When it comes to your energy levels, leaky gut is a problem because it can result in a nutrient malabsorption that hampers supply of essential vitamins and minerals.

For example, B vitamins are crucial for energy production because they are responsible for turning the basic compounds found in the foods you eat — like glucose, amino acids and fatty acids — into useable “fuel” for the body. Iron and zinc levels (nutrients important for circulating oxygen throughout the body) may also become low due to leaky gut.

Natural Remedies for Leaky Gut Syndrome:

To effectively solve leaky gut syndrome, we need to adjust our diet and faulty lifestyle. Towards solution one need to remove foods that harm the gut like gluten and sugar [ man made poison]. Replace these with various healing foods such as fermented foods, bone broth[ watch for sodium]sprouted grains, seeds[ soak them in water for few hours before preparation] and nuts in moderation, lean sources of protein, vegetables and lots of healthy fats. Also consider taking gut-healing supplements like probiotics, L-glutamine, pancreatic enzymes and quercetin.

Make sure to fix any nutrient deficiencies by including plenty of whole foods in your diet that supply magnesium, zinc, iron and B and C vitamins.

Thyroid Disease:

Women and older adults in particular need to be more vigilant to avoid this disease can cause a wide variety of symptoms including; weight gain or loss, moodiness, successive fatigue, muscle stiffness and joint pain, vision problems, changes in body temperature and changes in appetite. This butterfly shaped gland is responsible for regulating body temperature, heart rate, production of protein, maturing of Red Blood Cells and also helps control metabolic rate and energy levels.

Thyroid Disease Causes:

Due to hormonal imbalances Thyroid functioning is impaired. The main culprit is stress and highly processed and fibre negligent diet. Food intolerances to things like gluten and lactose, radiation exposure and nutritional deficiency in iodine or selenium also contribute to this disease.

Natural Remedies for Thyroid Disease:

Avoid grains with gluten and mostly dairy. Avoid toxins and heavy metals like BPA (Bisphenol A) found in plastic bottles and aluminum cans.

Have your iodine and selenium levels checked and then include more food sources of both, or taking supplements if need be. Detox your body of heavy metals by using products like milk thistle, turmeric, chlorella and cilantro. Also consider having metal fillings removed from your teeth. Consume adaptogen herbs and superfoods like mace powder, ashwagandha and Tulsi.

Adjust your diet to have complex carbohydrates. Try to include plenty of lean protein and healthy fat sources (especially foods like coconut oil, coconut milk/ cream, avocado, cage free, grass-fed red meat, wild coldwater fish, chia seeds, flaxseeds and hemp seeds).

Adrenal Fatigue or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

As per latest data, Adrenal fatigue is believed to affect up to 80 percent of adults worldwide. Our adrenal glands are extremely important endocrine glands which release more than 50 different hormones, including the energy-regulating hormones cortisol and adrenaline.

Chronic fatigue syndrome symptoms:

Symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome and adrenal fatigue syndrome are similar and include:

fatigue that doesn’t go away even after getting good sleep, muscle and joint pain, stiffness ,frequent headaches, frequently getting sick, such as having a sore throat, cold or flu-like symptoms, weight gain, digestive problems like successive constipation, mental fogginess and trouble concentrating and remembering things clearly.

Adrenal Fatigue Causes:

When you’re under a high amount of chronic stress due to emotional, physical and mental circumstances, your adrenals can suffer and fatigue can step in. Stressful events, environmental toxins and pollution, trauma and abuse, lack of sleep, over exercising, drug and alcohol abuse, poor diet or an unfavorable work situation lead to this.

Natural Remedies for Adrenal & Chronic Fatigue:

In order to regain energy, we need to

• Change our diet by limiting caffeine,

• Avoid excess sugar and simple carbohydrates consumption

• Avoid hydrogenated oils and processed and repackaged foods being loaded with trans fat in them lead to heart related diseases

• Avoid unhealthy lifestyle choices,

• Workplace problems and stress

How to Stop Feeling Tired most of the Time:

Check with your Physician first, to make sure you have aforesaid medical problem[s]. Following are the basic suggestions:

Dietary suggestions

• Drink lots of water as a dehydrated body, cannot function at par.

