My coffee confessions - how I need to change my diet to help tiredness

OK first off I confess I am a coffee user... I know its OK to drink a few cups a day, but there are times when I am flat out at work that I rely on coffee to keep me going way too much.

If I have a hectic day at work - sitting at my computer all day - I tend to only get up to make coffee. I often miss lunch altogether and then find I have a headache, feeling shattered and irritable but without feeling hungry. Coffee can become my substitute diet.

I know its ridiculous - I work in health care so I should know better. In my head I do. But when I am under pressure, it can all go out of the window! I only really notice that I am getting too reliant on coffee when the pressure drops and I find that I wake up with a headache, have a coffee and it goes. This is the wakeup call I need to lower my coffee intake.

Here's what I am going to try (in accordance with NHS guidelines):

• Eat more often. Eat 3 or 4 healthy meals and snacks rather than 1 big meal. No more coffee lunches for me then...
• Take more exercise. Although you can feel too tired to exercise, in the long term it will give you more energy (as well as improving your health and weight). Start gradually and build up over weeks or months to get to the 2.5hrs a week of moderate intensity aerobic exercise it is recommended.  'Davinas 15 mins to fitness' DVD here I come...
• Lose weight to increase your energy. I generally eat well (other than my coffee habit) and so the fitness DVD should help. 
• Sleep well. This I am not great at.  The Royal College of Psychiatrists' advice on getting a good night’s sleep is to go to bed and get up in the morning at the same time everyday; avoid naps through the day, and have a hot bath before bed (as hot as you can bear without scalding you) for at least 20 minutes.
• Reduce stress. Sounds easy but can be tough. You cant control the stresses that life throws at you, but you can control how much time you give to relaxing. Its whatever floats your boat - reading, gardening, walking, reading. Anything that is not related to work (or your children!).
• Reduce or stop caffeine. The Royal College of Psychiatrists recommends that anyone feeling tired should cut out caffeine. It says the best way to do this is to gradually stop having all caffeine drinks (and that includes coffee and tea and cola drinks) over a three-week period. Try to stay off caffeine completely for a month to see if you feel less tired without it.
  You may find that stopping caffeine gives you headaches. If this happens, cut down more slowly on the amount of caffeine that you drink.  I have started this process by drinking decaff every other coffee or having a cup of tea - I am not a cold drinks person but I will try..
• Drink less alcohol. Although alcohol makes you sleepy, you will sleep less deeply and so wake tired even if you sleep all night. Cut down on alcohol before bedtime. Even as a social, light drinker you should have 2-3 days alcohol free a week to allow you liver to rest and recover.  
• Drink more water. Sometimes you feel tired because you are mildly dehydrated.  Try a glass of water as a pick-me-up. I am not great at this one, but I will try to drink a glass of water rather than a cup of coffee and see if that helps.

Avoid:

• Energy drinks - although they give you a short boost through their high sugar and caffeine mix, its a short lived effect and may then leave you with low mood, raised blood pressure, irritability and weight gain. Not great!
• Vitamin supplements rather than eating well.  There are no shortcuts in life - invest in your health by eating well. I am making an effort to cook more from scratch - its quite relaxing, not as expensive as I had feared and means that I eat better and so do my kids.

Caffeine causes a release of adrenaline which puts your body into a state of alert - its the 'fight or flight' response and is the reason why we feel more alert. However, it also puts a stress on our bodies to be in this adrenaline state unnecessarily.  This can eventually lead to adrenal exhaustion where you have to drink more and more caffeine to get the same lift.  Caffeine is an additive drug - even a low consumption can lead to a 'low' once the caffeine wears off. Consuming too much caffeine leads to poor sleep, irritability, mood swings, depression, tiredness and anxiety. 

OK, I really will reduce my coffee consumption!

How I deal with worrying

There are times in my life where I think I have been the Queen of worrying….  Worrying about finishing my University work, worrying about the future, worrying about my kids, worrying about money – and on the list goes.

