Fighting Fatigue to Be Fit with Ayurveda Wellness Guide

As per Ayurveda — Fatigue is your body’s (and mind’s) distress signal to you. All those aches and pains are indications that you should take a closer look at what you are doing — or neglecting to do — for yourself from day-to-day.

Fatigue is a common problem involving a physical and mental state of being extremely tired. Physical and mental fatigue are different, but they often occur together. Long-term physical exhaustion can also lead to mental fatigue.

Most of the time fatigue can be traced to one or more of your habits or routines, particularly lack of exercise. It’s also commonly related to depression. Reasons could be as simple as not having slept well for the last few nights. Or having been too hard at work. Or neglecting your meals.

Some of the Common Reasons You Could Be Feeling Exhausted

1. Overuse of your body
2. Under-use of your body
3. Irregular/unhealthy diet
4. Irregular or insufficient sleep

Overuse of your body
All three doshas — Vata, Pitta, and Kapha — tend to go out of balance when you exert yourself beyond your capacity. Over exertion at work, exercise, travelling are some of the reasons which can make you fatigue. Ayurveda recommends certain foods that combat fatigue. Herbs like Ashwagandha, Brahmi and Arjuna; spices like black pepper and fenugreek; and nuts like almonds and walnuts. If these ingredients are combined in the right proportions and blended in precise, traditional ways, they revive the body, improve fat metabolism during a workout, nourish the mind and imbue the whole being with a zest for life.

Under-use of your body
A body that is not worked or moved enough tends to get into a pattern of lethargy, inactivity, and fatigue. The result, says that ama, or undigested toxic matter, builds up in the physiology, creating a feeling of tiredness. Quit being a couch potato. Get up and go. Even a few minutes every day of light exercise such as a brisk walk or some yoga asanas will help improve your digestion, boost circulation, and promote a state of general well-being.

Along with light exercise, make sure you take a light and detoxifying diet. Stay away from ama-generating and Kapha-aggravating foods such as heavy sweets, ice-cold drinks, and heavy grains. Eat fresh, juicy fruits such as apples and peaches. You’ll feel revitalized and full of life.

Irregular/unhealthy diet
Volumes have been written in classical ayurvedic texts about the value of nutrition. In a nutshell, the ayurvedic philosophy of food is Annaha Brahmaha — “food is divine.” That is why, according to the ayurvedic perspective, to delay or miss a meal is to fail to accord it the respect it deserves. And hence, it means setting yourself up for an end-of-the-day tired and irritable feeling — and slowly, for the onset of disease. Besides, certain foods, such as caffeine, alcohol, deep-fried foods and fat-laden desserts, sap the body of its vital energy — prana — and leave you feeling tired. Eat your breakfast, lunch, and dinner on time, and do not compromise on the quality of your meals. Choose foods that are digested easily and nourish body, mind and spirit. They include fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, ghee, whole grains and light beans like mung dhal. When you eat such foods, you are sure to feel rested and yet energetic.

Irregular or insufficient sleep
There’s no universally correct amount of sleep. But your body surely knows when it hasn’t had enough. And that people who get too little sleep may have higher levels of stress, anxiety and depression. Drink a glass of warm golden milk just before you sleep. This has a settling influence on the mind and body. Milk contains the amino acid tryptophan, which is a precursor of serotonin, a brain chemical that facilitates sleep.

We recommend : Ayurveda Rasayanas — ayurvedic formulations for overall health and longevity —  Amrit Kalash, which strengthens the immune system and refines the functioning of the physiology. Amrit promotes bala, or vital energy. Scientific studies have now established that Amrit fights free radical damage 1,000 times more effectively than any other antioxidant.