• Be careful with caffeine. 1 or 2 caffeinated drinks per day like coffee or tea can boost your energy and mental alertness, but more than 6 caffeinated drinks per day may make you anxious, irritable, and negatively affect your performance.

• Eat breakfast without fail. Food boosts your metabolism and gives your body energy to burn. The brain relies primarily on glucose for fuel, so choose complex carbohydrates, lean protein and unsaturated fat loaded food.

• Eat a healthy diet. Increase the amount of fruit, vegetables, whole grain foods, low fat dairy products and lean meats in your diet. Reduce or avoid the amount of high fat, high sugar and high salt foods in your diet.

• Shun overeating: Large meals can drain your energy. Instead of eating 3 big meals per day, try eating 6 mini-meals to spread your calorie intake more evenly. This will result in more constant blood sugar and insulin levels. You’ll also find it easier to lose excess body fat.

• Eat iron rich foods. Women and men alike, with women in particular are prone to irondeficiency (anemia). Make sure your diet includes iron rich foods such as lean red meat or add iron supplements e.g. Floravital liquid.

7 to 8 hours Sleep is necessary:

A common cause of fatigue is, not enough sleep or poor-quality sleep. Suggestions include:

Get enough sleep. Adults need about 8 hours per night.

Relaxation helps: A common cause of insomnia is fretting while lying in bed Adopt relaxation techniques or example, you could think of a relaxing scene.

Avoid sleeping pills. Sleeping pills don’t work in the long term because they don’t address the causes of insomnia. Brisk exercising is though helpful.

Avoid watching TV in your bed room, particularly when sleep is not happening.

Lifestyle suggestions:

Do not work more than 12 hours a day: Workplace politics, challenging jobs, failing team work at work and consistent burnout are common causes of fatigue. Take steps to address your work problems.

Have more fun: Laughter is one of the best energy boosters around. Use laughter in uniform. Laughing yoga is indeed beneficial. Play with your family kids, peers, adults and elders.

Smoking is very dangerous, because carbon monoxide in cigarette smoke reduces the amount of oxygen available in the body. Our body needs to combine glucose with oxygen to make energy. This is the main reason why smokers typically have lower energy than non-smokers.

Limit your sitting for longer periods: Reduce sedentary behaviours such as watching television and using computers for more than 2 hours.

Boost physical activity. A sedentary lifestyle is known to cause fatigue. Being active has many healthy effects on the body and mind. It normalizes blood pressure, helps to maintain a healthy weight, and is an effective treatment for depression/ anxiety. A good bout of exercise also helps you sleep better at night.

Substance abuse is indeed life-threatening: Seek treatment for substance abuse if you need it. Excessive alcohol consumption or recreational drug use contributes to fatigue. It’s also inherently dangerous.

Bottomline:

By implementing the aforesaid fatigue fighting strategies into your lifestyle will go long way to age gracefully. A fit, healthy and rested body is less prone to severe drowsiness in the afternoon. Do not eat simple carbohydrates and saturated fat during lunch time. Those who do so, I mean being carbophilic, experience a state of temporary coma which can be good for bad health. Eating a combination of lean protein and complex carbohydrates is the right choice.

“Do not run after riches; run after good health, a decent life style and age gracefully on the carousel of time, so as to continuously vouch for self- actualization which is the ultimate goal of a human life.

And do not forget to use adaptogen herbs as they can also be extremely useful for fighting with adrenal and chronic fatigue. Medical studies have shown that adaptogens help balance hormones and reduce the body’s stress response. These herbs can help improve cortisol levels, insulin sensitivity and result in better energy. So, try adaptogens like ashwagandha, holy basil and mace root, in addition to nutrients like omega-3 Krill Oil supplement, magnesium, vitamin B1, B3, B5, B6, B12, vitamin C, vitamin D3, iron and zinc.

Continue to limit stress by exercising regularly in a healthy way, getting plenty of sleep, and practicing various relaxation techniques like reading, writing, meditating and any other activities that relax you.

Always remember that in this case, a Doctor and the Patient is the same person i.e. you or me or others. What is necessary is basic daily active output, otherwise life puts you out!!!!!  

 

Prof. Surinder Kochhar (Shaun)
LPN, FCN, M.Com, CAIIB, DIM A freelance writer with 36 Years Exp. A Health Coach of University of Victoria