Burn 60

Yesterday I was shopping around town and stepped into GNC. I didn't have any intention to buy anything because I never really believed in dietary supplements. Prune juice has always done the job for me. Yes, flushing out that 0.5kg of water weight does make difference to how I feel when I check the weighing scale. But I found this product called Burn 60.

Supposedly, it helps to enhance metabolism, burn calories and boost energy levels. My good friend, Mark, took lessons in personal training and told me that what these dietary supplements do is that it speeds up your heart rate, making you more energetic. I just took 2 tablets half an hour ago and I'm already starting to feel it! I'm beginning to sweat a little and I'm anxious to go out and run already. My period came this morning and usually I feel lazy and sluggish but not this time! Well I'm going to update my iPod and hit the tracks. Later!

Ever wondered why you feel tired?

Do you drag yourself through the day feeling drained and exhausted?

Yes, we're talking about lethargy, that heavy-lidded feeling that threatens to overpower you in the afternoon; that I-don't-feel-like-working mood when you have a pile of reports to file. So what is it that's making you want to curl up in bed? Lack of energy could stem from emotional stress, boredom, lack of sleep, and sometimes an upset hormonal cycle. It could also be due to a disruption in melatonin production.

What is melatonin, you ask? Melatonin is a hormone that helps travelers to sleep when they fly across different time zones. It is secreted by the pineal gland and is responsible for incucing sleep at night and governing the lowering of your core body temperature. The pineal gland slows its production of melatonin during daylight hours to keep your alert and increases its production when darkness falls. Melatonin starts to increase at about 9pm and peaks at around 2am. Any disruption to this cycle can affect sleep causing tiredness.

It is normal to feel a lack of energy, or be tired or drowsy sometimes. But if you're tired even though you are sleeping more, exercising, eating better, and managing stress, you should consult a doctor. If you wake up in the morning rested but rapidly develop fatigue with activity, you may have a ongoing physical condition like an under-active thyroid.  On the other hand, if you wake up with a low level of energy and have fatigue that lasts through the day, you may be depressed.

There are a few different types of energy and tiredness. There's tense tiredness, tense energy, calm tiredness and calm energy. Tense energy is when you are revved up and doing lots of work but you're not necessarily at your best. Calm tiredness is fatigue without stress, which can actually be pleasant at times such as before bedtime. The optimum is calm energy, or what people call "flow" or "being in the zone". It is energy without tension, and is a sought-after state because you're productive and completely focused.

The one to watch out for is tense tiredness. Your mood is low, you're stressed, and you want something that will comfort you. Your mood is low, you're stressed, and you want something that will comfort you. For many of us, that translates into chocolate, potato chi[s, and biscuits. It's a vicious cycle. Your body has no oomph when you top it up with cheap fuel. In fact, you feel more tired and frustrated, and snack even more to feel better.

Let go of the calorie-rich, energy-poor bingeing for these guilt-free-pick-me-ups:

As I wrote this I was actually eating some vanilla yogurt! My favorite is Yoplait (lite) - it's 99% fat free, contains 3 active cultures, low GI (glycemic index) (provides a sustained energy release and helps you to feel fuller for longer) and has no artificial colors or flavors! It's my favorite.