When I think of fatigue I know that it is just a symptom of something else happening within the body. Even being a nurse and knowing I had a big day in front of me, some days I felt full of bounding energy and other days I felt like I just could not drag my body out of bed. I definitely found on the days when I improved my mindset using vibrational frequency of essential oils and flower essences along with affirmations I would have a much more positive day, but I would still feel fatigued.
I have since worked out that the cause of that fatigue was food allergies as well as stress, which would elevate my cortisol at night and prevent a proper sleep. I experienced chronic pain from irritable bowel syndrome every night from ingesting allergens causing added inflammation in my gut and body. When our cortisol is elevated at night from pain or allergies it reduces our ability to maintain daily cortisol causing fatigue and brain fog. Food allergies can also cause neuro-inflammation, which can also aggravate brain fog.
But enough about me, let's explore some of the causes of fatigue. It is important to treat the cause of the fatigue, rather than just the symptom as we can often cause more issues by suppressing symptoms. For example, drinking more and more caffeine can cause added anxiety and insomnia at night, which then causes more fatigue via lowered cortisol in the morning and can be a vicious cycle.
Possible causes of fatigue to be investigated:
Food allergies or intolerances (via cortisol dysregulation and neuro-inflammation)
Anxiety, stress or overwhelm (via cortisol dysregulation)
Overwork or lack of rest time (rest time gives our body time to reset and renew cells)
Excessive alcohol or drug use (as this impairs nutrient absorption and damages the gut lining)
Excessive physical exercise (via damage to red blood cells reducing oxygen)
Lack of physical activity (can cause deconditioning or muscle weakness which can make it hard to complete a task)
Unhealthy eating habits or lack of water intake (can impair energy production in the body and cause inflammation)
Lack of sleep (very obvious, but many people do not get enough sleep)
Grief (an understandable process of grieving involves fatigue)
Glucose dysregulation (via a drop in sugars in the body causing fatigue)
Conditions associated with fatigue to be investigated:
Functional liver impairment (via hormone dysregulation and inability to excrete toxins)
Low iron (as iron is reduced red blood cells and oxygen reduces which can cause fatigue)
Cancer (via hormone dysregulation, muscle weakness, etc)
Chronic fatigue syndrome/fibromyalgia (via lack of production of mitochondrial energy)
Chronic infection (via inflammation and cortisol)
Chronic kidney disease (via cortisol dysregulation and possible comorbidities)
COPD/Emphysema (via lack of oxygen and lung capacity)
Depression (via lack of feel good hormones serotonin and dopamine along with inflammation)
Diabetes (via increased inflammation in the body)
Hyper/Hypothyroidism (via hormone dysregulation)
Inflammatory bowel disease (via inflammation and possible malnutrition from malabsorption)
Multiple sclerosis (due to changes in the brain and central nervous system)
Obesity (via inflammation and deconditioning)
Chronic pain (via cortisol dysregulation)
Sleep apnoea (via cortisol dysregulation and lack of oxygen)
Traumatic brain injury (due to changes in the brain)
As fatigue needs to take into account the cause treatment should definitely be individual. However, one treatment that could possibly help most of the conditions on here is dietary changes. For those experiencing inflammation an anti-inflammatory diet is ideal. However, today I will just be focusing on those foods and nutrients that can improve energy.
Foods that improve energy production in the body:
Whole grains such as brown rice, buckwheat, quinoa, oats, millet, freekah, sorghum, wholewheat (for those without intolerance), and rye. These grains contain fibre, B vitamins including niacin, thiamine and folate, protein, zinc, and magnesium all important for creating energy/ATP in the body.
Water is very important for energy production in the body as it is used to create ATP. Therefore, if we are dehydrated the first symptom we experience may be fatigue. It is important to drink 2-3L of water a day
Snack on nuts and seeds or alternatively (sugar-free) nut butter and apple. These contain fibre, protein, magnesium, B vitamins and zinc all valuable for creating energy in the body.
Ensure having palm sized servings of protein at lunch and dinner consisting of salmon, chicken, turkey or grassfed beef/lamb as this can improve protein and iron in the body which can combat fatigue.
Two tablespoons of chia seeds have been found to help improve energy in athletes as much as one energy drink (so snacking on chia pudding for morning tea may help improve energy throughout the day)
Finally reducing processed foods and adding fresh (in season) fruits and vegetables to your diet can reduce inflammation and improve energy.
Of course along with diet remembering to connect your feet to the earth, take time to rest and reset and do the things you love. Making space for yourself will help you to recover your inner spark so that your can give your energy openly when needed.
Hope this blog post helps you recover your energy this week.
Love and light,
Branwen
Comments