Why Am I Always Tired? Avoid These 6 Energy Vampires | Exhausted

Summary

This video script offers six evidence-based tips to boost energy levels and combat fatigue. It emphasizes the importance of quality sleep, regular exercise, stress reduction, a balanced diet, proper fluid intake, and social connections. The speaker, drawing from personal experience with demanding work schedules, explains how lifestyle habits significantly impact energy and suggests practical ways to enhance vitality and overall well-being.

Takeaways

• 😴 Adequate and high-quality sleep is crucial for maintaining energy levels, and poor sleep can increase cortisol levels and inflammation.
• 🏃‍♂️ Regular exercise, despite initial fatigue, can improve baseline energy levels over time by strengthening muscles and increasing ATP production.
• 🧘‍♀️ Chronic stress can deplete energy by raising cortisol levels, but stress reduction techniques like yoga and mindfulness can help mitigate this.
• 🥗 A balanced diet rich in vitamins, minerals, and lean proteins is essential for ATP production and overall energy levels, avoiding sugar spikes and processed foods.
• 💧 Proper fluid intake is vital; sugary drinks and excessive caffeine can lead to dehydration and fatigue, affecting sleep quality.
• 🤝 Social connections can positively impact energy levels, with isolation being linked to depression and fatigue.
• 🛌 Establishing good sleep hygiene includes maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, keeping the sleep environment cool and free of electronics, and avoiding caffeine and alcohol close to bedtime.
• 🚫 Inactivity can lead to muscle weakening and inefficient energy use, so staying active is key to conserving ATP and boosting energy.
• 🍎 Eating smaller meals and healthy snacks throughout the day can provide a steady supply of nutrients and help avoid blood sugar spikes.
• 🚫 Alcohol, even though it may initially aid sleep, disrupts the sleep cycle and can lead to snoring and sleep apnea, affecting energy levels.
• 🧠 The brain's production of energy-related chemicals can be enhanced through physical activity, contributing to increased energy levels.

Q & A

What is the primary reason for feeling tired according to the script?

The script suggests that feeling tired can be due to a combination of factors including age-related loss of mitochondria, lifestyle habits, lack of sleep, inactivity, stress, poor diet, poor fluid choices, and social isolation.

Why do we lose energy as we age?

As we age, we lose mitochondria, which are the energy-producing engines in our bodies, resulting in less production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the molecule that provides energy to cells.

What is the role of sleep in maintaining energy levels?

Adequate amounts of high-quality sleep are crucial for maintaining energy levels. Lack of good sleep increases cortisol levels and promotes inflammation, which can lead to fatigue.

What are some sleep hygiene practices recommended in the script?

The script recommends going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, keeping the room cool and quiet, avoiding electronics before bed, not exercising close to bedtime, and avoiding caffeine and alcohol close to bedtime.

How does inactivity affect energy levels?

Inactivity can lead to weakened and shrinking muscles, which use energy inefficiently. Regular exercise, on the other hand, can increase baseline energy levels over time.

What is the impact of stress on energy levels?

Chronic stress raises cortisol levels, which can reduce the production of ATP and increase inflammation, leading to fatigue.

Why is a poor diet linked to lower energy levels?

A poor diet may lack the necessary vitamins and minerals for ATP production and can increase inflammation, leading to feelings of tiredness. Consuming too much sugar can also cause blood sugar spikes and crashes.

How do fluid choices affect energy levels?

Drinking sugary sodas and juices can cause dehydration and blood sugar spikes, similar to eating sugar. Not drinking enough water can also lead to dehydration and fatigue.

What is the relationship between social isolation and energy levels?

Social isolation is associated with depression, which can lead to fatigue. Connecting with others can provide a different outlook and boost energy levels.

Why is alcohol consumption before bed not recommended?

Alcohol, like caffeine, can suppress ADH levels, leading to increased urination and dehydration. It also relaxes throat muscles, potentially causing snoring and sleep apnea, which can disrupt sleep and lower ATP levels.

What are some signs that may indicate sleep apnea according to the script?

Signs that may indicate sleep apnea include frequent snoring and episodes of apnea, which are pauses in breathing during sleep that can lower blood oxygen levels and ATP.

