triggered by the body as if it is responding to a threat.  Should a person continue to consume products that contain gluten, irritation of the intestinal lining results, and it becomes unable to absorb essential nutrients to your brain, nervous system, and organs.  Many people are not aware of having gluten intolerance, and according to The University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center, this can lead to severe deficiencies in:

• Iron
• Vitamin B-12
• Vitamin D
• Copper
• Magnesium
• Folate
• Magnesium
• Niacin
• Riboflavin

A deficiency in any of these vitamins and minerals can cause tiredness.  A gluten free diet can often completely eliminate the fatigue felt by gluten intolerance.

If you feel tired all the time, you are not alone.  A diet change may be all you need to get that energy back and feel great.