I worry that I will let people down – not be good enough at my job, not be a good enough mum, not provide for my family, not be a good partner, forget something important and do something which alters my life for the worse and I can’t change it… It’s a fear of failure for me. Dont get me wrong - it took me some years (and a lot of self-reflection during my training as a homeopath) to realise this.

However I have learnt coping strategies to deal with this beast now – I prepare like there is no tomorrow. I spent hours putting together what I need, checking and rechecking it’s all there.  If it’s for a presentation I practice it so I know what order it flows in.  I am lucky that I don’t suffer badly with a fear of public speaking, so generally I can fly by the seat of my pants if I need to.

However I do have high standards for myself – it’s not being the best out of everyone, its being the best I can be. This sometimes can be my undoing as I then worry that I haven’t done enough – this keeps me awake at night, makes me feel stressed and anxious and back round we go… The vicious cycle sets in and it just feels worse and worse.

The thing I have come to realise is that although it seems overwhelming and unmanageable at the time, it tends to be a short lived (i.e. weeks not years) thing.  I have learnt to try to keep perspective and although I can still wind myself up about it, I have got better about it.

I feel very fortunate to have a few very close friends who I can talk openly to – they listen, make me coffee, give me tissues and a hug.  I feel better for being able to bring my worries into the light – they get smaller and more manageable. It allows me to see ways that I can get some control back, take responsibility over the bits I can change and put into perspective the bits I have no control over.

I actually have on my wall above my desk the first few lines of the serenity prayer – I say it to myself when I find myself getting back into the anxiety/fear of failure cycle… It’s on the bottom of the newsletter and I thoroughly recommend using it!

I know that there are times I just have to be brave - to face what I am worried and scared of (like my previous fear of the dentist) and times to just stay in the moment and wait it out....

Ways to manage some specific fears

The thing about fear and worrying about the fear, is that it depends on how much it affects you. Everyone gets scared and worries, but how far in advance does it cause problems? Does it interfere with your usual functioning? Does it prevent you from doing things? Does it affect your health?

There are some great treatments for specific common fears...

Fear of the dentist

• Choose an acute homeopathic remedy to help your anxiety
• Speak to us for more advice on remedies you can take to deal with dental treatment – like pain following treatment, bruising, healing etc
• Have a look at NHS advice for dental fears

I personally have suffered with fear of the dentist - mine was founded on painful treatment as a teenager which then stopped me going to the dentist for around 10 years. Of course, this then meant that I needed more treatment which made me even more anxious. I was able to reduce my worrying by finding a sympathetic dentist, taking my i-pod (and playing it loudly so I couldnt hear any noise and it distracted me) and from using homepathy.  I dont like going to the dentist, but it no longer creates any symptoms in me.

Fear of flying

• Ask your GP for a referral for CBT to help address your anxiety
• Choose an acute homeopathic remedy to help
• If your anxiety prevents your flying at all, various airlines offer Fear of Flyong courses. These might be worth looking into if it prevents you from taking a fantastic holiday or prevents your career expanding

Again, I'm not a confident flyer but with the use of a good remedy I can fly without any real problems.

Speaking in public
This is a very common social fear and again uses some of the same tactics as above...

• Choose an acute homeopathic remedy
• If your job means you have to speak publicly a lot and it really disrupts your life, try asking for some CBT from your GP
• There are lots of articles online which offer sensible advice - try this one from Psychology Today

Have a look at our personal blogs to see how we both manage this one!

General tips

• Check your diet to see if you can change something to help - some great advice is available on the NHS website here
• Look up Mindfulness on Google - its a technique to help you stay in the moment rather than getting caught up in the 'what if' scenarios

Symptoms of anxiety

People often experience physical, psychological and behavioural symptoms when they feel anxious or stressed.