Outlines

00:00

😴 Boosting Energy Through Sleep Hygiene

The first paragraph emphasizes the importance of sleep for maintaining energy levels. It discusses the impact of inadequate sleep on cortisol levels and inflammation, which can lead to fatigue. The speaker, drawing from personal experience, suggests good sleep hygiene as a remedy, including consistent sleep schedules, a cool and quiet sleeping environment, and avoiding electronics before bed. Additionally, the paragraph advises against late caffeine and alcohol consumption due to their disruptive effects on sleep quality. Sleep apnea is also mentioned as a potential cause of sleep disruption and energy loss, urging those with symptoms to consult a doctor.

05:02

🏃‍♂️ Overcoming Fatigue with Regular Exercise

This paragraph focuses on the role of physical activity in combating fatigue. Contrary to the misconception that exercise leads to tiredness, the speaker explains that regular exercise can actually increase baseline energy levels over time. The benefits of exercise are linked to muscle health and the production of energy-efficient mitochondria and ATP. The paragraph also distinguishes between general physical activity and structured exercise routines, advocating for the latter to enhance muscle strength and energy conservation. Moreover, the speaker highlights the importance of proper diet, stress reduction techniques, and avoiding sugary drinks and dehydration to maintain energy levels and overall health.

Keywords

💡Mitochondria

Mitochondria are the energy-producing engines within our cells, responsible for generating adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the molecule that provides energy to cells throughout the body. In the video, it is mentioned that as we age, we lose mitochondria, which can lead to decreased ATP production and increased fatigue. The script emphasizes the importance of maintaining mitochondrial health to avoid feeling tired.

💡Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)

ATP is the primary energy currency of the cell, used to power various cellular functions. The video script explains that a decrease in ATP production due to loss of mitochondria can result in lower energy levels. ATP is a central concept in the discussion of energy levels and fatigue.

💡Cortisol

Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands in response to stress. The script mentions that high cortisol levels, which can be caused by lack of sleep or chronic stress, can reduce ATP production and increase inflammation, contributing to fatigue. The video suggests stress reduction techniques to lower cortisol levels and improve energy.

💡Sleep Hygiene

Sleep hygiene refers to the practices and habits that are conducive to sleeping well on a regular basis. The video emphasizes the importance of good sleep hygiene for maintaining energy levels, including going to bed and waking up at the same time each day, keeping the sleep environment cool, quiet, and free of electronics, and avoiding caffeine and alcohol close to bedtime.

💡Inflammation

Inflammation is part of the body's immune response to harmful stimuli but chronic inflammation can be detrimental to health. The script explains that lack of sleep and poor diet can promote inflammation, which in turn can affect energy levels by impairing ATP production. The video suggests avoiding behaviors that cause inflammation to maintain energy.

💡Exercise

The video script discusses the role of exercise in energy levels, noting that while it may initially cause temporary tiredness, regular exercise can increase baseline energy levels over time. Exercise is highlighted as a way to strengthen muscles, make them more efficient, and increase the production of energy-producing brain chemicals.

💡Stress Reduction Techniques

Various methods to reduce stress are mentioned in the script, such as exercise, yoga, mindfulness, Tai Chi, and breathing exercises. These techniques are suggested to lower cortisol levels, which in turn can help maintain energy levels by reducing inflammation and supporting ATP production.

💡Dietary Habits

The video emphasizes the impact of diet on energy levels, stating that a poor diet lacking in necessary vitamins and minerals can lead to fatigue. It suggests eating a balanced diet with vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, and healthy fats to support ATP production and maintain energy levels.

💡Sugary Drinks

The script warns against the consumption of sugary sodas and juices, which can have negative effects similar to eating sugar, including causing dehydration and blood sugar spikes that can lead to fatigue. It is suggested to avoid these beverages to maintain energy levels.

💡Dehydration

Dehydration is mentioned in the context of its effects on energy levels. The video explains that not drinking enough water, as well as consuming too much caffeine or alcohol, can lead to dehydration, which in turn can cause fatigue. Staying hydrated is presented as an important factor in maintaining energy.

