With everything that is going right now, it is easy to feel like life is draining your batteries. If this crisis has taught us anything it is just how important our health is. I know for me personally, I never knew just how unhealthy I was. No one ever bothers to tell you just how slowly it all progresses. I didn’t wake up one day and find myself extremely sick. It was a slow progression that I knew was happening to me. Unfortunately, when you don’t know what to look out for it can be difficult to avoid the fallout. In an attempt to help you avoid my mistakes I am going to tell you everything I wish I had known sooner.
Don’t Forget About You
First things first, I want to tell you a little bit about me, to illustrate just how easy it can be to get caught up in the motion of our daily lives. As a devoted wife and mother it can be easy to forget to take time out of your already crazy day and focus on you. I can’t tell you how often I have forgotten to eat and to save on time, I end up eating the same meals I made for my kids. Unfortunately, like most things in life the longer we put something off the bigger the issue will become. As a Nurse, I am used to putting the needs of others before myself. When I became a wife and mother I feel like that part of me went into overdrive. But there are only so many hours in a day, something had to give, in the end, it was my health.
What Happens When You Come Last
I don’t know about you but for me, it can feel selfish to want to take time for myself. What helped me overcome my guilt trip was having a friend tell me I was no good to anyone if I was too sick to help. Looking back it all makes perfect sense to me now. When I stop to think about the first thing I noticed that changed when I knew something was going on it was chronic fatigue. At first, it was just one or two rough nights, but then that rolled into more. It was like I could sleep forever and I never felt rested. Have you ever laid out in the sun for too long and felt like everything had been sucked right out of you? Imagine feeling like that every day!
Going From Red To Black
It was like I could never get back into the black. I started out every day in the red and the longer the day drug on the further into the red I would find myself. At this point, I noticed that I wasn’t really showing up for all the people I loved and cared for. Like most of us who find ourselves that far down in the sleep deposits, I started hunting for anything that could help. That is when I put my education to work and researched all the different vitamins and minerals that could help improve my energy levels and boost my immunity. To help save you some time here is a list of vitamins and minerals that help boost your energy or improve your immunity:
Energy
- Vitamin B12
- Folate
- Magnesium
- Biotin
- Iron
Energy Killers
There are a lot of different things that can cause your energy levels to drop. Some of the more common issues are anemia, sleep deprivation, excess stress, poor gut health, immunity issues, and more. Due to the fact that anemia is one of the leading causes of energy depletion it stands to reason that several of these vitamins and minerals help alleviate anemia. Such as Folate, Vitamin B12, and Iron. There are different types of anemia and the best way to treat them is by having your blood checked with your doctor. With all these different vitamins and minerals it can feel overwhelming, which is why we are going to break everything down.
Vitamin B12
When you are deficient in vitamin B12 it can make you feel constantly tired, muscle and joint pain, hair thinning, blood disorders, infertility, mental issues (such as brain fog or dementia), and chronic pain. Before you throw in the towel it is important to remember it can be extremely easy to restore this deficiency. Some of the different ways you can do just that are by taking a supplement or eating foods that are high in vitamin B12. Such as clams, organ meet, oysters, fish, cheese, milk, nutritional yeast, and eggs. Once you start to balance out this deficiency you can look forward to increased energy, improved memory, boosts mood, aids in heart health, supports digestion, maintains a healthy pregnancy, and helps produce red blood cells.
Folate
Some vitamins are less known than others. Folate (vitamin B9) is one of those vitamins, however, so many people suffer from a deficiency. A deficiency can present in the following ways: weakness, fatigue, pale skin, headaches, irritability, premature hair graying, stunted growth, shortness of breath, heart issues, weight loss, nausea, and difficulty concentrating. Luckily there are ways to restore this mineral. A supplement is one of the easiest ways but there are tons of foods you can try too. Some food sources include spinach, berries, cruciferous vegetables, citrus fruits, lentils, beans, nuts, and avocados. When restored you can look forward to: a healthier hair, heart, pregnancy, digestion, reduced depression, and anemia.
Magnesium
Our bodies need more than just vitamins. Minerals play a critical role in our overall health. Magnesium is one of those important minerals that we need to maintain in our bodies. When we are deficient in Magnesium it can result in the following symptoms: anxiety, depression, muscle weakness, fatigue, eye twitches, insomnia, anorexia, poor memory, confusion, anger, and rapid pulse. Again, there are ways you can replenish this imbalance with supplements or foods. Some foods to try to include pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews, spinach, quinoa, beans, peanuts, dark chocolate, avocados, and oatmeal. Once everything has been balanced out you can expect less pain, reduced headaches, improved mood, PMS relief, and lowered blood pressure.
Biotin
Also known as vitamin B7, Biotin is part of the complex B vitamins that play an essential role in our health. Deficiency in biotin can lead to hair loss, dry and brittle nails, dull skin, and more. Some of the best ways to increase your Biotin levels are with supplements or foods. Foods you can incorporate are berries, nuts, meat, citrus foods, and dark leafy greens. What you can look forward to are: strong healthy hair, nails, glowing skin, assistance in weight loss, lower cholesterol, and an energy boost. With so much going on in our lives it can be hard to get everything our bodies need through food alone. I know for me it was difficult to get everything into my daily routine given my constant running around. That is why for me finding the right supplement routine was one of the best things I ever did for my health.
You Are One Of A Kind
Now I am by no means saying that this will be the solution for everyone. One of the best things about this world is that we are all different and as such we should all need different things. I do know that the majority of us are not getting the nutrients that our bodies need through nutrition alone. That is why so many people benefit from taking supplements. When you are choosing a supplement you want to gravitate towards one that contains all of the vitamins and minerals that have been mentioned in this article. Of course, there are additional vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to your overall health and wellness. Because I want to help you live your life to the best of your ability I will be providing you with additional articles.
Need A Hand?
One of the most valuable things I have ever learned was to invest in my own health. As a wife, mother, and nurse it comes naturally to help others. But we all need to remember that if we don’t take care of our own health we won’t be able to help anyone. How much have you let pass you by? If you are ready to see and feel what your life can be like when you invest in your health first you need to contact me at Healthwithkim2@gmail.com. Because I know personally how hard it can be to go through this journey alone I have created an online group to help you along your way. There are tons of additional ways you can improve your and your family’s health naturally right at home and I would love to help show you just how easy it can be. For more tips and fun ways to make your life even better be sure to check out my website.
Jana Short says
Kim great tips on boosting your energy and immune system! I hope you are planning on submitting more blogs, this was awesome!