Shadowing Practice: Why you’re always tired (+ food fixes!) 🍜 - Learn English Speaking with Video

It's a very defeating feeling when we want to get things done, but we feel completely drained.

And so luckily, there is an ever-growing body of research

that suggests nutrition and our food choices can actually help to fight fatigue during the day, and it can also help us sleep more quickly and soundly at night.

Fatigue can be brought on by different causes, like a decrease in physical activity or allergies or diabetes, But today we're specifically going to focus on how fatigue can be brought on

but also resolved by our food and beverage choices So myself

and one of our dietitian team members Sophia We geeked out

and we read a whole bunch of research papers on the link between nutrition

and fatigue And we've simplified what is known in the science

and that's what we're gonna share with you in today's video

We also created an uncomplicated article that's just gonna help to support this video even worse

if you want to delve deeper I'm gonna link that for you below, but for now, let's dive right in

Our bodies have an internal clock that impacts when we sleep and wake up and this is called our circadian rhythm.

Our circadian rhythm is very strongly linked to dark and light cycles.

So when it's more light outside, we tend to feel more awake and when it's dark, we tend to feel more tired.

Now there's an emerging field of science called chrononutrition, which studies how our eating behaviors can also influence the circadian rhythm.

Like some recent studies, for example, have shown that eating irregularly can throw our circadian rhythm out of sync, which can reduce the quality and duration of our sleep.

So ensuring that we eat at more or less the same times each day can actually help to synchronize our sleep-wake cycle, making us feel less tired.

Breakfast isn't for everyone, I get that.

But if you are somebody who kind of feels chronically fatigued throughout the day and you're also skipping breakfast, this could be the culprit.

So after we've had like a good night's rest, we've been fasting for many hours because we've been asleep.

And so when we wake up we're a bit depleted in energy

and so breaking the fast

Which is where the word breakfast actually comes from this helps

to kick start our day with some fuel There's been several studies

that have shown

that those who eat breakfast Especially high-fiber breakfasts are not only more alert throughout the day

But they also have improved memory a more positive mood

and even better bowel movements There was also this one interesting study of 498 students

that found that those who were skipping breakfast were also the ones reporting

that they weren't sleeping as well at night

so not only does eating breakfast kind of give us more

energy throughout the day it could potentially also help us sleep better

so it's a win-win this is what I love about nutrition it turns out

that we can very strategically compose our meals to help us feel more alert during the day

and to help us kind of fall asleep

and better stay asleep at night so let's explore why that's the case starting with protein.

So protein is made up of these building blocks that are called amino acids, one of which is tryptophan.

Tryptophan gets taken to our brain where it's absorbed and that gets converted to serotonin, which helps us feel good and calm.

That gets converted to melatonin, which is a hormone that actually helps our body kind of get ready for sleep.

The research showed that people who sleep well tended to consume more protein over the day than people who sleep poorly.

Notable plant-based food sources of tryptophan are soy, nuts and seeds, including cashew, pumpkin, and sunflower seeds, beans, leafy greens, mushrooms, and broccoli.

So it's important that we get enough protein so that we get the tryptophan, but it's worth noting that you don't want to get too much protein because that's been linked with decreasing sleep quality.

So no need to go out and take any protein powders as long as you're following a foods first approach.

Now let's delve into the carbs.

I have for simplicity's sake broken this up into two different groups, one of which we're going to call slow digesting carbs and one quick digesting carbs.

Quick digesting carbs are those like white bread, white pasta, and white rice.

Slow digesting carbs, on the other hand, are those that are higher in fiber.

So think whole grains, legumes, and vegetables.

What's interesting is that fruits have a bit of a mix of both.

Okay, so why is knowing all of this important?

In short, eating quick digesting carbs increases the amount of tryptophan that gets absorbed into our brain, which is then going to increase the chance that we're going to feel sleepy after eating.

And this is what's so cool we can use this knowledge to our benefit.

Like in the evening, we can increase the chances of becoming sleepy a few hours after dinner by having quick carbs with our dinner meal, or by having a piece of fruit with dinner

or as an evening snack just to help to increase the absorption of tryptophan into our brain.

On the other hand, if we want to avoid the after-lunch slump that we can experience sometimes, we can try to have slow digesting carbs with our meal instead of quick digesting carbs.

In addition to them just being great sources of fiber, these slow digesting carbs give us a more steady and continued release of energy throughout the day.

Being deficient in certain nutrients can really affect sleep.

This is something we found across a whole bunch of different research papers where if certain people are deficient, for example, in iron, magnesium,

potassium, zinc, selenium, beta- carotene, B vitamins, and vitamin C, E, and or D, they tend to sleep more poorly.

Now these vitamins and minerals, they take part in a whole bunch of the different complex reactions that occur in our body.

So like iron, for example, helps with the production of serotonin, whereas B vitamins help to create melatonin.

But there's no need to go out and supplement with these vitamins

and minerals unless your doctor has specifically advised that you do.

But that's namely because our philosophy is to follow a food first approach.

It is definitely possible and recommended

to get kind of the nutrients that we need just by eating a variety of different plant foods.

And so if you're curious on how to build your plate so that it is nutritionally balanced and adequate, you can check out our plate method video if you'd like and I'll link that for you here.

So we're gonna take a brief intermission to share two different evening snacks

that you can enjoy that can actually help to promote sleep.

And it's a great opportunity for us to put into practice what we've learned starting off with just simple banana

and nut butter.