💡Social Isolation

The video script discusses the link between social isolation and fatigue, suggesting that connecting with others can provide a different outlook and boost energy levels. It contrasts real-life face-to-face interactions with social media connections, emphasizing the importance of the former for mental and physical well-being.

Highlights

Avoiding six specific things can increase energy levels and improve overall well-being.

Mitochondria loss with age leads to decreased ATP production, affecting energy levels.

Lifestyle habits significantly contribute to fatigue, not just age and disease.

Adequate and high-quality sleep is crucial for maintaining energy levels.

Good sleep hygiene includes consistent sleep times and a sleep environment free of electronics.

Exercising before bed can disrupt sleep by stimulating the body.

Limiting caffeine and alcohol intake, especially close to bedtime, can improve sleep quality.

Sleep apnea can cause disruptions in sleep and affect energy levels.

Regular exercise can increase baseline energy levels despite initial fatigue.

Muscle mass is linked to energy efficiency and ATP production.

Chronic stress raises cortisol levels, which can reduce ATP production and increase inflammation.

Stress reduction techniques like exercise, yoga, and mindfulness can lower cortisol levels.

A poor diet lacking in essential vitamins and minerals can lead to fatigue.

Eating foods with added sugars can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes, contributing to fatigue.

Proper fluid intake is vital; sugary drinks and dehydration can lead to fatigue.

Alcohol and caffeine can suppress ADH levels, leading to dehydration and increased urination.

Social isolation is associated with depression and fatigue; connecting with others can boost energy.

An upcoming series of videos will focus on sleep issues and their impact on energy levels.

Transcripts

do you feel tired to have like no energy  all the time well if you avoid these six  

things that I'm about to tell you you can  increase your energy levels and feel great

as someone who's been through residency and  fellowship and working crazy hours on average  

80 hours a week and then I was also on call  every fourth night where you're up for 24 hours  

straight sleep cycle gets all messed up I speak  from experience when I say I feel tired all the  

time or at least I used to and just have periods  where have very low energy so there are actually  

six things that you can avoid to feel like that  and these are based on the latest medical science  

evidence-based medicine so without further ado  let's gonna get started for one thing as we get  

older we lose mitochondria which are the energy  producing engines in ourselves and because of  

that we produce less adenosine triphosphate or  ATP for short ATP is the molecule that provides  

energy to cells throughout the body other causes  of fatigue like medication side effects or chronic  

illness like depression or heart disease COPD  can make you feel tired or sluggish but age and  

disease related factors aren't the only things  that suck your energy lifestyle habits play a  

big part in fatigue the first one being lack of  sleep and when I say lack of sleep I mean lack  

of adequate amounts of high-quality sleep so it's  not just how long sleep it's how good the sleep  

itself is lack of good sleep increases cortisol  levels and promotes inflammation in order to get  

good sleep you need to have good sleep hygiene  this means going to bed and waking up at the same  

time each day you keep your room on the cooler  side and keep it quiet and free of electronics  

which stimulate your brain the blue light from the  cell phone from the laptop from the iPad whatever  

stimulates your eyes since your brain no bueno  so no using your phone in bed also don't exercise  

before bed at least within two hours because this  stimulates you and it's put you in a adrenergic  

state and you need to be in a parasympathetic  State a calm relaxed state before going to bed

if you do drink caffeine don't drink too  much and make sure it's early in the day  

and absolutely do not drink caffeine within eight  hours of bedtime and the same applies to alcohol  

even though alcohol may help you fall asleep it  actually interrupts a sleep cycle and diminishes  

the quality of sleep also alcohol relaxes the  muscles in your throat while you're sleeping  

that's why you're more prone to snoring when  you're drinking alcohol and you're more prone  

to sleep apnea when alcohol is in your system if  sleep issues are caused by sleep apnea which are  

pauses in breathing during sleep the dips in blood  oxygen levels lowers the ATP in energy levels so  

talk to your doctor about the possibility of  having sleep apnea other things that may rob  

you of sleep include medication side effects and  frequent trips to the bathroom so it's another  

reason to avoid alcohol and caffeine too close to  bedtime and if you think you might be snoring too  

