Also: Running for health, just a little is good; Alcohol and fatigue.

July 31, 2014 July 31, 2014 Want more energy? Here’s what really helps Do you sometimes feel like the Energizer Bunny with a weak battery? You start out strong, but by midafternoon you’re starting to flag. We all get tired from time to time, but fatigue tends to become more common as we get older. Assuming your doctor has ruled out medical causes for persistent fatigue, there are a few basic steps you can take to feel more energetic day to day. Get your copy of Boosting Your Energy Fatigue is a symptom, not a disease, and it’s experienced differently by different people. Fatigue from stress or lack of sleep usually subsides after a good night’s rest, while other fatigue is more persistent and may be debilitating even after restful sleep. Harvard’s Special Health Report Boosting Your Energy provides advice and information from world-renowned medical experts that can help you discover the cause of your fatigue and find the right treatment or lifestyle changes. Consider these strategies to get the most mileage from your battery: Pace yourself. Instead of burning though all your battery life in two hours, spread it out between morning tasks, afternoon tasks, and evening activities — with rest and meals in between. Take a walk or a nap. A short power nap can restore energy, but if you struggle to get enough sleep at night, napping can make insomnia worse. Rather than take a siesta, get moving. Get up and walk around the block, or just move around. If you are not an insomniac, though, enjoy that 20- to 30-minute power nap. Skip most supplements. There is no evidence that energy-boosting or “anti-aging” supplements work. In particular: DHEA. There is absolutely no evidence that that DHEA provides any benefit. And you especially shouldn’t be buying it from ads in the back of a magazine, because you don’t know what’s in it. Iron. Iron is only beneficial if you are clearly deficient, which a doctor can check with a blood test. Unless you are low in iron, you don’t need to take it, and getting too much iron can be harmful. B vitamins. It is true that B vitamins (B1, B2, B6, B12) help the body convert food into the form of energy that cells can burn, but it’s a myth that taking in more B vitamins supercharges your cells. Eat long-lasting fuel. Your body burns through sugars and highly processed carbohydrates, like white bread, white rice, or prepared bakery goods, more rapidly than protein and the carbohydrates in whole grains. Instead, try low-fat yogurt with a sprinkling of nuts, raisins, and honey. Your body will take in the carb-fiber-protein mix more gradually. To really sustain yourself over the course of the day, eat a breakfast and a lunch that include complex carbohydrates and protein. Don’t skip meals. It’s better to evenly space your meals out so your body gets the nourishment it needs all through the day. For additional advice on ways to stay energized throughout your day, buy Boosting Your Energy, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School. Share this story: News and Views from the Harvard Health Blog Running for health: Even a little bit is good, but a little more is probably better Marathoners are the thoroughbreds of high-performance runners, but even the draft horses of the running world — slow and steady joggers — improve their health. Just five to 10 minutes a day of low-intensity running is enough to extend life by several years. Alcohol and fatigue Many people think that a little nightcap will help them sleep soundly through the night. Although alcohol’s sedative effects can make you drowsy, they also have other effects that can interfere with quality sleep. Several hours after that nightcap, the alcohol raises the body’s level of epinephrine, a stress hormone that increases the heart rate and generally stimulates the body, which can result in nighttime awakenings. Indeed, alcohol may account for 10% of cases of persistent insomnia. Alcohol also relaxes throat muscles, and this relaxation can worsen sleep-related breathing problems and contribute to sleep apnea. What’s more, alcohol may increase the need to urinate during the night — just another way in which it can disrupt sleep. Alcohol’s sedative quality can rob you of energy in another way. Drinking wine, beer, or hard liquor during the day can make you feel drowsy or lethargic. If you didn’t sleep well the night before, even one drink can make you drowsy, especially if you drink during one of your usual low-energy times — for example, midafternoon or late evening. One beverage that can boost your energy is plain old water. One of the first signs of being short on fluids is a feeling of fatigue and weakness. Approximately 50% to 60% of your body weight is water, and you are constantly losing water through urine, sweat, and breathing. This water needs to be replenished. Consuming a sufficient amount of fluids in beverages and water-filled foods (such as fruits, vegetables, and soup) will help you maintain your energy. To learn more about an energy-boosting lifestyle, buy Boosting Your Energy, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School. Share this story: Featured in this issue Boosting Your Energy Featured content: • What is energy? • Energy and food • Energy and exercise • Energy and sleep • Energy and stress •  ... and more! Click here to read more » Harvard Medical School offers special reports on over 50 health topics. Visit our website at http://www.health.harvard.edu to find reports of interest to you and your family. PHONE ORDERS - please call our toll-free number: 1-877-649-9457. You are currently subscribed to HEALTHbeat as sugengaria@gmail.com. EDIT YOUR SUBSCRIPTION PROFILE UNSUBSCRIBE SUBSCRIBE TO HEALTHbeat VIEW HEALTHbeat ARCHIVES Visit our website at: www.health.harvard.edu Email us at: healthbeat@health.harvard.edu FOLLOW US ON:  Facebook Twitter Copyright © 2014 by Harvard University. Harvard Health Publications, 10 Shattuck Street, 2nd Floor, Boston, MA 02115, USA * Please note, we do not provide responses to personal medical concerns, nor can we supply related medical information other than what is available in our print products or website. For specific, personalized medical advice we encourage you to contact your physician.