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Writer's pictureAntoinette S. Johnson

No Rest for the Weary: Beating the Afternoon (or All-Day) Slump!

Updated: Aug 6, 2021

On January 26, 2015, my life changed.  As many of you already know, I went on the 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse, and the GSC Cleanse rejuvenated my body while providing me with an energy boost and weight loss that I didn’t realize would occur.  I was extremely surprised about the weight loss.  Before I went on the cleanse, I had just about given up on figuring out ways to improve my health, but I decided to try this and it worked!  Since then, I have been doing a very modified version of the cleanse by drinking a smoothie in the morning for about five days a week.


I decided that I would make this a part of my life for the rest of my life because of the benefits it provides that I would not normally get eating food on a regular diet.  These benefits include the enhanced amounts of fruits and vegetables that my body now receives.  Okay, so I’m human like everyone else and every now and then my body needs another boost or a tweak for that matter.


Although I exercise regularly (which is an energy booster), my hormones are in check, my thyroid is working well (thank God), and my weight is in control, something is still a little off.  I.  Am.  Fatigued.  I had to write it that way for emphasis *smile*.  Anyway, I have learned to listen to my body to figure out how it now operates.  I believe I understand what is now going on with it – some of which is in my control and some of which is not in my control.  I will explain what I mean in a minute.


Several things could get in the way of the body not performing to its most optimal potential.  As mentioned in an article on WebMD, there are several reasons why you could be tired.

  1. You could have an underactive thyroid, diabetes, a urinary tract infection or heart disease.

  2. You could be eating too little.

  3. You could be anemic.

  4. You could have sleep apnea, or you could be lacking sleep.

  5. You could have food intolerance (such as gluten).

  6. You could be depressed.

  7. You could have something called glandular fever.

For more information on these issues, you can go to the Web MD source listed below.  In addition, I discovered that dehydration can cause fatigue and not eating breakfast can also cause fatigue.  Who knew?


Since we are in the technology age, how many of us are guilty of checking phones and tablets while in bed.  I believe mostly teenagers are plagued with this problem, but some adults could be affected by this too.  For more information on these issues, go to the Prevention source listed below.  If you think any of the medical problems listed could be contributing to your tiredness or fatigue, see your doctor as soon as possible.


As I mentioned previously, some things are in my control and some are not in my control.  I have narrowed down my issues to a couple of things.  I know I need another full detox.  This is because I have not been on a full detox in over a year.  This past January, when I posted a blog on detoxing, I only did a partial detox.  I still had my smoothies, ate regular meals, and drank my detox tea however, regular meals don’t always contain clean foods.


My other issue is lack of S – L – E – E – P!  I am probably not getting as many hours as I should get.  It’s partially because I have to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, which breaks my sleep and it’s so annoying!  Can I get a witness?  Also, the cute little granddoggie of ours thinks when we get up to use the bathroom that she should get up too, and we have to hurry up and tell her to get back into her bed, but that’s a story for another time! Notice I brought my husband into this conversation *smile*.


Okay, I’ll get serious now.  So, what I will do to rectify the problems not in my control (environmental toxins) is another full detox so that I can rebalance my body.  I will go back on the full cleanse and drink my smoothies and eat clean foods for 10 days.  However, I’m not doing this for weight loss purposes.  I’m doing it to rebalance my system so I can release whatever has caused my body to be sluggish and to get rid of the couple of acne breakouts that I have on my face (I’m too old for pimples!).


Toxins are all over the environment.  We cannot avoid them.  They will inevitably enter your body every day.  So, in my experience, the way I combat them is to detox my body whenever possible.  Also, I can work on getting more rest.  Too bad we can’t take naps in the middle of the day like we did when we were kids!  I wish someone would make me take a nap.  Where’s my kindergarten teacher when I need her?


Anyway, once I complete my detoxing plan, I will get back to life as I know it.  I will eat regular foods and be careful to stick with my 90% / 10% food rule and incorporate the smoothies in my daily meal plan for breakfast.  I was researching different foods that are good energy sources, and I happen to love them!  They are:  air-popped popcorn, peanut butter, almonds, salmon, bananas, kale, oatmeal, pistachios, Greek yogurt, hummus, brown rice, sweet potatoes, honey, apples, oranges, spinach, beans, eggs, quinoa, coconut, asparagus, and dark chocolate (raw cacao).  These foods are vitamin and protein rich and if you like these foods, just add them into your regular diet more frequently.  Like I’ve said in the past, I’m here for dark chocolate!  Dark chocolate and coconut sound good, don’t they?


If you are feeling tired, sluggish or weary, narrow down what the cause could be so that you can feel better.  Although toxins are a part of the environment, we can work on fighting them daily or as often as we can.  Eating clean as much as possible can be helpful and incorporate some of those foods I mentioned every day.  I believe it’s worth it, and I believe it’s important to live the most energy-filled, happy, and healthy life that you possibly can.  I’m sure you agree!  


Live, laugh, love, and pray.


God Bless You with Good Health and Wellness,

Antoinette

Antoinette Shar’ron Johnson


“Empowering, inspiring, motivating, and uplifting your mind, body, and soul!”


Sources:


Google Image Source:  www2.warwick.ac.uk

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