Gosh, I'm tired!

Fatigue is one of the most common reasons that people seek the help of a physician. Apparently, $3.25 at the pumps isn't our only energy problem.

Some of our fatigue is our own fault. We work too hard. We watch too much late night TV. We cram more activity into a 24-hour day than we should. We are (unashamedly) workahololics.

No pill on earth will restore normal energy levels in the face of all that.

Lest you think you can use coffee to cover your symptoms, forget it. Coffee actually saps the energy out of your body by exhausting your adrenal gland. Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system and the adrenal gland. It temporarily makes you feel better but the payback is brutal.

Tired? Take a nap, not a pill.

Some of us can't nap, however. What would you think if you walked into my store to hear me emitting Z-z-z-zs in the back room? I do try to get eight hours of sleep per night, but sometimes the stressors of life make me feel tired. Stress burns extra vitamins and minerals that need to be replaced. Superior nutrition can feed the adrenal gland and boost natural energy levels.

So if you are eating properly and getting plenty of sleep and still feel tired, what can you do? Oh, back up just a moment to the diet question. Eat six small meals per day to balance blood sugar, which helps to level out your energy through the day.

The B complex vitamin is used to "fund" every enzyme. Enzymes are the workers in the body. When the enzymes work properly, cellular energy levels are high, and you feel more energy. I enjoy a high potency B complex every morning that wakes up my brain.

In the afternoon, when energy levels can wane, I enjoy a "daily energy enfusion" that combines vitamins, minerals, and amino acids that keeps my brain and body awake. The extra energy does not come from sugars, which eventually deplete energy, but from the building blocks of cellular energy.

What about cost? A good cup of coffee costs about $2.50; less if you brew it yourself. Good quality energy packets cost about $1, without the potential of payback.

- Carol Simontacchi is the owner of the Island Nutrition Center on Sanibel. She can be reached at 472-4499 or on the Web at www. islandnutritioncenter.meta-ehealth.com.