There is tiredness - and there is that kind of tiredness. The one that doesn't go away with coffee, nor with an afternoon nap, nor with a long weekend in which you did nothing. The Spanish family doctor Camino Diaz offers perhaps the most complete list of what can be causing it, and the solutions that actually work - most of them free and accessible.

„Behind constant tiredness there may be a chronic low-grade inflammatory state, a pro-inflammatory diet, disruptions of the gut-microbiota-brain axis, excessive stress, disrupted circadian rhythms or exposure to environmental toxins”, says Diaz. Translation: the problem rarely has just one cause. It is a whole way of life.

The first rule - according to her recommendation - is avoiding excess sugar and constant snacking. „That is one of the keys to not feeling permanently tired”, she says. Most people are sedentary, and two to three meals a day are more than enough. Between them - silence for insulin. For many people this is the hardest piece of advice, because an entire industry of snacks and protein bars lives off that constant eating.

The base of the diet, she continues: quality protein, healthy fats like extra-virgin olive oil or Omega-3, and lots of varied vegetables. Not advanced science, just discipline. „Movement activates mitochondrial function - our energy plants - improves insulin sensitivity and helps regulate hormones like cortisol”, she adds.

The seven strategies Diaz recommends: an anti-inflammatory diet based on real food, daily movement without overdoing it, morning and early evening sunlight exposure, activating the vagus nerve, meaningful social connections, quality sleep, and reducing exposure to environmental toxins.

The point about the vagus deserves attention. „Good vagal tone is associated with better stress adaptation, better digestion, less inflammation and more calm and energy”, she says. How do you activate it? Slow deep breathing, cold water on the face, singing or humming, gargling, and simply sitting quietly in clean air. No exercises. No apps. No subscription.

What doesn't work: energy drinks, too much coffee, snacks halfway through work, the phone in bed all night, and the lack of exposure to natural light. What does work: sleeping in the dark and in silence, a breakfast with protein, a walk after a meal, and less time in front of a screen after nine in the evening. Not revolutionary. Just something the wellness industry doesn't want to tell you, because it has nothing to sell you on the back of it.