herbs for tiredness

Tiredness

General characteristics

Tiredness/fatigue can be described as a general sense of weariness and a feeling of being 'worn out' which may be temporary or more long term.

It can be caused by insufficient oxygen levels in the blood, numerous illnesses and infections, build up of mucous or congestion, physical over exertion, emotional distress, low iron, intense mental activity, poor diet and overeating, depression, some medications, sleep disorders and adrenal 'burn out' to name but a few.

Try to find the reason for the fatigue if it becomes more long term as the underlying cause needs to be addressed. However there is a lot you can do with diet and herbs to improve the overall vitality and energy levels in the body.

Diet and lifestyle

Limit stimulants such as coffee, cola, sugar etc as these will push an already compromised body and lead to further depletion and mind/body fatigue.

Eat regularly, don't skip meals, eat in a calm environment and try not to overeat at each meal. Give your body time to digest and extract the nutrition from your meals without overburdening it with large, complex meals.

Try to avoid snacking on simple sugar rich foods as these give a sharp blood sugar spike followed by a blood sugar low, which eqauls weariness.

Keep your diet simple. Base your meals around fresh, organic fruit, vegetables, (especially green leaves) grains, seeds, nuts. Breakfast could consist of a homemade muesli containing whole grains, dried fruits, seeds or nuts. Lunch could be a wholemeal bread sandwich containing salad, cheese, meat or fish for example with a piece of fruit. Evening meal might be meat or fish with vegetables or homemade soup or bake.

Fresh juices such as carrot, celery or apple will give an instant yet safe boost to energy and nutrient levels.

Useful herbs

Good herbal tonics include gentian, american ginseng, hawthorn berries, yellow dock root, ginkgo and cayenne. You could try equal parts of the tinctures (except cayenne) 3 times daily in a little water or juice with a few drops of cayenne tincture added to each dose.

A daily tea made from equal parts of oatstraw, nettle, alfalfa and gotu kola will provide many useful nutrients and improve vitality and nutrient availability.

Dandelion root and leaves can help the body recover more quickly from fatigue.

Hawthorn berries and flowers will dilate blood vessels encouraging better blood flow and strengthen the heart easing chronic tiredness.

Siberian ginseng and ashwagandha are effective adaptogens which help the body cope with the effects of stress, use a teaspoon of the mixed or single tinctures 3 times daily.

Reishi mushroom is a well respected medicinal mushroom useful in the treatment of fatigue and many other diseases where lack of vitality is an issue, take 3 capsules of the dried powder daily for a few months to get its full effects.

Natural healing

Make sure you are getting a good nights sleep as this is essential for a feeling a freshness and vitality. See 'insomnia' in the common ailments section if sleep is difficult.

Honey, bee pollen and royal jelly are all excellent foods, all extremely rich in minerals, vitamins and trace elements that provide good steady energy and vitality. Include some in your daily diet, especially pollen.

If it is appropriate for your condition, get a good amount of exercise every day. Even 15 minutes of brisk walking a day can have a positive effect on increasing vitality levels.

Learn to relax deeply. A few minutes several times a day of relaxation techniques such as breathing exercises, listening to gentle music, visualisation, sunbathing etc can benefit the whole body/mind complex. Constant stress is a silent and accomplished destroyer of energy and vitality.