Low energy and fatigue

Low energy and fatigue

Help! Why am I so tired and fatigued?

We need energy to feel good and to function at our best. I remember having so much energy in my mid 20’s and filling out a gym questionnaire that asked what goals I wanted to achieve by going to the gym. One of the boxes that I was asked to tick was ‘ENERGY’ and I remember thinking ‘why on earth would you need more energy, I have so much of that!’. However, it was only a few years later once I had given birth to my first child that I experienced what it was like to have debilitating fatigue, to struggle to get through my day, let alone have enough energy to look after my young baby……but I did, and I pulled myself through each day wondering how I was going to get through the second. I remember thinking back to that gym questionnaire and a huge light bulb going off and thinking….’ahhh I get it now, what I would do now to have more energy and to not feel so tired!’.

I spent the next 6 years feeling like that, chronically fatigued with no idea why. My children were finally sleeping through the night, I was eating and exercising well, but still I had to drag myself through each day, sneaking in naps where I could. I had my bloods tested, and my iron levels were normal according to the lab test ranges so why was I so incredibly depleted and exhausted?!

Reasons for feeling fatigued

There can be many reasons for feeling exhausted including:

1. Stress (this one’s a biggie!)

   The majority of people in today’s world are chronically stressed. Chronic, ongoing stress causes the adrenal glands to continuously pump out high amounts of cortisol, one of our stress hormones. Over time, this can exhaust the adrenal glands, causing them to reduce in size causing a reduced ability to produce cortisol. Too much cortisol is damaging and can cause many health problems, including weight gain and keeping us awake at night, however low cortisol is damaging also. We need healthy amounts of cortisol for many important body processes including our sleep-wake-cycle (to wake us up in the morning) and to enable the thyroid glands to produce thyroid hormones for energy production. It is important to manage your stress levels for healthy cortisol levels and good energy.

2.  Iron or B12 deficiency 

   This can be due to an inadequate diet, vegetarian or vegan diet, low stomach acid or a stomach, gut or viral infection. Low iron and B12 levels are very common if you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet. If you have low stomach acid this can cause poor digestion, as you need adequate levels of stomach acid to digest protein in foods and extract the nutrients out of it. In particular, this can cause issues with digesting meat as stomach acid is needed to break down meat proteins and for iron and zinc to be made available to be absorbed into the body. Our body needs iron and zinc for the production of energy. Chronic infections can also affect iron levels as all living organisms including viruses and pathogens need iron to thrive and replicate.

3.  Vitamin D deficiency 

   This is often due to inadequate sun exposure due to working indoors (especially over Winter), high sunscreen use, or genetics that reduces your ability to use Vitamin D in the body. You can get small amounts of vitamin D from foods such as mushrooms, salmon, sardines and butter, however the sun is our best source of Vitamin D and is needed for many processes in the body including energy production. Try to aim for 20 minutes of safe sun exposure daily - exposing the skin on your arms and legs in the early morning or early evening can be a safe time to do this.

4.  Damage to the gut lining

   The gut lining in the small intestine is where nutrients from foods are absorbed into the body which are needed for many vital body processes including energy production. Damage to the gut lining is commonly caused by food and environmental sensitivities or allergies, mediations such as antibiotics, antidepressants and acne medication, toxins, gut infections, celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, or bowel cancer.

5. Thyroid problems

   Poor thyroid function is another common cause of low energy. A healthy thyroid needs nutrients for the production of thyroid hormones needed for a healthy metabolism and energy. Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) is routinely checked by the doctor, however it is important to note there are other thyroid hormones (FT4, FT3, and RT3) that need to be checked to ensure that all thyroid hormones are functioning properly. A problem with any of the thyroid hormones can affect metabolism and energy production. It is important to also check for autoimmune Hashimotos thyroid disease which is a common but overlooked cause of low thyroid hormone production and low energy.

6. Viral infections 

   Emerging research indicates that viral infections such as Covid or Glandular Fever can cause oxidative damage to the mitochondria in our body cells. Mitochondria are our body’s cellular ‘energy factories’. If mitochondria are unable to function properly this can cause low energy and fatigue. Restoring mitochondria function using targeted nutrients and herbs can help restore energy following a viral infection.

7.  Poor sleep 

   This one’s a no brainer! We all know that we need a good night’s sleep to restore our body so we can function well and feel energised. Difficulty falling or staying asleep is commonly due to stress and a busy mind. However other causes may be breast feeding, being woken by young children or pets in the night, nutrient deficiencies, sickness, liver problems, and breathing difficulties.

Feeling exhausted and worn out can make living life very hard. It can make you feel low, depressed affecting your self-worth and confidence. Furthermore, it can affect your everyday relationships and ability to function and focus on work. If you would like help in restoring your energy, please feel free to contact me. There is so much that I can do to help!