You know not to shop while you’re hungry, but did you know that fatigue and sleep deprivation can have similar effects? Previous studies have shown that if you do the grocery shopping while hungry, you are much more likely to buy more food and more unnecessary, high calorie junk food in particular. This makes sense because a supermarket offers a plethora of delicious calorie dense snack foods that may be impossible to resist when you’re ravenous. An interesting article in Psychology Today magazine refers to a number of studies conducted on sleep deprived individuals. It turns out that people who are exhausted also end up buying more food and particularly unhealthy options. This isn’t too surprising because fatigue is a big driver of over eating in many people. If you are feeling exhausted, sugary foods and high carbohydrate foods look far more appealing. Carbs are rapidly digested and provide your body with a quick (yet temporary) burst of energy when you really need it. If you’re chronically fatigued, it may feel impossible to climb out of this negative eating pattern. If you’ve been feeling too tired for too long, it’s a good idea to see a healthcare practitioner who can give your health an overall assessment. There may be underling hormonal, metabolic or immune explanations for the fatigue, which can be remedied. Magnesium helps improve sleep quality in just about everybody. It relaxes your muscles and nerves, and helps your brain with GABA production, which quietens down mental chatter. Resource