Some of the most common physical symptoms of anxiety are:

·         Increased heart rate
·         Increased muscle tension
·         “Jelly legs”
·         Tingling in the hands and feet
·         Hyperventilation (over breathing)
·         Dizziness
·         Difficulty in breathing
·         Wanting to use the toilet more often
·         Feeling sick
·         Tight band across the chest area
·         Tension headaches
·         Hot flushes
·         Increased perspiration
·         Dry mouth
·         Shaking
·         Choking sensations
·         Palpitations

Some of the most common psychological symptoms (the thoughts or altered perceptions we have) of anxiety are:

·         Thinking that you may lose control and/or go “mad”
·         Thinking that you might die
·         Thinking that you may have a heart attack/be sick/faint/have a brain tumour
·         Feeling that people are looking at you and observing your anxiety
·         Feeling as though things are speeding up/slowing down
·         Feeling detached from your environment and the people in it
·         Feeling like wanting to run away/escape from the situation
·         Feeling on edge and alert to everything around you

Next time you feel anxious, reflect on which symptoms you have - this will help you choose the appropriate Homoepathic remedy to help you.

 

The wonder of Arnica

Arnica

One of the best known homeopathic remedies. If you play sport, garden, do a manual job or have children, you definitely need Arnica in your cupboard!

Take Arnica for:

• Bruising to soft tissues
• Injuries from blows, falls or blunt objects
• Shock from injury
• Concussion
• Eye injuries – black eyes
• Bleeding caused by an injury
• To relieve soreness and bruised feeling after surgery, fractures and childbirth
• Soreness after tooth extraction or dental surgery
• Joint sprains – tennis elbow
• To promote healing

The person needing Arnica will be:

• Worse from light touch – often fearing to be touched or being approached
• Denies they are ill or hurt “I’m ok…”
• Worse from heat and rest

Homeopathic remedies for acute menstruation problems

At the bottom of this guide is a section on the dosage and repetition of the remedies.  Please read this careful and feel free to call or email us if you get stuck.  We are happy to give free advice to self-prescribers.

Mag Phos

The keynote symptom for Mag-Phos is pain is relieved by warmth (as is often the way with menstrual cramps.

Colocynthis

If your pain is relieved by doubling up and applying strong pressure (like a pillow, arm of the sofa or book), then this is the remedy to try. It also has burning pains in the area of the ovaries and a feeling of restlessness.

Colocynth

The main keynote of this remedy is that the pain is relieved by hard pressure.  You may observe this as pressing a pillow or book into the abdomen – my daughter has been found lying over the arm of the sofa…  The patient has bearing down pains, which make her double up and feel very restless.

Chamomilla

This remedy is mostly prescribed based on the mental state of the patient – impatient, snappy, grotty and impossible to please! The pain may be unendurable with a discharge which is clotted and dark blood.

Belladonna

This is the remedy for bearing down pains like the uterus is trying to come out.  The pain comes and goes suddenly and the discharge is bright red blood. The period comes early and is very heavy. The patient may be restless and feel better for standing up and worse for laying down.

Pulsatilla

The patient has changeable mood (typical teenaged girl!) , wants your attention and sympathy and cries a lot. The discharge often starts and stops but is painful.  The blood is thick and clotted.

Dosage & repetition

30c - Take one dose and repeat up to four times daily. 6c or 12c - repeat up to six times daily. 200c -up to three times daily.

You can also try dissolving a few tablets of the remedy in a glass of hot water and sip it every few minutes during the period of cramping pains – acute, severe pain often responds more readily to this repeated dose.

Stop taking the remedy if:

• The symptoms go.
• You have taken the remedy for three days and nothing has changed.
• If the symptoms get worse. In this case, stop the remedy and wait - it is likely to work well in the next two or three days.
• If in doubt call either of us - we are happy to help!
• If your symptoms are getting worse each month, or they occur every month, the best thing to do is to come and see us for a remedy which will address your underlying susceptibility to getting these menstrual problems.

It's always wise to go to the doctor, get your problem checked out and get a diagnosis before treating yourself. Don't assume you know what's wrong, and remember pain is always a warning that something is not right.

How do I know i have a hormonal imbalance?

Any hormonal balance will have an effect on your health.  Hormone levels can be too high, be around for too long, or be high/low in relation to other hormones.

Too much oestrogen.

Many of us are relatively overexposed to oestrogen – partly as we have 10 times more periods than our ancestors (as we live longer), partly as modern lifestyles can make it more difficult for our liver to get rid of excess oestrogen and due to the increase of oestrogen in food and water.

