THE ACHING MISERIES (CONGESTIVE DYSMENORRHOEA): FATIGUE-EATING FOR ENERGY

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THE ACHING MISERIES (CONGESTIVE DYSMENORRHOEA): FATIGUE-EATING FOR ENERGY

Tuesday, April 28, 2009 | 5:55 am

As soon as you start to feel fatigue, particularly if it makes you snappy or irritable or, worse, if you suddenly have a migraine or you feel terribly tired and dizzy or in a panic, then you really should check to see that you have been eating enough. You may have been skimping meals or missing them altogether, so what you are suffering from is lack of nourishment or a drop in your blood sugar level. We all need sugar in our blood to keep us going, and when stocks run low our bodies send out very clear signals to us. We feel hungry and start looking at the clock, wondering how near it is to elevenses or tea time. We say we would give anything for a bar of chocolate. We think about food.

Perhaps you have been ignoring the signals? Check and see what you have actually eaten during the day—and, just as important, how long it was between one meal and the next. You may have missed breakfast because you woke up feeling so tired that you decided to lie in. If you are a mother at home, you may have cooked something for the children and gone without

yourself. You may have skipped your tea break and even your lunch hour because you were working so slowly you thought you would never catch up if you stopped for something to eat. In fact, you may have felt quite noble sacrificing your food for the sake of greater efficiency. Actually, you were sacrificing your efficiency too. We work slower and slower when we’re hungry and the more hungry we get, the slower we become. Fortunately we get faster and more accurate immediately we’ve eaten sufficient food.

If you are on a controlled diet you will probably find you can work perfectly well and diet in the weeks after your period, but it might be a good idea to ease up before your period is due. That’s when you really need adequate food—an English breakfast if you can face one, elevenses, a proper meal at mid-day, tea at four o’clock and then a good evening meal. This is another occasion when husbands or relations can be such a help. They notice when you are missing meals, even if you don’t. After all, they’re the ones who get snapped at when you are low. Accept their help. You’ll be all the better for it—even if you can’t get into that skin-tight dress.

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