Nutritional strategies for overcoming fatigue, stress management, and managing fever.

Foods that help overcome fatigue

Your body is a sophisticated machine with a high-performance engine, so it needs quality fuel. "Nutrition is paramount," says Dr. Graham. "This primarily refers to maintaining a good, balanced diet." Here are a few other ways to improve your health.

Nutritionists believe that high-energy and healthiest diets are rich in carbohydrates, such as those found in grains, pasta, and fruits. Furthermore, because high-carbohydrate diets reduce fat intake, these foods can also aid in weight loss.

Experts recommend that the best combination for a meal is to get 15% of the calories from protein, 55% to 56% from carbohydrates, and no more than 30% from fat.

To maximize energy intake, it's important to eat frequently, not just what you eat, but also when you eat. Breakfast is crucial because it's a great opportunity to replenish your body's nutritional reserves when they are at their lowest point. A good breakfast includes skim milk or yogurt for protein, and cereal or whole-wheat porridge for carbohydrates.

Latest Information

• Commonality: All men experience fatigue to varying degrees at some point in their lives, with the exception of Superman.

Risk factors: stress, lack of sleep, malnutrition, lack of exercise.

• Affected age groups: Fatigue can occur in people of all ages, but it is more common in people over 30.

• Gender differences: Men and women are equally likely to be troubled by fatigue, but in more cases, men are less likely to take it seriously until it develops into a serious problem.

• Who should seek help: When fatigue is affecting your life, see your family doctor.

Avoid attending parties that cause fatigue. After a large meal, your body will be working hard to digest. Therefore, you often feel sluggish after lunch or dinner. Experts say that if a big meal leaves you feeling groggy, try eating less.

Drinking caffeinated beverages, such as coffee or soda, is a good way to stay alert. However, their effects usually wear off after a few drinks. The same applies to alcohol; small amounts can be invigorating, but excessive consumption can have a depressing effect.

Dr. Graham says, "To avoid fatigue, abstain from alcohol." He also emphasizes the importance of drinking enough water, as dehydration can also cause fatigue. Experts recommend drinking at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day. However, it's important to avoid drinking too much water at once.

Taking medication as an extra layer of insurance: While a balanced diet can provide all the vitamins and minerals a person needs, taking a multivitamin supplement can still provide a good complement to that diet. According to Dr. Graham, "It's a kind of insurance."

Don't create stress.

When we hear the term "stress-induced fatigue," many of us think of collapsing buildings or bridges, but stress can also break smaller objects, such as people. However, unlike buildings, which generally remain intact and don't turn into rubble unless a catastrophic event occurs, people break down due to the wear and tear of daily life.

"The most common cause of chronic fatigue in men is stress in daily life-changes in income, marital problems, or even stressful events like a promotion or finding a good job," says Dr. Leather. "In a stressful society like ours, fatigue is commonplace, and men are certainly not immune."

You don't have to be overwhelmed by stress. Here are some expert suggestions.

Physical exercise not only overcomes physical factors that lead to fatigue, but when used properly and in moderation, it is also an ideal stress reliever. Dr. Graham says, "A very natural way to overcome tension is through physical exercise." Have you ever had an important meeting at 2 pm? A midday walk or jog can help prepare your mind and body. Experts say that sweating at least three times a week helps the body restore energy and reduce tension, and this has become a regular practice.

Develop a hobby. If you spend your days just sleeping, eating, and working, it's no wonder your energy levels are waning. "Develop a hobby you enjoy," says Dr. Leather. "When you're eager to do something every day, you feel more energetic."

Experts have found that engaging in a short deep breathing contest is a shortcut to releasing accumulated tension and fatigue from both body and mind. In fact, experts believe that a primary reason you feel tired is that your breathing is too shallow, failing to provide your body and brain with sufficient oxygen.

Dr. Graham suggests, "Simply close your office door, hang a 'No Visitors' sign for a few minutes, and then do a few deep abdominal breaths." However, be careful, too much deep breathing can also cause trouble.

If fatigue is not so simple

Not all fatigue is caused by stress, malnutrition, or lack of sleep. Some serious illnesses can also cause fatigue, and these range from organ dysfunction, diabetes, hepatitis, monocytosis, thyroid disease, or chronic fatigue syndrome, etc.

Dr. Leather says, "If simple methods don't relieve fatigue, and you still feel extremely weak all day, you should get checked out." If your fatigue persists for more than a week, you should probably see a doctor. However, if fatigue is accompanied by high fever, dizziness, nausea, or bloody stools, you should see a doctor immediately. Dr. Leather says, "Fatigue can be a symptom of a chronic illness, so seeing a family doctor is very important."

fever

Protective measures against friendly fire

In combat, infantry will request air support when under attack. When your immune system is charging into battle on the front lines, your body will react with fever, which makes you feel uncomfortable and irritable. But fundamentally, it's good for you because it puts the enemy invaders in a very disadvantageous environment.

Fever can occasionally be caused by medication or even a stressful state, but more often it is caused by infection-viral illnesses such as the common cold or flu, or bacterial illnesses such as salmonella.

Experts say that as long as your body temperature is below 103 degrees Fahrenheit, medically speaking, there may be no need to lower it, since fever can exercise your immune system. However, when your forehead feels hot to the touch and intermittent chills make your teeth chatter, you'll want to bring your temperature down as soon as possible.

Some people can tolerate fever

When I first started school, my teacher taught us that a certain body temperature was considered a fever: 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. It was a magical, desirable number because if you reached that temperature, you wouldn't have to go to school. However, research shows that there isn't such a universally applicable temperature value.

"Generally speaking, this value ranges from 96.5 to 100.5 degrees Fahrenheit," said Dr. Thomas Rosenthal, professor of family medicine at the State University of New York College of Medicine and Physiology in Buffalo. "A temperature above 101 degrees Fahrenheit can be considered a fever."

Normally, your body temperature fluctuates slightly and is controlled by the hypothalamus, a "temperature regulator" located in the brain. However, when the body's immune system encounters an invading virus (such as the flu virus), it secretes a protein. Stimulated by this protein, the body produces a series of reactions that cause the hypothalamus to raise its temperature "setpoint," thus raising body temperature.

Of course, some people just use their engines more. For example, 100 degrees Fahrenheit, which might be nothing to you, could be a fever for someone else. If you want to know what temperature is normal for you, you can take your temperature every four hours for three consecutive days. This method will tell you a normal temperature range. Once you know this range, you'll be better able to understand when you have a fever and when your temperature returns to normal.

How long is enough?

Unlike viruses, which can be the cause of illness, fever is simply a symptom of other diseases, and it's important to remember this. Therefore, maintaining good health is the first line of defense against fever.

If you get sick despite taking precautions, remember that fever is rarely dangerous. Matthew Kruger, PhD, director of the Institute for Basic and Applied Medicine at Graves College in Albuquerque, New Mexico, says, "Generally speaking, for a healthy, non-pregnant person, a serious problem might only arise when the temperature rises to 104 or 105 degrees Fahrenheit, and even then, it might take some time."

However, there are exceptions. For example, a moderate fever can be problematic for people with heart disease. Dr. Kruger explains that this is because as body temperature rises-say, from 98.6 degrees to 102 degrees-your metabolic rate also increases by 25%, thus putting extra strain on the heart.

Additionally, if a fever persists for two or three days-or even less-and is accompanied by diarrhea, vomiting, severe headache, painful urination, or other serious symptoms, a doctor should be consulted. "I think if a fever lasts longer than 48 hours, you should see a doctor," says Dr. Michael Fleming, a family physician who runs a private practice in Shreveport, Louisiana. "You absolutely don't need to tough it out."