What does this mean?

Your periods may be heavier than usual, longer than usual or you may have PMS. Oestrogen  excess is also linked to endometriosis, fibroids, breast and endometrial cancer.  Excessively high levels of oestrogen are comparative to other hormones so cannot be picked up on blood tests – it is diagnosed on symptoms.

Possible causes

• Eating more fat can cause significantly higher blood levels of oestrogen; obesity can cause high levels (as oestrogen is stored in fat cells) and interfere with ovulation.
• Ingestion of environmental oestrogens is also a problem – these can be from food preservatives, water, plastics and pesticides.
• Have a look on the internet for more information about other areas which can be increasing your oestrogen levels – cosmetics, shampoos, cleaning products and plastics can all contain oestrogen mimicking compounds which exacerbate the problem.

What can you do about it?

• Eat less fat and refined carbohydrates
• Eat more fibre – eat whole foods rather than processed food
• Increase your phytoestrogens (plant oestrogens) – soya products, ground linseeds, cabbage, pulses, lentils, green vegetables, peppers and herbs
• Reduce animal sources – animal fats introduce more oestrogen into the body
• Drink alcohol sensibly
• Melatonin helps to balance oestrogen – so try to improve your sleep, and don’t keep your mobile close to your bed (since electromagnetic force from it can disrupt melatonin).
• Take moderate levels of exercise – since this helps reduce the production of oestrogen and increase its clearance from the body

Not enough oestrogen

A relative deficiency can occur when too much oestrogen is cleared from your body, too little is recycled by your body or when fat cells aren’t making enough from androgen hormones.  The actual deficiency occurs after menopause when your ovaries stop making it.

Symptoms

You may have low bone density, poor fertility, low sex drive, irregular periods, premature aging  or excessively dry skin.

What can you do about it?

• Being underweight can stop periods and cause oestrogen levels to fall below normal
• Eat too much fibre (in wheat bran only cereals for example) can lower oestrogen too much – eat fibre in wholefoods as this isn’t a problem
• Vitamin A deficiency – eat orange, yellow and green fruit and vegetables
• Over-exercising reduces oestrogen
• Smoking alters the metabolism of oestrogen – you may become oestrogen deficient as the oestrogen that is produced is inactive – this can lead to low bone density and early menopause

Not enough progesterone

By far the most progesterone problem is that of too little.  It is produced by the egg sac after the egg has been released at ovulation.

Symptoms

Painful breasts, PMS, unusual bleeding patterns and some types of infertility.

Possible causes

• If you fail to ovulate – as you will normally following birth, stopping the pill or while breastfeeding – but additionally in prolonged stress periods, during menopause and is dysfunctional bleeding patterns.
• The egg sac fails to produce enough progesterone – this may be from a faulty egg or ovarian hormone secretions. Another hormone rises (prolactin) and this is responsible for sore breasts, PMS, infertility and irregular periods.

This can be investigated by your GP with a range of tests.

What can you do about it?

• Look at the stressors in your life since prolonged stress has a major impact on your body and health. Follow a low GI diet, try yoga, or steady exercise, eat oats and look at your sleep hygiene.
• Eat a well balanced diet – ensure you include whole grains, legumes (especially soya beans), buts and seeds and cold water fish.
• Vitamin B6 deficiency has been indicated in high prolactin; eat potatoes, bananas, wild salmon, chicken and spinach.
• Increasing zinc in the diet can also reduce prolactin – eat shellfish, beef, turkey and beans.

References

Cooke, K & Trickey, R (2002) Problem Periods. Allen & Unwin.

Tomulet, L (201) Natural ways to lower prolactin. Available at: http://www.livestrong.com/article/206010-natural-ways-to-lower-prolactin/

Oregon State University: Linus Pauling Institute: Vitamin B6  "Women's Encyclopedia of Natural Medicine"; Tori Hudson, N.D.; 2008 "Textbook of Natural Medicine"; Joseph E. Pizzorno, N.D., and Michael T. Murray, N.D.; 2006 "Campbell-Walsh Urology"; Alan J. Wein, M.D., Ph.D.