Both bananas and almond butter contain tryptophan, and when you combine that with the quick digesting carbs that are in the banana, the tryptophan absorption in our brains is increased.

What's more is that these are both high in magnesium and bananas are high in potassium, which are a couple of the minerals that we just previously talked about.

Here's another option.

In place of having an evening tea that might have some caffeine in it, you could try out some warm soy milk instead.

This contains tryptophan, but also magnesium and calcium.

And if you'd prefer that the milk is flavored, you could try out our homemade golden latte mix.

It's really delicious and it makes for a comforting drink that also helps to promote sleep.

So we all know that caffeine, which is found in coffee most predominantly, but also in energy drinks and in tea, that this helps to make us feel more alert, right?

And this is because it's a stimulant that temporarily suppresses the buildup of sleep pressure, which is a mechanism that makes us tired.

Now, everyone is different, but in most adults, it takes the body about three to seven hours to break down half of the caffeine that's in our system.

This is known as its half-life.

So let's say that we drink our first cup of coffee at 9 a.m.

Five hours later at 2 p.m., there's still going to be half of that caffeine in our system.

And then another five hours later at 7 p.m., a quarter of what we drank at 9 a.m is still going to be in our system.

And then by the time it's midnight, we're going to have an eighth of that caffeine still in our system.

It's pretty interesting, right?

Now that you understand this it might make sense then

when you hear that like caffeine could just have such a lasting

effect even though it's something that we might have consumed many many hours before bed

so maybe what just is helpful to keep in mind is caffeine's half-life

and to try to have our caffeine early in the morning

or early in the afternoon and try to limit it later on in the evening

if we want to have a better night's rest water makes

up about 55 to 75 percent of our body weight and it's involved in so many different reactions in the human body, but a lot of adults just don't drink enough.

And even mild dehydration, according to the research, can cause things like fatigue and daytime sleepiness, mood changes, and a drop in cognitive performance.

So if you find that you're tired a lot during the day, it might help to just check in and see if you think you've been drinking enough.

Some telltale signs are your skin or lips might be dry, or your pee could be a bit dark in color.

And if it is, it's just a reminder to drink a little bit more.

100

I myself am terrible at remembering to drink enough water

101

so it helps to just kind of have a cup by your desk as a reminder to drink sometimes

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or you could make it more fun by trying to flavor your water with a little bit of fruit

103

or cucumber or mint for example.

104

But overall what we saw in

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so many different studies was this kind of recurring message on the importance of eating whole plant-based foods

106

and a variety of them as often as possible not only to support overall health

107

but also to help us feel more energized throughout the day and to help better support our sleep.

108

But there are also some other nutrition topics we didn't get

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a chance to explore in today's video like how does fat

110

or salt or alcohol affect sleep or other dietary and lifestyle choices

111

so if you are interested in geeking out

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and learning more I'm going to leave that article

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that we've written in the description box below that's also where

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you're going to find links to the different research papers

115

that we were kind of referring to in today's video

116

and I hope you have an awesome night's sleep

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and an awesome energized day tomorrow that you learned something new in today's video

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so if you enjoyed feel free to give it a thumbs up means a lot

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and Pickle Plimes signing off we'll see you in the next video Thank you.

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Why Practice Speaking with This Video?

This video is a goldmine for english speaking practice because it blends everyday conversation with informative content, mirroring real-life communication. The speaker uses clear, conversational language to explain complex ideas like circadian rhythm and nutrition, making it ideal for shadowing technique (or "shadowspeak") practice. By mimicking the speaker’s pace, tone, and emphasis, you’ll improve fluency while learning practical vocabulary about health and food—topics you’ll likely discuss in daily life. Plus, the natural flow of the dialogue helps you master how to connect ideas smoothly, a key skill for confident speaking.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

The video uses several useful structures to note. First, "It's a very defeating feeling when..." introduces a common way to express emotional reactions to situations—great for sharing personal experiences. Second, "there is an ever-growing body of research that suggests..." is a formal yet accessible phrase to cite evidence, perfect for academic or professional speaking. Third, "Notable plant-based food sources of tryptophan are..." demonstrates how to list examples clearly, a skill essential for explaining concepts. Finally, "it's worth noting that..." is a handy transition to add important caveats, helping you sound more nuanced. Practicing these phrases through shadow speak will make them second nature.

Common Pronunciation Traps

Several words in the video can trip up learners. "Circadian" (ser-KAY-dee-uhn) often gets mispronounced with a hard "c" or incorrect stress—listen closely to the speaker’s emphasis on the second syllable. "Tryptophan" (TRIP-tuh-fan) is another challenge; avoid overstressing the "phan" ending. "Chrononutrition" (kroh-noh-noo-TRISH-uhn) has a tricky "chrono" start—break it into "kroh-noh" to get it right. The phrase "kick start our day" is spoken quickly, with the "k" sounds blending slightly—mimic this to sound more natural. Using the shadowing technique with these words will help you master their pronunciation and fit them into your speech effortlessly.

Learning English with YouTube videos like this one combines education and engagement, making english speaking practice both effective and enjoyable. Whether you’re using shadowspeak to refine your accent or studying grammar to build complexity, this video offers endless opportunities to grow your skills.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on	we've been fasting · you've been drinking
Relative clauses who / which + clause — extra information about a person or thing	sync, which can · somebody who kind · those who eat
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	can be brought · is known · is called
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	we've simplified · have shown · we've been

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

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