much or have apnic episodes definitely check  with your doctor okay so we talked about the  

first thing to avoid which is not getting good  sleep so in other words get good sleep the second  

thing to avoid on the list which is sucking your  energy away is inactivity some people think that  

if they exercise they'll become more tired and  that's true but it's only temporary over time  

with regular activity and especially with regular  exercise your baseline energy levels increase why  

does this happen well at least part of the reason  is related to your muscles if you have less muscle  

mass that means you have fewer mitochondria and  less ATP being sedentary results in weakening  

and shrinking of muscles causing them to use  energy inefficiently physical activity which  

is not exercised per se strengthens muscles  helps them become more efficient and conserve  

ATP and increases the production of energy  producing brain chemicals although general  

physical activity is good like standing  and walking routine exercise is even better

the third thing that might be sucking your energy  level away is too much stress in your life chronic  

stress can raise cortisol levels cortisol is a  hormone produced by the adrenal glands and when  

this is released bad stuff happens it reduces the  production of ATP it increases inflammation too  

much cortisol not good so using stress reduction  techniques lowers cortisol levels so you can do  

things like exercise yoga mindfulness Tai Chi  breathing exercise even 10 minutes a day of one  

of these is helpful the fourth thing that might be  sucking your energy away is having a poor diet if  

you're not eating healthy you're less likely to  get the right vitamins and minerals necessary to  

produce enough ATP and you end up feeling more  tired also eating too much processed food can  

increase inflammation which impairs production  of ATP in energy eating foods with added sugars  

is also bad because it causes the blood sugar  spikes and the crash that you get afterwards  

and it causes more chronic fatigue overall so  eating healthy means eating all foods including  

vegetables fruits whole grains lean proteins  like fish chicken nuts seeds fatty acids and  

protein rich foods also help boost ATP and go  for smaller meals with healthy snacks in between  

to provide your body with a steady supply  of nutrients and fewer blood sugar spikes

okay so the fifth thing on the list that  might be sucking your energy away is pore  

fluid choices pore fluid choices can make  you tired here's why the things that you  

drink actually matter drinking sugary sodas and  juices has the same effect as eating sugar also  

for patients with diabetes consuming too much  sugar causes dehydration this is why patients  

with diabetes will often present with increased  thirst and increased Jar nation that's a tip-off  

as to how we make the diagnosis this happens as  a result of blood sugar overload in the kidneys  

the kidneys can't retain all that sugar and  it ends up being spilled into the urine so  

sugar in general is bad but sugary drinks is even  worse because you're delivering a huge sugar load  

and rapid time to the body and there are other  things that can cause dehydration too which in  

turn leads to fatigue so what else do i Dre to  you will first starters are simply not drinking  

enough water healthy people need on average  eight cups of water per day and more if they're  

exercising especially if they're exercising on  a hot day drinking too much caffeine leads to  

dehydration caffeine suppresses ADH secretion from  the posterior toward pituitary gland of the brain  

so when this is suppressed these low ADH levels  force the kidneys to retain less water in the  

body and so you end up peeing more so caffeine by  itself makes you pee more but then we add water  

to the tea or the coffee that we're drinking so  you're gonna pee a lot peeing a lot means you  

go to the bathroom so it's gonna interrupt  your sleep which means less adequate sleep  

and alcohol will have the same effect as caffeine  because it also suppresses ADH levels which means  

you're gonna pee more and lose more water from  your body alright so the sixth thing on our list  

that might be sucking your energy away is social  isolation isolating yourself from other people  

is associated with depression and depression is  linked to fatigue connecting with other people  

can bring a different outlook and give a spark  to your energy levels and sorry I'm not talking  

about Instagram and Twitter here I'm talking  real life face-to-face so don't neglect your  

friends family may or new acquaintances unless  they're just bad people in that case get rid of  

them so I knew I talked a little bit about sleep  in this video but I'm actually gonna make a whole  

series of videos on sleep because there's just  so much to know and there's so many different  

sleep issues with different people and there's  so many people that have sleep issues so I'll  

make a series of videos and look for the next  one coming up soon I'll see you in the next one