Narcolepsy is a chronic condition that alters your normal sleep patterns, causing daytime drowsiness and sudden attacks of sleep during the day. Luckily, there are ways of treating narcolepsy naturally by altering your diet slightly and following a routine.
Here are four tips to naturally combat the effects of narcolepsy:
1.Consume a healthy breakfast.
There is a reason why breakfast is considered the most important meal of the day: Skipping breakfast can leave you feeling tired and drained of energy for the rest of the day.
A balanced, nutritious breakfast should consist of healthy proteins like yogurt or eggs, fresh fruit and/or vegetables, and low-sugar, high-fiber carbohydrates such as whole-grain cereal or oatmeal. You can also add a few walnuts or almonds for an additional energy boost. These nuts also regulate blood sugar by providing your body with healthy omega-3 fatty acids.
Tip: Make a breakfast smoothie by combining yogurt, fruit, wheat germ, and other ingredients like raw spinach in a blender with a bit of ice for a quick, high-energy breakfast.
2. Have smaller meals.
Rather than having three large meals every day, you can increase your alertness and energy by eating small meals throughout the day. After all, your brain needs a steady supply of nutrients to stay energized. Large meals also increase your body’s production of tryptophan, an essential amino acid that induces sleep. Studies show that eating smaller meals, especially in the afternoon, helps to regulate blood sugar, which prevents you from feeling fatigued after eating.
Tip: Eat four or five small meals consisting mostly of fresh fruits, vegetables, and nuts throughout the day to help boost your metabolism and prevent daytime drowsiness.
3. Eat a high-protein diet.
Protein helps boost your energy levels because it’s required for the body’s metabolic processes. Eating a high-protein breakfast or lunch may assist in keeping you energized throughout the day. You also want to avoid red meat, processed meats, and margarine as these can raise your cholesterol levels, slow down your metabolism, and cause drowsiness.
Tip: Eat more foods that are rich in protein, such as eggs, quail, chicken, turkey, salmon, tuna, trout, sardines, beans, pulses, natural cheese, and Greek yogurt.
4. Drink plenty of water.
Our body is made up mainly of water and is essential for carrying nutrients to the cells and taking away waste products. If you aren’t getting enough water it can slow down your body’s metabolism and make you feel fatigued. You should aim to drink at least eight ounces of water every two hours. You can also drink non-caffeinated, glucose-free sports drinks with electrolytes to stay hydrated as well.
Tip: To maintain your energy level while you exercise, drink an eight-ounce glass of water before you start and then another glass after you finish. If you’ll be exercising continuously for longer than 30 minutes, drink small amounts of water every 15 to 30 minutes.
The average adult should have around two liters of water per day. If you drink caffeinated beverages, you’ll also want to increase your water intake to 1 liter of water for every cup of caffeine you have.
Original source: http://findquickanswers.com/4-tips-for-narcolespy-diet/
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